Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Encyclopedia
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (born 13 February 1962) is a Puerto Rican
politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University
alumnus (LL.M. 1987) and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor
degree. Acevedo Vilá has held various public service
positions in the Puerto Rico
territorial government under the Popular Democratic Party
, serving as a member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
(1993–2001) and Resident Commissioner
(2001–2005), before he was sworn in as Governor on 2 January 2005. Acevedo Vilá was also a member of the National Governors Association
, the Southern Governors' Association and the Democratic Governors Association
, and a collaborator of President
Barack Obama
's presidential campaign.
On 27 March 2008, Acevedo Vilá was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico on 19 counts of campaign finance violations
. He subsequently organized a press conference, where he claimed that he is innocent of all charges presented against him. On 19 August 2008, he was charged with five more counts. On 1 December 2008 Judge Paul Barbadoro determined that 15 of those charges were based on a flawed theory, leaving him with only nine charges. On 20 March 2009, Acevedo Vilá was found by a jury not guilty of all the charges against him.
On 4 November 2008, he failed in his bid for a second term
, losing to incumbent Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño
. Two days later he stepped down as president of the Popular Democratic Party
.
, a borough of San Juan
. His father, the late Salvador Acevedo, was a former judge, while his mother, the late Elba Vilá, was a homemaker. He attended Colegio San José
High School in the same municipality. In 1982, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras. He continued his studies in Law at that campus' University of Puerto Rico Law School
, the preeminent law school of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, from which he obtained his Juris Doctor
in 1985, graduating magna cum laude.
After passing the Puerto Rico bar exam, Acevedo Vilá completed a year-long clerkship at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
, where he worked under associate Justice Federico Hernández Denton
. In 1987, he obtained a LL.M. degree
from Harvard University
. From 1987 to 1988, he served as law clerk for the Hon. Levin Hicks Campbell
, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
in Boston, Massachusetts.
. Shortly after, he became Director of the Legislative Affairs Office of La Fortaleza
. He was also responsible for the analysis and redaction of legislative measures like the Educational Reform and the Municipal Reform.
. His parliamentary work was mostly in the commissions of Government, Retirement System, Women Affairs, and others. In 1993, he was an active member of the PPD campaign in favor of the current commonwealth
status for the plebiscite held in the island on 14 November 1993. In the end, the Commonwealth, or Estado Libre Asociado, beat the other options of statehood
and independence
.
Acevedo Vilá was reelected as Representative in 1996. That same year, Party President Héctor Luis Acevedo
also put him in charge of the Status Committee of the party. The following year, his party elected him Minority Leader of the House. To continue his ascension in the Party ranks, in February 1997, Acevedo Vilá ran for President of the Popular Democratic Party against veteran Eudaldo Báez Galib, and won 180–124.
, a proposed legislative project in the U.S. Congress that sought to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico
by defining each proposed status option and calling for a series of referendums. Although the referendum called for in the project would have included the option for Puerto Rico to remain a Commonwealth
, the option would have to be renewed by island voters every ten years, until they opted for independence or statehood.
Although the project was not approved, Puerto Rico's elected officials under Governor Pedro Rosselló
organized a non-binding plebiscite to define Puerto Rico's political status, in which Puerto Ricans were given five options: Commonwealth, associated republic, Statehood
, Puerto Rican independence movehe United States, or "none of the above".
Acevedo Vilá and his party believed the definition of the commonwealth option was incorrect because it defined the current political status as territorial. His party campaigned for the "none of the above" option, which ultimately garnered the majority of the votes. (See Puerto Rican status referendums for more information.)
, Sila Calderón assumed the Presidency and became the candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico
. Acevedo Vilá settled to be the candidate for the Resident Commissioner
position, but he was challenged by José Alfredo Hernández Mayoral, son of former Governor and Acevedo Vilá's mentor, Rafael Hernández Colón
. Acevedo Vilá won the primary held on 14 November 1999 with 54% of the votes. The next year, Acevedo Vilá defeated Carlos Romero Barceló
, the incumbent Resident Commissioner, while Sila Calderón became the first female Governor of Puerto Rico defeating the PNP candidate, Carlos Pesquera.
