Carlos Romero Barceló
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| Carlos Romero Barceló | |
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January 2, 1977 – January 2, 1985 |
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| Predecessor: | Rafael Hernández Colón |
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| Successor: | Rafael Hernández Colón |
| Born: | September 4, 1932 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party: | New Progressive Party Democratic Party |
| Profession: | Lawyer |
| Spouse: | Kate Donnelly |
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló (born September 4, 1932) is a Puerto Rican politician who was the fifth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party (PNP) and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001.
Romero Barceló is the grandson of Antonio R. Barceló, a former Union Party leader and advocate of Puerto Rican self-determination during the early 20th century.
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[edit] Education
Carlos Romero Barceló attended Phillips Exeter Academy in the state of New Hampshire, graduating in 1949. Later he attended Yale University, obtaining a B.A. in Political Science and Economics in 1953. That same year, at age 20, he returned to Puerto Rico and enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico Law School, becoming a licensed lawyer in 1956. In 1977, he received a doctorate Honoris causa from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
[edit] Political career
Romero Barceló, an avid supporter of Puerto Rico statehood with the United States of America, became involved in with the "Partido Estadista Republicano", the forerunner of the New Progressive Party. He formed part of "Ciudadanos pro Estado 51" (Citizens for the 51st State) in 1965. Later, he became involved with the political group "Estadistas Unidos", founded by Luis Ferre.
Barceló was one of the founding members of the New Progressive Party in 1967. The following year he was elected Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1973, he became the first Hispanic to become vice-president of the National League of Cities and in 1974 became president. He served as mayor until 1976 when he defeated incumbent Governor Rafael Hernández Colón.
[edit] Governor
Romero Barceló brought well-received economic resolutions to the island during his terms in office, emphasizing the island's tourism potential. In 1980 he was elected for a second term as governor by a margin of 3,037 votes over again PPD-candidate Rafael Hernández Colón. The 1980 gubernatorial elections where among the closest in Puerto Rican history, requiring the intervention of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico to rule whether improperly cast ballots should be counted. The "New Progressive Party" lost control of the legislature, and party-affiliated mayors won in 28 of the 78 municipalities on the island.
He sought re-election for a third term in 1984 but was defeated by Rafael Hernández Colón. After the elections, Barceló's reaction to the defeat, in response to TV news reporter Rafael Bracero, was Que Derrota? (What defeat?). For him, he said, what had occurred was not a defeat, but simply an "electoral loss". The comment has become legendary in Puerto Rican politics.
In 1986, he was elected by his party to fill in a vacancy in the Senate of Puerto Rico.
[edit] Resident Commissioner
In the 1992 elections, Romero was elected Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, and relocated to Washington D.C.. He would later on be reelected in the elections of 1996.
During his tenure as Resident Commissioner he campaigned for Puerto Rican statehood and endorsed the Young Project, which sought to call a referendum to resolve Puerto Rico's political status. In 2000, he sought a third term but was defeated by PPD's Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. He once again sought his party's nomination for the post of Resident Commissioner in 2003, but was defeated by Luis Fortuño. Although he has retired from electoral politics, he has remained active in PNP political gatherings and is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
[edit] Legacy
Romero Barceló is married to Kate Donnelly. His daughter, Melinda Romero Donnelly, was an NPP member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for 8 years. He is a boxing fan, and advocated for holding world championship bouts in San Juan during his terms in office.
[edit] Publications
- "Puerto Rico, U.S.A.: The Case for Statehood." Foreign Affairs 59 (Fall 1980): pp. 58-81.
- Statehood Is For the Poor. N.P.: Master Typesetting of P.R. Inc., 1978. Originally published as La Estatidad es para los Pobres, 1973.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Hispanic Americans in Congress: Carlos Romero-Barceló
- The National League of Cities
- League of United Latin American Citizens
| Preceded by: Rafael Hernández Colón |
Governor of Puerto Rico 1977–1985 |
Succeeded by: Rafael Hernández Colón |
| Preceded by: Antonio Colorado |
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico 1993–2001 |
Succeeded by: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá |
| Resident Commissioners of Puerto Rico |  |
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| Degetau • Larrinaga • Muñoz Rivera • Córdova Dávila • Pesquera • Iglesias • Pagán • Piñero • Fernós-Isern Polanco • Córdova • Benítez • Corrada del Río • Fuster • Colorado • Romero Barceló • Acevedo Vilá • Fortuño |
| New Progressive Party Gubernatorial Nominees | |
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| Ferré Aguayo | Romero Barceló | Corrada del Río | Rosselló González | Pesquera Morales |
