Government of Wanda Vázquez Garced

The government of Wanda Vázquez Garced was formed the week following the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares as a result of the massive protests resulting from the Telegramgate scandal, and a Supreme Court decision that vacated the office from an invalid occupant.^[1]

Government of Wanda Vázquez Garced
19th Constitutional Government of Puerto Rico
2019–2021
Governor Vázquez Garced in a meeting.
Date formed	7 August 2019
Date dissolved	2 January 2021
People and organisations
President of the United States of America	Donald J. Trump
Governor	Wanda Vázquez Garced
Secretary of State	María A. Marcano de León (acting, 2019) Elmer Román (2019–2020) Raúl Márquez Hernández (2020–2021)
Total no. of members	16 Secretaries[a] 21 Cabinet Members [a]
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)   MVC   PIP   Ind.
Opposition leader	Aníbal José Torres (2018–2020) Carlos Delgado Altieri (2020)
History
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
Budget	2020–2021 Puerto Rico budget
Advice and consent	Senate of Puerto Rico House of Representatives of Puerto Rico[b]
Incoming formation	Resignation of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares as a result of Telegramgate on 31 July 2019
Predecessor	Government of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares
Successor	Government of Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia

Background

While the Secretary of State, Luis G. Rivera Marín, would have been the successor, his involvement in the 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.

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 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.^[1]

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.

Party breakdown

Party breakdown of cabinet members, not including the governor:

New Progressive Party	19
Independents	2

The cabinet was composed of members of the PNP and two 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.,^[2][3] the Secretary of Governance. The Cabinet is composed of all members of the Constitutional Council of Secretaries (Article IV of the 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^[4][5]

Office	Name	Party		Term
Governor
Governor of Puerto Rico Gobernación de Puerto Rico	Wanda Vázquez Garced[6]		PNP	7 August 2019 – 2 January 2021
Office of the Governor
Secretariat of Governance Secretaría de la Gobernación	Zoé Laboy Alvarado[7]		PNP	21 August 2019 – 31 December 2019
	Antonio Luis Pabón Batlle[8]		PNP	31 December 2019 – 2 January 2021
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	Jennifer Storipan [10]		PNP	1 August 2019 – 15 January 2021
Council of Secretaries
Secretary of State Secretaría de Estado	María Marcano de León (acting) [11]		PNP	4 August 2019- December 2019
	Elmer Román[12]		PNP	20 December 2019 – 23 August 2020
	Raúl Márquez Hernández[12]		PNP	30 August 2020 – 2 January 2021
Secretary of Justice Secretaría de Justicia	Dennise Longo Quiñones[13]		PNP	18 August 2019 – 7 July 2020
	Inés del Carmen Carrau Martínez[14] (acting)		PNP	7 July 2020 – 2 January 2021
Secretary of the Treasury Secretaría de Hacienda	Francisco Parés Alicea[15][16]		Ind.	24 June 2019 – Present
Secretary of Education Secretaría de Educación	Eligio Hernández Perez[17][18]		Ind.	8 April 2019 – 31 December 2020[19]
Secretary of Labor and Human Resources Secretaría del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos	Briseida Torres Reyes[20]		PNP	8 May 2019 – 9 June 2020
	Carlos Rivera Santiago[21][22]		PNP	9 June 2020 – 31 December 2021[23]
Secretary of Transportation and Public Works Secretaría de Transportación y Obras Públicas	Carlos Contreras Aponte[24][25]		PNP	2 January 2017 - 1 January 2021
Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio	Manuel Laboy Rivera[26]		PNP	9 January 2017 – 1 January 2021
Secretary of Health Secretaría de Salud	Rafael Rodríguez Mercado		PNP	2 January 2017 – 13 March 2020
	Concepción Quiñones de Longo[27] (acting)		PNP	13 March 2020 – 26 March 2020
	Lorenzo González Feliciano[28]		PNP	26 March 2020 – 2 January 2021
Secretary of Agriculture Secretaría de Agricultura	Carlos Alberto Flores Ortega[29]		PNP	2 January 2017 – 1 January 2021
Secretary of Consumer Affairs Secretaría de Asuntos del Consumidor	Carmen Salgado Rodríguez[30][31]		PNP	9 June 2019 – 1 January 2021
Secretary of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretaría de Corrección y Rehabilitación	Eduardo Rivera Juanatey[32]		PNP	14 September 2019 – 2 January 2021
Secretary of Family Affairs Secretaría de la Familia	Glorimar Andújar Matos[33][34]		PNP	9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020
	Orlando López Belmonte[35][36]		PNP	14 May 2020 – 1 January 2021
Secretary of Housing Secretaría de Vivienda	Fernando Gil Enseñat[34]		PNP	9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020
Luis Carlos Fernández Trinchet[37]		PNP	28 January 2020 – 1 January 2021
Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales	Tania Vázquez Rivera[38]		PNP	2 January 2017 – 7 November 2019 [39]
	Rafael Machargo Maldonado[40][41]		PNP	7 February 2020 – 31 March 2022[42]
Secretary of Public Safety Secretaría de Seguridad Pública	Elmer Román[43]		PNP	2 April 2019-December 2019
	Pedro Janer Román[44][45]		PNP	December 2019-1 January 2021
Secretary of Sports and Recreation Secretaría de Deportes y Recreación	Adriana Sánchez Parés[46]		PNP	15 January 2018 – 1 January 2021
Other Cabinet-level officers
Inspector General Inspectoría General	Ivelisse Torres Rivera[47]		PNP	16 January 2019 – Present
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	Omar J. Marrero Díaz[48]		PNP	31 July 2019 – Present

