Government of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares
18th Cabinet of the Puerto Rican Constitutional Government
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The government of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares was formed in the weeks following the 2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election[1] and ended prematurely on the first week of August 2019.
Donald J. Trump
Government of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares | |
|---|---|
18th Constitutional Government of Puerto Rico | |
| 2017-2019 | |
 Governor Rosselló Nevares at the World Travel & Tourism Council closing ceremony, on 4 April 2019. | |
| Date established | 2 January 2017 |
| Date dissolved | 7 August 2019[a] |
| Leadership and composition | |
President of the United States of America | Barack H. Obama Donald J. Trump |
Governor | Ricardo Rosselló Nevares |
Secretary of State | Luis G. Rivera Marín (2017-2019) Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia (2019) |
Total no. of members | 16 Secretaries[b] 23 Cabinet Members [c] |
Member party | PNP Ind. |
Status in legislature | Majority party in both chambers Senate 21 / 30 (70%) House of Representatives 34 / 51 (67%) |
Opposition party | PPD (largest) PIP MVC Ind. |
Opposition leader | Héctor J. Ferrer Ríos (2017-2018) Aníbal José Torres(2018-2020) |
| Budgets | 2017 Puerto Rico Budget 2018 Puerto Rico Budget 2019 Puerto Rico Budget |
| Formation and history | |
Advice and consent | Senate of Puerto Rico House of Representatives of Puerto Rico [d] |
Incoming formation | 2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election |
| Elections | 2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election 2016 Puerto Rico Senate election 2016 Puerto Rico House of Representatives election |
Outgoing election | 2020 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election |
| Legislature term | 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico |
Outgoing formation | Resignation of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares and several cabinet members as a result of Telegramgate. |
| Predecessor | Government of Alejandro García Padilla |
| Successor | Government of Wanda Vázquez Garced |
This government has the distinction of being the only constitutional government in Puerto Rico that ended before its four-year term expired, as Rosselló Nevares resigned on 2 August 2019 as a result of the massive protests stemming from the Telegramgate scandal. There was a period of five days between 2 August and 7 August 2019 where the designated Secretary of State Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia acted as governor, but the Puerto Rico Supreme Court vacated the office from after determining he was an invalid occupant and determined his actions during the period were null and void.
This led to the new government of Wanda Vázquez Garced as the 13th Constitutional Governor of Puerto Rico, along with her own cabinet.[2]
Party breakdown
Party breakdown of cabinet members, not including the governor:
20 | |
3 |
The cabinet was composed of members of the PNP and at the highest point, three concurrent independents or technical positions (or people whose membership in a party was not clearly ascertained from any available media).
Members of the Cabinet
The Puerto Rican Cabinet is led by the Governor, along with, starting in 1986.,[3][4] the Secretary of Governance. The Cabinet is composed of all members of the Constitutional Council of Secretaries (Article IV, Constitution of Puerto Rico, 1952), who are the heads of the executive departments, along with other Cabinet-level officers who report directly to the Governor of Puerto Rico or to the Secretary of Governance, but who are not heads nor members of an executive office. All the Cabinet-level officers are at the same bureaucratic level as of the Secretaries[5][6]
| Office | Name | Party | Term | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | ||||||||
| Governor of Puerto Rico Gobernación de Puerto Rico | Ricardo Rosselló Nevares | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 2 August 2019 | |||||
| Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia[a] | PNP | 2 August 2019 – 7 August 2019 | ||||||
Office of the Governor | ||||||||
| Secretariat of Governance Secretaría de la Gobernación | William E. Villafañe Ramos[1] | PNP | 2 January 2017 - 2 May 2018 | |||||
| Raúl Maldonado Gautier[7] | PNP | 31 July 2018 – 29 January 2019 | ||||||
| Ricardo J. Llerandi Cruz[8] | PNP | 30 January 2019 – 2 August 2019 | ||||||
| President of the Puerto Rico Planning Board Presidencia de la Junta de Planificación | María del Carmen Gordillo Pérez[9] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 2 January 2021 | |||||
| Executive Director for Federal Affairs Directoría Ejecutiva de PRFAA | Carlos R. Mercader Pérez[1][10] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 30 April 2019 | |||||
| Jennifer Storipan [11] | PNP | 1 August 2019 – 15 January 2021 | ||||||
Council of Secretaries | ||||||||
| Secretary of State Secretaría de Estado | Luis Rivera Marín[1] | PNP | 2 January 2017- 16 July 2019 | |||||
| Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia | PNP | 31 July 2019 - 2 August 2019 | ||||||
| Secretary of Justice Secretaría de Justicia | Wanda Vázquez Garced[1] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 7 August 2020 | |||||
| Secretary of the Treasury Secretaría de Hacienda | Raúl Maldonado Gautier[1][12][13] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 31 July 2018 | |||||
| Teresa «Teresita» Fuentes Marimón[14][12] | PNP | 31 July 2018 - 27 January 2019 | ||||||
| Raúl Maldonado Gautier[15][12] | PNP | 29 January 2019 - 24 June 2019 | ||||||
| Francisco Parés Alicea[16][17][12] | Ind. | 24 June 2019 – Present | ||||||