Acevedo was sworn in at the Washington
Capitol Building
on 3 January 2001. Among the legislative measures helmed by Acevedo were the assignment of equal funds for education and the Medicare
program in Puerto Rico
.
In mid-2003, Governor Sila M. Calderón announced she would not seek a second term on the following year's elections. José Hernández Mayoral again surfaced as the likely party's candidate for Governor for the 2004 elections. The Party General Council agreed and decided to put Acevedo to run for Mayor of San Juan. However, months following the announcement, Hernández Mayoral widthdrew from the race, citing personal matters, and Acevedo Vilá announced he would run for the Governor's seat. On 14 August, he was again elected as President of the Party.
by approximately 3,880 votes (0.2 percent of the vote) over former governor Pedro Rosselló
. However, since the margin of victory was so small, a full recount of the elections took place. During the period, Rosselló filed a civil law suit against Acevedo Vilá himself over a dispute of certain ballots that were cast during the elections. Acevedo Vilá is also the first elected governor born after the adoption of the 1952 Constitution of Puerto Rico
.
Since Acevedo Vilá's margin of victory was just 3,880 votes–less than one vote per electoral polling room– the result led to a protracted controversy involving appeals to the United States federal courts
and the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
. The leaders of the New Progressive Party
alleged that some ballots were invalid and shouldn't be counted.
The controversy reached the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
, which ruled 4–3 that the ballots in question were valid. Rosselló challenged the ballots on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
where District Judge Daniel Domínguez ordered the Puerto Rico Election Commission to count the disputed votes but to not adjudicate them to any candidate until he reached a decision on the merits of the case. Acevedo Vilá and his team challenged this ruling and the case moved up to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
, where three judges ruled the question of whether or not the ballots were properly cast was not a federal constitutional issue and therefore should be decided by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
at the Commonwealth level. The Supreme Court affirmed its prior 4–3 decision. On 28 December 2004 the recount ended and Acevedo Vilá was certified as winner and therefore Governor elected.
(PNP) gained control of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico
, the Resident Commissioner in Congress (Luis Fortuño
), and Acevedo Vilá's main political rival, Pedro Rosselló (former Governor or Puerto Rico who had just lost the election against Acevedo), managed to gain a seat in the Senate of Puerto Rico
after a young first-term Senator from Arecibo unexpectedly resigned shortly after taking the oath of office.
Because the executive and the legislative branches of the government are controlled by different political parties, Governor Acevedo Vilá called his government a "shared government". During the first months of his term, Acevedo Vilá concentrated his efforts on trying to reach bipartisan support for his bills and for the nominees of his Cabinet. However, this collapsed when Acevedo Vilá vetoed a legislative bill proposed by the PNP.
During May 2005, confrontations between the executive and the legislative branches reached a new climax when the Puerto Rico legislature voted to override a veto by Acevedo Vilá, thus becoming the first democratically-elected governor to have a veto overridden by the legislature. Later in June, Acevedo Vilá and the legislature were frequently at odds about the budget proposal. The budget proposed by the Governor was not accepted by the leaders of the PNP in the legislature and they proposed a different budget, which Acevedo Vilá vetoed in August 2005.
on his 2004 campaign promise that he would not support a sales tax. The tax served to pay part of the country's external debt. In spite of all these measures, he has so far been unable to finish with a balanced budget.
(Mayor of Caguas
) and Alejandro García Padilla
(former Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs and candidate to the Senate) where mentioned as possible replacements. However, Acevedo Vilá decided to run for reelection, and was openly endorsed by the Party in a massive caucus held at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
.