Notes

1. Does not include the Governor or the Secretariat of Governance.
2. 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 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico (1952)

References

1. Mazzei, Patricia; Robles, Frances (August 7, 2019). "Puerto Rico Supreme Court Rules New Governor Was Unlawfully Sworn In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
2. Hernández Colón, Rafael (6 May 1986). "Boletín Administrativo 4669" (PDF). Presupuestos Anteriores, Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (in Spanish). Office of Budget and Management.
3. "Ley 104 de 1956 Ley para Facultar al Gobernador la Delegación de Ciertas Funciones y Deberes" (PDF). Biblioteca Virtual. PR.gov.
4. "Organigrama del Gobierno de Puerto Rico (2021)" (PDF) (in Spanish). Puerto Rico Office of Management and Budget. June 2021.
5. "Organigrama del Gobierno de Puerto Rico (2012)" (PDF) (in Spanish). Puerto Rico Office of Management and Budget. April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
6. Bauzá, Nydia (2 December 2020). "Pierluisi nombra a su gabinete constitucional" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
7. "Renuncia Zoé Laboy". Telemundo Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
8. Cortés Chico, Ricardo (21 December 2019). "Mueve fichas y llena vacantes en La Fortaleza". El Nuevo Día. Retrieved 13 May 2022 – via PressReader.
9. Rico, por Ed Microjuris com Puerto (30 November 2016). "Gabinete de la administración de Ricardo Rosselló". Microjuris al Día (in Spanish). Microjuris. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
10. "Rosselló realiza nombramientos a menos de 24 horas de su renuncia". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2 August 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
11. Guillama Capella, Manuel (September 3, 2019). "Sin fecha para designación a la secretaría de Estado". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
12. "¿Quién es Raúl Márquez Hernández, el designado secretario de Estado?". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
13. "Gobernadora nombra secretaria de Justicia y director de Ética Gubernamental en receso". Primera Hora. August 18, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
14. García, Lyanne Meléndez. "Secretaria de Justicia interina dará prioridad a continuidad de investigaciones en curso". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
15. Sin comillas (1 July 2019). "GOBERNADOR DESIGNA A FRANCISCO PARÉS ALICEA COMO SECRETARIO DE HACIENDA" (in Spanish). Sin comillas. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
16. Bauzá, Nydia (2 December 2020). "Pierluisi nombra a su gabinete constitucional" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
17. "Aida Díaz apoya la designación del nuevo Secretario interino del DE". www.noticel.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
18. "¿Quién es Eligio Hernández Pérez, nuevo secretario interino del Departamento de Educación?". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 8 April 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
19. "Eligio Hernández anuncia su retiro". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
20. Ruiz Kuilan, Gloria (May 8, 2019). "Rosselló designa a Briseida Torres como nueva secretaria del Trabajo". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
21. Notiséis 360 (9 June 2020). "Gobernadora designa al licenciado Carlos Rivera Santiago como secretario del Trabajo" (in Spanish). WIPR. Retrieved 1 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
22. López Maldonado, Cesiach (3 December 2020). "Pierluisi nombra a los secretarios de Salud, Vivienda, Familia, Agricultura y Trabajo" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
23. Pedro Correa, Henry (15 December 2021). "Carlos Rivera Santiago: "Mi norte ha sido ayudar a facilitar y no amarrarme a la silla"" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
24. Banuchi, Rebecca (December 8, 2016). "Ricardo Rossello nombra al secretario del DTOP". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: GFR Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
