Vicente de Soliveres y Miera (ca. 1838 – ca. 1908) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 4 April 1888Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. 1913. p. 279. to 19 March 1889.Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Autentica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. 1913. p. 279.

Background Soliveres Miera had been mayor of San Juan before he was appointed mayor of Ponce.Félix Pubill. La Administración Municipal de Ponce. 1900. p. 35.

Mayoral term Upon taking over as mayor, he announced the 16 Ponce residents chosen by the Governor who would make up the Municipal Council: Ramón Cortada, F. Marzan, P. Valdivieso, Miguel Rosich, Francisco Roubert, Basilio O. Diaz, Angel Fernandez, F. Fernandez, Narciso Arabia, Juan Serrallés, Pedro Hedilla, Santiago Oppenheimer, B. Garcia, Lazaro Puente, Jose Mirandes, Jaime Cotal, Francisco Barnes, Cosme Clavell, A. Subira, Jose Ferrer.Félix Pubill. La Administración Municipal de Ponce. 1900. p. 35.

Soliveres Miera is best remembered for shutting down the newspaper La Revista de Puerto Rico in July 1888.Socorro Girón. Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. pages 231, and 282–283. Two months later, on 1 September 1888, strong rains caused Río Portugués to overflow its banks, and Soliveres help the victims of the floods. Soliveres Miera also oversaw the "Hermanas de la Caridad" (Sisters of the Charity) taking charge of the administration of the municipal hospital, Hospital Tricoche.Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Autentica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. 1913. p. 269. Some of the public works by Soliveres are the building of a new municipal jail and of a concrete tower at Cerro del Vigía, the enlargement of the municipal offices, improvements made to the exiting jail to provide for living quarters for the prison officer, and the provisioning of sidewalks to several city streets.Félix Pubill. La Administración Municipal de Ponce: Memoria de las gestiones practicadas en la Administración Municipal de Ponce, por los Alcaldes y Ayuntamientos que ha tenido desde el año 1882 al 1900. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Tipografía José Picó Matos. 1900. p. 39.

Resignation Soliveres was liked by his employees and subordinates, "their relationship being more that of a friend than a boss."Félix Pubill. La Administración Municipal de Ponce: Memoria de las gestiones practicadas en la Administración Municipal de Ponce, por los Alcaldes y Ayuntamientos que ha tenido desde el año 1882 al 1900. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Tipografía José Picó Matos. 1900. p. 39. However, one night, upon orders from the governor, Soliveres dissolved the tertulia at Parque de Bombas because, it was rumored, that in it the provincial government was being criticized. From that point on the news media followed, analyzed and reported all his moves to the point the criticism became too much of a burden on the mayor. As a result, he presented his resignation to the governor and left for Spain. Still liked by many of the townspeople, Soliveres was wished a warm farewell along the way as he left the city and traveled the municipal portion of Carretera Central to San Juan.Félix Pubill. La Administración Municipal de Ponce: Memoria de las gestiones practicadas en la Administración Municipal de Ponce, por los Alcaldes y Ayuntamientos que ha tenido desde el año 1882 al 1900. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Tipografía José Picó Matos. 1900. pp. 39–40.

References

Notes

See also

List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico List of Puerto Ricans

Further reading Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliografía Anotada. Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 336. Item 1673. Ponce. Reglamento para el régimen interior de las oficinas del ilustre Ayuntamiento y Alcaldía de la Ciudad, aprobado por dicha Corporación en la sesión del día 6 de junio de 1888. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Tip. de la "Revista de Puerto Rico", 1888. (Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras; Colegio Universitario Tecnológico de Ponce, CUTPO [fotocopia])