Sometime after, he chose the Director of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
Alfredo Salazar
as his ballot partner for the position of Resident Commissioner
. Although most people considered him the underdog
, his campaign was regarded by some analysts as superior to the one presented by main opponent Luis Fortuño
. The campaign closure of the Popular Democratic Party was a massive gathering at the parking lot of one of the stations of the Tren Urbano
. Despite this push, Acevedo Vilá was defeated by Fortuño by 224894 votes, being the PPD candidate defeated by largest margin in Puerto Rico's History. Shortly after, Acevedo Vilá announced his resignation as President of the Party.
was investigating donations made to the Acevedo Vilá campaign fund during 2001 and 2002 by the aforementioned contractor and a Puerto Rico based associate. News sources indicated that the donations made by the duo to the Acevedo Vilá campaign fund during that period could total $68,000. In the succeeding months, several key members of Acevedo Vilá's Cabinet were either interviewed by the FBI or called to testify before the Grand Jury investigating the Governor, including Fortaleza
Chief of Staff and former Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Jorge Silva Puras, Press Secretary Juanita Colombani, former Housing Secretary Ileana Echegoyen, former Health Services Administrator Nancy Vega, and former Fortaleza Chief of Staff Aníbal José Torres.
On 27 March 2008, Acevedo Vilá was formally charged in the long-running public corruption probe, along with 12 other people. The 13 were accused of running a conspiracy to illegally raise money to pay off Acevedo Vilá's campaign debts in 2000. Acevedo Vilá was not arrested. Acting U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez
said, "The governor will be permitted to turn himself in [in] deference to his position."
The following day Acevedo Vilá was released without having to pay bail nor give up his passport. Acevedo Vilá was allowed to travel out of the island so long as he informed the court prior to doing so.
On 19 August 2008, the federal agency filed a second five count federal Grand Jury indictment.
Throughout the investigation and indictment process, Acevedo Vilá stated repeatedly that he was innocent, and claimed that everything was politically motivated to harm his career.
On 1 December 2008, Judge Paul J. Barbadoro
dismissed 15 of the original 19 charges citing misinterpretation of Puerto Rican election laws by the federal prosecutors.
, interference with interstate commerce and other charges. Of the 24 original accusations in the indictment, 15 were dismissed by judge Paul J. Barbadoro
.
The case was heard between 9 February 2009 until 20 March 2009. Acevedo Vila was found not guilty of all charges on 20 March 2009.
, a schoolteacher and information technology executive who gave up her career to serve as First Lady during his governorship. They are the parents of two college students, and live in San Juan, where he currently practices law and has authored several books related to his political career and years in public service.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
alumnus (LL.M. 1987) and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree. Acevedo Vilá has held various public service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
positions in the Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
territorial government under the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
, serving as a member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico...
(1993–2001) and Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years...
(2001–2005), before he was sworn in as Governor on 2 January 2005. Acevedo Vilá was also a member of the National Governors Association
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
, the Southern Governors' Association and the Democratic Governors Association
Democratic Governors Association
The Democratic Governors Association is a Washington, D.C. based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mission of the organization is to provide party support to the election and re-election of Democratic...
, and a collaborator of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's presidential campaign.
On 27 March 2008, Acevedo Vilá was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico on 19 counts of campaign finance violations
Crime in Puerto Rico
Crime in Puerto Rico has been linked to the insurmountable amount of drugs that come in and out of the island. Located in the Caribbean, it has become a major transshipment point for drugs into mainland United States...
. He subsequently organized a press conference, where he claimed that he is innocent of all charges presented against him. On 19 August 2008, he was charged with five more counts. On 1 December 2008 Judge Paul Barbadoro determined that 15 of those charges were based on a flawed theory, leaving him with only nine charges. On 20 March 2009, Acevedo Vilá was found by a jury not guilty of all the charges against him.
On 4 November 2008, he failed in his bid for a second term
Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, 2008
The 2008 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, took place on November 4, 2008 coinciding with the 2008 United States general elections and the Puerto Rico general election. Then-incumbent governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Democratic, PPD was eligible for reelection, and ran for a second four-year term...
