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.
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 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.
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., the Secretary of Governance. The Cabinet is composed of all members of the Constitutional Council of Secretaries (), 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
Office Name Party TermGovernor Governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced PNP 7 August 2019 – 2 January 2021Office of the Governor Secretariat of Governance Zoé Laboy Alvarado PNP 21 August 2019 – 31 December 2019 Antonio Luis Pabón Batlle PNP 31 December 2019 – 2 January 2021 President of the Puerto Rico Planning Board María del Carmen Gordillo Pérez PNP 2 January 2017 – 2 January 2021Executive Director for Federal Affairs Jennifer Storipan PNP 1 August 2019 – 15 January 2021Council of Secretaries Secretary of State María Marcano de León (acting) PNP 4 August 2019- December 2019 Elmer Román PNP 20 December 2019 – 23 August 2020 Raúl Márquez Hernández PNP 30 August 2020 – 2 January 2021 Secretary of Justice Dennise Longo Quiñones PNP 18 August 2019 – 7 July 2020 Inés del Carmen Carrau Martínez(acting) PNP 7 July 2020 – 2 January 2021 Secretary of the Treasury Francisco Parés Alicea Ind. 24 June 2019 – Present Secretary of Education Eligio Hernández Perez Ind. 8 April 2019 – 31 December 2020 Secretary of Labor and Human Resources Briseida Torres Reyes PNP 8 May 2019 – 9 June 2020 Carlos Rivera Santiago PNP 9 June 2020 – 31 December 2021 Secretary of Transportation and Public Works Carlos Contreras Aponte PNP 2 January 2017 - 1 January 2021 Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce Manuel Laboy Rivera PNP 9 January 2017 – 1 January 2021Secretary of Health Rafael Rodríguez Mercado PNP 2 January 2017 – 13 March 2020 Concepción Quiñones de Longo (acting) PNP 13 March 2020 – 26 March 2020 Lorenzo González Feliciano PNP 26 March 2020 – 2 January 2021 Secretary of Agriculture Carlos Alberto Flores Ortega PNP 2 January 2017 – 1 January 2021 Secretary of Consumer Affairs Carmen Salgado Rodríguez PNP 9 June 2019 – 1 January 2021 Secretary of Corrections and Rehabilitation Eduardo Rivera Juanatey PNP 14 September 2019 – 2 January 2021 Secretary of Family Affairs Glorimar Andújar Matos PNP 9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 Orlando López Belmonte PNP 14 May 2020 – 1 January 2021 Secretary of Housing Fernando Gil Enseñat PNP 9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 Luis Carlos Fernández Trinchet PNP 28 January 2020 – 1 January 2021 Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources Tania Vázquez Rivera PNP 2 January 2017 – 7 November 2019 Rafael Machargo Maldonado PNP 7 February 2020 – 31 March 2022 Secretary of Public Safety Elmer Román PNP 2 April 2019-December 2019 Pedro Janer Román PNP December 2019-1 January 2021 Secretary of Sports and Recreation Adriana Sánchez Parés PNP 15 January 2018 – 1 January 2021Other Cabinet-level officers Inspector General Ivelisse Torres Rivera PNP 16 January 2019 – Present Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Omar J. Marrero Díaz PNP 31 July 2019 – Present
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