| Secretary of Education Secretaría de Educación | Julia Beatrice Keleher[1][18] | Ind. | 2 January 2017 - 1 April 2019 | |||||
| Eligio Hernández Perez[19][20] | Ind. | 8 April 2019 – 31 December 2020[21] | ||||||
| Secretary of Labor and Human Resources Secretaría del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos | Carlos José Saavedra Gutiérrez[1] | PNP | 2 January 2017 - 8 May 2019 | |||||
| Briseida Torres Reyes[22] | PNP | 8 May 2019 – 9 June 2020 | ||||||
| Secretary of Transportation and Public Works Secretaría de Transportación y Obras Públicas | Carlos Contreras Aponte[23][24] | PNP | 2 January 2017 - 1 January 2021 | |||||
| Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio | Manuel Laboy Rivera[1][25] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 1 January 2021 | |||||
| Secretary of Health Secretaría de Salud | Rafael Rodríguez Mercado | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 13 March 2020 | |||||
| Secretary of Agriculture Secretaría de Agricultura | Carlos Alberto Flores Ortega[26] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 1 January 2021 | |||||
| Secretary of Consumer Affairs Secretaría de Asuntos del Consumidor | Michael Pierluisi Rojo[1][27] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 7 June 2019 | |||||
| Carmen Salgado Rodríguez[28][29] | PNP | 9 June 2019 – 1 January 2021 | ||||||
| Secretary of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretaría de Corrección y Rehabilitación | Erik Rolón Suárez[1][30] | PNP | 2 January 2017 –14 September 2019 | |||||
| Secretary of Family Affairs Secretaría de la Familia | Glorimar Andújar Matos[1][31][32] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 | |||||
| Secretary of Housing Secretaría de Vivienda | Fernando Gil Enseñat[1][32] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 | |||||
| Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales | Tania Vázquez Rivera[33] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 7 November 2019 [34] | |||||
| Commissioner of Safety and Public Protection Comisaría de Seguridad y Protección Pública | Héctor Pesquera[1][35] | Ind. | 9 April 2012 - 10 April 2017 | |||||
| Secretary of Public Safety Secretaría de Seguridad Pública | Héctor Pesquera[36] | Ind. | 10 April 2017 - 2 April 2019 | |||||
| Elmer Román[37] | PNP | 2 April 2019-December 2019 | ||||||
| Secretary of Sports and Recreation Secretaría de Deportes y Recreación | Andrés Waldemar Volmar Méndez[1][38] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 12 January 2018 | |||||
| Adriana Sánchez Parés[39] | PNP | 15 January 2018 – 1 January 2021 | ||||||
Other Cabinet-level officers | ||||||||
| Inspector General Inspectoría General | Ivelisse Torres Rivera[40] | PNP | 16 January 2019 – Present | |||||
| President of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank Presidencia del Banco Gubernamental de Fomento | Christian Sobrino Vega[1][41] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 13 July 2019 | |||||
| Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Directoría Ejecutiva de la Autoridad de Asesoría Financiera y Agencia Fiscal de Puerto Rico | Gerardo José Portela Franco[1][42] | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 31 July 2018 | |||||
| Christian Sobrino Vega[42][41] | PNP | 1 August 2018 – 13 July 2019 | ||||||
| Omar J. Marrero Díaz[43] | PNP | 31 July 2019 – Present | ||||||
Succession controversy
While the Secretary of State, Luis G. Rivera Marín, would have been the successor to Rosselló Nevares, his involvement in the Telegramgate scandal forced his resignation earlier in July 2019. Rosselló Nevares attempted to name a successor in Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia by nominating him for the Secretary of State, but his confirmation was stalled in the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, specifically, the Senate.
The situation led to confusion as Rosselló resigned without a confirmed Secretary of State, who at the same time swore in on his own ceremony, becoming de facto governor. After less than a week, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico decided in Senado de Puerto Rico v. Gobierno de Puerto Rico, 2019 TSPR 138 CT-2019-4 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico 2019) that the clear successor was the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico, annulled any recognition or vestiges of legitimacy in the week-long Pierluisi government.[2]
Pierluisi vacated the Palace of Santa Catalina at noon of 7 August 2019, and Wanda Vázquez Garced was sworn that day at 5pm as the 13th Constitutional Governor of Puerto Rico. Her New Progressive Party (PNP) had majorities on both chambers of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and she inherited several cabinet members from the previous government.
Notes
- While Rosselló Nevares resigned on 2 August 2019, he left Pierluisi Urrutia as de facto governor, having named him to the Secretary of State position. However, Pierluisi did not receive the consent of the Senate on time, and thus was only acting Secretary of State. Pierluisi swore in as governor on the 2nd of August, but his acting governorship was deemed unconstitutional on the 7th, and he was ordered to vacate the Palace of Santa Catalina that day, as Wanda Vázquez Garced was recognized as the rightful successor to governor Rosselló Nevares.
- Does not include the Governor or the Secretariat of Governance. Total number is 17 different positions, with one (Commissioner of Public Safety) being substituted by a new Secretary position.
- Does not include the Governor or the Secretariat of Governance. Includes all other cabinet-level positions.
- The House provides advice and consent for the Secretary of State, as he is first in line in the Puerto Rico governor' order of succession as established in Article IV, Section 5, Constitution of Puerto Rico, 1952