, losing to incumbent Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
. Two days later he stepped down as president of the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
.
Early life and education
Acevedo Vilá was born in Hato Rey, Puerto RicoHato Rey, Puerto Rico
Hato Rey is a former ward located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three wards of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico:*Hato Rey Central*Hato Rey Norte*Hato Rey Sur...
, a borough of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. His father, the late Salvador Acevedo, was a former judge, while his mother, the late Elba Vilá, was a homemaker. He attended Colegio San José
Colegio San José
Colegio San José is a college-preparatory catholic school for boys in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. It is a fully accredited Catholic college preparatory school for young men, grades 7 to 12, which develops capable, responsible and sensitive Christian leaders, committed to the service of God and neighbor...
High School in the same municipality. In 1982, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras. He continued his studies in Law at that campus' University of Puerto Rico Law School
University of Puerto Rico Law School
The University of Puerto Rico School of Law is a law school in Puerto Rico. It is one of the professional graduate schools of University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and the only law school in the University of Puerto Rico System. It was founded in 1913 at its present site in Río Piedras,...
, the preeminent law school of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, from which he obtained his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1985, graduating magna cum laude.
After passing the Puerto Rico bar exam, Acevedo Vilá completed a year-long clerkship at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
, where he worked under associate Justice Federico Hernández Denton
Federico Hernández Denton
Federico Hernández Denton is the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Hernández received his Law Degree from Harvard University in 1969.-Biography:...
. In 1987, he obtained a LL.M. degree
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. From 1987 to 1988, he served as law clerk for the Hon. Levin Hicks Campbell
Levin Hicks Campbell
Levin Hicks Campbell is an American federal appellate judge, serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston....
, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Early career
Acevedo Vilá began his political career in 1989 as Legislative Affairs Advisor to Governor Rafael Hernández ColónRafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
. Shortly after, he became Director of the Legislative Affairs Office of La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina . It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World...
. He was also responsible for the analysis and redaction of legislative measures like the Educational Reform and the Municipal Reform.
House of Representatives (1992–1999)
In 1992, Acevedo Vilá was elected Representative At-Large to the Puerto Rico's House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico...
. His parliamentary work was mostly in the commissions of Government, Retirement System, Women Affairs, and others. In 1993, he was an active member of the PPD campaign in favor of the current commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
status for the plebiscite held in the island on 14 November 1993. In the end, the Commonwealth, or Estado Libre Asociado, beat the other options of statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
and independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
.
Acevedo Vilá was reelected as Representative in 1996. That same year, Party President Héctor Luis Acevedo
Héctor Luis Acevedo
Héctor Luis Acevedo is a politician from Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the son of Héctor N. Acevedo and Toñita, both public servants...
also put him in charge of the Status Committee of the party. The following year, his party elected him Minority Leader of the House. To continue his ascension in the Party ranks, in February 1997, Acevedo Vilá ran for President of the Popular Democratic Party against veteran Eudaldo Báez Galib, and won 180–124.
Young Bill and 1998 Plebiscite
In 1998, Acevedo Vilá participated in a campaign against the Young BillYoung Bill
The United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act was a bill proposed in the United States Congress to help refine the political status of Puerto Rico. The senior sponsor of the bill was Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska...
, a proposed legislative project in the U.S. Congress that sought to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico
Politics of Puerto Rico
The politics of Puerto Rico take place in the framework of a republican democratic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States of America as an organized unincorporated territory....
by defining each proposed status option and calling for a series of referendums. Although the referendum called for in the project would have included the option for Puerto Rico to remain a Commonwealth
Commonwealth (United States insular area)
In the terminology of the United States insular areas, a Commonwealth is a type of organized but unincorporated dependent territory.The definition of "Commonwealth" according to current U.S. State Department policy reads: "The term 'Commonwealth' does not describe or provide for any specific...
, the option would have to be renewed by island voters every ten years, until they opted for independence or statehood.
