Pedro Pierluisi

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Pedro Pierluisi
Governor of Puerto Rico
Assumed office
January 2, 2021
Preceded byWanda Vázquez Garced
In office
August 2, 2019 – August 7, 2019
De facto[a]
Preceded byRicardo Rosselló
Succeeded byWanda Vázquez Garced
Acting Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
In office
July 31, 2019 – August 2, 2019
Preceded byLuis Rivera Marín
Succeeded byElmer Román
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byLuis Fortuño
Succeeded byJenniffer González
Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico
In office
January 2, 1993 – January 2, 1997
GovernorPedro Rosselló
Preceded byHéctor Rivera Cruz
Succeeded byJosé Fuentes Agostini
Personal details
Born
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia

(1959-04-26) April 26, 1959 (age 64)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Political partyNew Progressive
Other political
affiliations
Democratic
Children4
RelativesJosé Jaime Pierluisi† (brother)
ResidenceLa Fortaleza
EducationTulane University (BA)
George Washington University (JD)

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia[b] (born April 26, 1959) is a Puerto Rican attorney, lobbyist,[2] and politician. He is the Governor of Puerto Rico since January 2, 2021.

Biography[change | change source]

Pierluisi was the de facto Governor of Puerto Rico. He was sworn-in on August 2, 2019. Five days later, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court ruled that Pierluisi was sworn in on unconstitutional grounds and removed him from office, effective 5 p.m. AST on August 7.[3][4]

He was the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in 2009–2017, as well as the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico in the 1990's. Pierluisi, a member of New Progressive.

On January 2, 2021, Pierluisi was sworn in. there was a private ceremony in which he was sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Maite Oronoz Rodríguez. This was followed by a controversial public ceremony on the north side of the Puerto Rican Capitol, where Pierluisi took the oath of office publicly in front of 400 guests during the COVID-19 pandemic and delivered his inagural speech.

In February 2021, Pedro Pierluisi, said Congress was "morally obligated" to respond to last year's referendum.

On March 15, 2021, Pedro Pierluisi indicated that the state of emergency related to maritime transport from the main island to Vieques and Culebra would remain in effect until 2022 when the ferry transport system would be privatized. After group protests against the inadequate ferry service, which led to clashes between police and protesters, Pedro Pierluisi said he supported the actions of the "Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Acción", the local branch of the forces of security involved in the demonstration.

On March 20, 2022, the assembly general assembly of the Nouveau Parti Progressist, the governor Pedro Pierluisi announcing that he had issued a second mandate. In an interview on August 28, 2022, it was confirmed that the press said it was now open.[1].

In February 2023, Pedro Pierluisi pleaded before the Senate in Washington D.C. for the United States of America to approve the bill which provides for an electoral consultation in Puerto Rico between the options of American statehood, independence or of independence in free association with the United States of America.[2].

Notes[change | change source]

  1. His swearing in was deemed unconstitutional and he was duly removed from office on August 7, 2019. Wanda Vázquez Garced was subsequently sworn in as governor.
  2. Primera Hora (2009) "El nuevo comisionado residente en Washington, Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia..."[1]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Busca auxilio federal". Primera Hora (in Spanish). January 7, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  2. "Senado Registro de Cabilderos". www.senado.pr.gov (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  3. DÁNICA COTO (August 7, 2019). "Puerto Rico High Court Overturns Pedro Pierluisi as Governor". Bloomberg News. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
  4. Mazzei, Patricia; Robles, Frances (2019-08-07). "Puerto Rico Supreme Court Rules New Governor Was Unlawfully Sworn In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-07.