25. "Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Fiscal Year 2019-2022" (PDF). act.dtop.pr.gov/. DTOP PR. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
26. "Informe de Comité sobre designación de Ing. Manuel Laboy Rivera como Secretario del Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio; y Director Ejecutivo de la Compañía de Fomento Industrial" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
27. "Renuncia la secretaria interina de Salud, Concepción Quiñones de Longo". Telemundo Puerto Rico (in Spanish). March 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
28. "Paramédico denuncia caos en el manejo de casos de coronavirus en Puerto Rico". Univision (in Spanish). 2020-03-28. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
29. Microjuris (30 November 2016). "Gabinete de la administración de Ricardo Rosselló". Microjuris al Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
30. "Carmen Salgado Rodríguez". Primera Hora. Retrieved 13 May 2022 – via PressReader.
31. "Gobernadora nombra a los secretarios de Corrección y DACO". UNO Radio Group. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
32. Ibarra Vázquez, Génesis (24 October 2019). "Senado confirma a Rivera Juanatey como secretario de Corrección". www.elvocero.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
33. "Nombramiento de la Leda. Glorimar Andújar Matos como Secretaria del Departamento de la Familia" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (in Spanish). Senado de Puerto Rico. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
34. Ruiz Kuilán, Gloria (20 January 2020). "Wanda Vázquez despide a los secretarios de Familia y Vivienda". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
35. "Senado confirma a Orlando López Belmonte como nuevo secretario de la Familia". Microjuris al Día (in Spanish). 3 June 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
36. "Gobernadora de Puerto Rico designa nuevo secretario de la Familia y comisionado de OCIF". diariolasamericas.com (in Spanish). 14 May 2020.
37. "Gobernadora anuncia nombramiento del secretario de la Vivienda". CB en Español. Cybernews. 28 January 2020.
38. Burgos Alvarado, Cindy (13 January 2017). "Senators question possible conflict with designated DNRA-secretary". Caribbean Business. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
39. "Natural Resources Secretary Resigns Amid FBI Probe". The Weekly Journal. No. The Weekly Journal. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
40. ELNUEVODIA.COM (7 February 2020). "Wanda Vázquez designa a Rafael Machargo como secretario del DRNA" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Día. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
41. Rosario, Frances (29 December 2020). "Pierluisi configura su gabinete con expertos y un reconocido atleta" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
42. Primera Hora (1 April 2022). "Renuncia el secretario de Recursos Naturales, Rafael Machargo" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
43. "Rosselló nombra a Elmer Román como sustituto de Pesquera". elvocero.com (in Spanish). April 9, 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
44. "Anuncian millonario pago de sobre $3.5 millones en horas extras a policías". La Perla del Sur (in Mexican Spanish). Cybernews. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
45. "El nuevo jefe de seguridad rechaza informar cuánto ganará Melinda Romero como "chief of staff"". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 27 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
46. "Atleta la nueva designada a liderar el DRD". www.noticel.com. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
47. "Informe de Comité al Senado" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
48. Rico, por Ed Microjuris com Puerto (31 July 2019). "Gobernador nombra a Omar J. Marrero como director ejecutivo de la AAFAF, entre otros nombramientos". Microjuris al Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2022.

Preceded by Rosselló Nevares (2017-2019)

Government of Puerto Rico 2019–2021

Succeeded by Pierluisi Urrutia (2021-present)