Although the project was not approved, Puerto Rico's elected officials under Governor Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
organized a non-binding plebiscite to define Puerto Rico's political status, in which Puerto Ricans were given five options: Commonwealth, associated republic, Statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, Puerto Rican independence movehe United States, or "none of the above".
Acevedo Vilá and his party believed the definition of the commonwealth option was incorrect because it defined the current political status as territorial. His party campaigned for the "none of the above" option, which ultimately garnered the majority of the votes. (See Puerto Rican status referendums for more information.)
Resident Commissioner (2000–2004)
In 1999, Acevedo Vilá became Vice-President of the PPD, as the current Mayor of San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Sila Calderón assumed the Presidency and became the candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
. Acevedo Vilá settled to be the candidate for the Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner is the title of several, quite different types of Commissioner in overseas possession or protectorate of the British Crown or of the United States.-British English:...
position, but he was challenged by José Alfredo Hernández Mayoral, son of former Governor and Acevedo Vilá's mentor, Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
. Acevedo Vilá won the primary held on 14 November 1999 with 54% of the votes. The next year, Acevedo Vilá defeated Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fifth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001, making him one of the more successful...
, the incumbent Resident Commissioner, while Sila Calderón became the first female Governor of Puerto Rico defeating the PNP candidate, Carlos Pesquera.
Acevedo was sworn in at the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Capitol Building
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
on 3 January 2001. Among the legislative measures helmed by Acevedo were the assignment of equal funds for education and the Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
program in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
In mid-2003, Governor Sila M. Calderón announced she would not seek a second term on the following year's elections. José Hernández Mayoral again surfaced as the likely party's candidate for Governor for the 2004 elections. The Party General Council agreed and decided to put Acevedo to run for Mayor of San Juan. However, months following the announcement, Hernández Mayoral widthdrew from the race, citing personal matters, and Acevedo Vilá announced he would run for the Governor's seat. On 14 August, he was again elected as President of the Party.
Governor (2005–2009)
Acevedo Vilá won the Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004
The Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004. After a count by the State Commission of Elections, the winner was inaugurated to a four-year term as Governor of Puerto Rico on January 2, 2005....
by approximately 3,880 votes (0.2 percent of the vote) over former governor Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
. However, since the margin of victory was so small, a full recount of the elections took place. During the period, Rosselló filed a civil law suit against Acevedo Vilá himself over a dispute of certain ballots that were cast during the elections. Acevedo Vilá is also the first elected governor born after the adoption of the 1952 Constitution of Puerto Rico
Constitution of Puerto Rico
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is composed of nine articles detailing the structure of the government as well as the function of several of its institutions. The document also contains an extensive...
.
Mixed votes controversy
Since Acevedo Vilá's margin of victory was just 3,880 votes–less than one vote per electoral polling room– the result led to a protracted controversy involving appeals to the United States federal courts
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
and the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
. The leaders of the New Progressive Party
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
alleged that some ballots were invalid and shouldn't be counted.
The controversy reached the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
, which ruled 4–3 that the ballots in question were valid. Rosselló challenged the ballots on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan...
where District Judge Daniel Domínguez ordered the Puerto Rico Election Commission to count the disputed votes but to not adjudicate them to any candidate until he reached a decision on the merits of the case. Acevedo Vilá and his team challenged this ruling and the case moved up to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
, where three judges ruled the question of whether or not the ballots were properly cast was not a federal constitutional issue and therefore should be decided by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
at the Commonwealth level. The Supreme Court affirmed its prior 4–3 decision. On 28 December 2004 the recount ended and Acevedo Vilá was certified as winner and therefore Governor elected.
Shared Government
Acevedo Vilá was finally sworn as Governor on 2 January 2005. During his term, he faced many political challenges, due to the fact that the main opposing party, New Progressive PartyNew Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
(PNP) gained control of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico
Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico
The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the territorial legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The structure and responsibilities of the Legislative Assembly are defined in Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico....
, the Resident Commissioner in Congress (Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
), and Acevedo Vilá's main political rival, Pedro Rosselló (former Governor or Puerto Rico who had just lost the election against Acevedo), managed to gain a seat in the Senate of Puerto Rico
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
after a young first-term Senator from Arecibo unexpectedly resigned shortly after taking the oath of office.
Because the executive and the legislative branches of the government are controlled by different political parties, Governor Acevedo Vilá called his government a "shared government". During the first months of his term, Acevedo Vilá concentrated his efforts on trying to reach bipartisan support for his bills and for the nominees of his Cabinet. However, this collapsed when Acevedo Vilá vetoed a legislative bill proposed by the PNP.
During May 2005, confrontations between the executive and the legislative branches reached a new climax when the Puerto Rico legislature voted to override a veto by Acevedo Vilá, thus becoming the first democratically-elected governor to have a veto overridden by the legislature. Later in June, Acevedo Vilá and the legislature were frequently at odds about the budget proposal. The budget proposed by the Governor was not accepted by the leaders of the PNP in the legislature and they proposed a different budget, which Acevedo Vilá vetoed in August 2005.
on his 2004 campaign promise that he would not support a sales tax. The tax served to pay part of the country's external debt. In spite of all these measures, he has so far been unable to finish with a balanced budget.
Government shut-down
New tensions surfaced during April 2006, when Acevedo Vilá announced the central government of Puerto Rico did not have enough funds to pay the salary of public employees for the months of May and June. The Governor asked the Legislature to approve a loan of over $500 million dollars so that the government could keep the agencies running. The Senate approved the loan, but the House of Representatives refused to do so. Acevedo Vilá then announced that most of the government agencies would shut down beginning 1 May, and would remain closed unless the House approved the new loan. The government shutdown lasted two weeks, until Governor Acevedo Vilá, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House reached an agreement to end the shutdown. The details of the agreement included the approval of a new loan as well as new fiscal reforms that would impose a sales tax and require the reduction of operational costs of the central government of the island.Failed attempt at reelection (2008)
During the course of 2008, Acevedo Vilá was indicted with a total of 24 charges of corruption. Due to this situation and the economic crisis hampering his tenure, several potential candidates like William Miranda MarínWilliam Miranda Marín
William "Willie" Miranda Marín was the mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1997 until his death in 2010.-Personal life:...
(Mayor of Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
) and Alejandro García Padilla
Alejandro García Padilla
Alejandro García Padilla is a Puerto Rican Senator, President of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, and candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico as of March 2011.- Early years and studies :...
(former Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs and candidate to the Senate) where mentioned as possible replacements. However, Acevedo Vilá decided to run for reelection, and was openly endorsed by the Party in a massive caucus held at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, officially named "Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot" , is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico dedicated to entertainment...
.
Sometime after, he chose the Director of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
The Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico was the brainchild of Governor Rexford Guy Tugwell, who signed Law 252 of May 13, 1942, creating the institution in charge of economic development for the Government of Puerto Rico...
Alfredo Salazar
Alfredo Salazar
Alfredo Salazar is an economist and politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party . He is currently running for the office of Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States Congress in the upcoming 2008 elections...
as his ballot partner for the position of Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner is the title of several, quite different types of Commissioner in overseas possession or protectorate of the British Crown or of the United States.-British English:...
. Although most people considered him the underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
, his campaign was regarded by some analysts as superior to the one presented by main opponent Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
. The campaign closure of the Popular Democratic Party was a massive gathering at the parking lot of one of the stations of the Tren Urbano
Tren Urbano
The Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
. Despite this push, Acevedo Vilá was defeated by Fortuño by 224894 votes, being the PPD candidate defeated by largest margin in Puerto Rico's History. Shortly after, Acevedo Vilá announced his resignation as President of the Party.
Federal investigations and indictment
During the period of September–October 2006, several news sources reported that a federal grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
was investigating donations made to the Acevedo Vilá campaign fund during 2001 and 2002 by the aforementioned contractor and a Puerto Rico based associate. News sources indicated that the donations made by the duo to the Acevedo Vilá campaign fund during that period could total $68,000. In the succeeding months, several key members of Acevedo Vilá's Cabinet were either interviewed by the FBI or called to testify before the Grand Jury investigating the Governor, including Fortaleza
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina . It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World...
Chief of Staff and former Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Jorge Silva Puras, Press Secretary Juanita Colombani, former Housing Secretary Ileana Echegoyen, former Health Services Administrator Nancy Vega, and former Fortaleza Chief of Staff Aníbal José Torres.
On 27 March 2008, Acevedo Vilá was formally charged in the long-running public corruption probe, along with 12 other people. The 13 were accused of running a conspiracy to illegally raise money to pay off Acevedo Vilá's campaign debts in 2000. Acevedo Vilá was not arrested. Acting U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez
Rosa Emilia Rodríguez
Rosa Emilia Rodríguez is the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. A career prosecutor, first in the Puerto Rico Department of Justice and subsequently in the U.S. Attorney's office in San Juan, she has been nominated by President George W. Bush as United States Attorney...
said, "The governor will be permitted to turn himself in [in] deference to his position."
The following day Acevedo Vilá was released without having to pay bail nor give up his passport. Acevedo Vilá was allowed to travel out of the island so long as he informed the court prior to doing so.
On 19 August 2008, the federal agency filed a second five count federal Grand Jury indictment.
Throughout the investigation and indictment process, Acevedo Vilá stated repeatedly that he was innocent, and claimed that everything was politically motivated to harm his career.
On 1 December 2008, Judge Paul J. Barbadoro
Paul J. Barbadoro
Paul J. Barbadoro is a United States District Judge for the District of New Hampshire.Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Paul grew up in Acton, Massachusetts. Barbadoro graduated from Gettysburg College in 1977 and earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1980...
dismissed 15 of the original 19 charges citing misinterpretation of Puerto Rican election laws by the federal prosecutors.
Trial
Federal charges were brought against Acevedo Vila for alleged illegal campaign contributions. He was accused of money launderingMoney laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, interference with interstate commerce and other charges. Of the 24 original accusations in the indictment, 15 were dismissed by judge Paul J. Barbadoro
Paul J. Barbadoro
Paul J. Barbadoro is a United States District Judge for the District of New Hampshire.Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Paul grew up in Acton, Massachusetts. Barbadoro graduated from Gettysburg College in 1977 and earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1980...
.
The case was heard between 9 February 2009 until 20 March 2009. Acevedo Vila was found not guilty of all charges on 20 March 2009.
Personal life
Acevedo Vilá is married to Luisa GándaraLuisa Gándara
Luisa "Piti" Gándara is the wife of former Governor of Puerto Rico Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and served as First Lady from 2005 to 2009.Following the tradition of previous Puerto Rico First Ladies, Gándara refrained from holding a remunerative job while a resident of La Fortaleza...
, a schoolteacher and information technology executive who gave up her career to serve as First Lady during his governorship. They are the parents of two college students, and live in San Juan, where he currently practices law and has authored several books related to his political career and years in public service.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans – Governors
- Young BillYoung BillThe United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act was a bill proposed in the United States Congress to help refine the political status of Puerto Rico. The senior sponsor of the bill was Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska...
- Governor of Puerto RicoGovernor of Puerto RicoThe Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
- Popular Democratic PartyPopular Democratic Party of Puerto RicoThe Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
- New Progressive PartyNew Progressive Party of Puerto RicoThe New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
- Puerto Rican Independence PartyPuerto Rican Independence PartyThe Puerto Rican Independence Party is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from United States suzerainty....
External links
- Official website
- Popular Democratic Party– in Spanish.
- Biography by CIDOB Foundation – in Spanish
- City probe could ensnare Puerto Rico's governor
- PDF Copy of the Federal Indictment
- US Department of Justice Press release announcing second indictment
- http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/politica/noticias/se_quita_acevedo_vila/485806
- Biography at CIDOB