María de Lourdes Santiago
Encyclopedia
María de Lourdes Santiago is a lawyer
and journalist
from Adjuntas
, Puerto Rico
. She is the current vice-president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party
(PIP) and in 2004 became the first woman from that party to be elected into the Senate
in the history of Puerto Rico
.
in theatre
and a master's
in law
from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.
In 1997, she began working as a legal counselor for Victor García San Inocencio while he served in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
. She also worked as a legal counselor for Manuel Rodríguez Orellana
while he served as Senator of Puerto Rico
.
In 2000, she began working as legal counselor for Fernando Martín
while he served as Senator.
In January 2001, she was elected as vice-president of her political party, and in 2003 announced her candidacy as Senator for the Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004
. On November 2, 2004, Santiago was elected and became the first woman in the Puerto Rican Senate in the history of Puerto Rico to represent the Puerto Rican Independence Party.
In late 2004, incoming Senate President Kenneth McClintock
's decision to recognize Santiago's status as Minority Leader provoked the ire of the New Progressive Party
's defeated gubernatorial candidate Pedro Rossello
, who believed that neither she nor Garcia San Inocencio should be recognized as Minority Leaders since their party had not garnered enough votes to automatically remain a registered political party under Puerto Rico electoral law. Nevertheless, Santiago was one of only two senators to abstain when McClintock was elected to the presidency in 2005.
As a senator, Santiago has been involved in women's, mental health and special education issues, among others.
Santiago is the writer of a column that is published in the El Vocero
newspaper, and was arrested during the Navy-Vieques protests for illegally trespassing military facilities to protest the military's bombing practice. She spent one month in jail as part of her sentence.
A native of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
, she is married and has one son.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
from Adjuntas
Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
Adjuntas is a small mountainside municipality in Puerto Rico located central midwest of the island on the Central Mountain range , north of Yauco, Guayanilla and Peñuelas; southeast of Utuado; east of Lares and Yauco; and west of Ponce. Adjuntas is spread over 16 wards and Adjuntas Pueblo...
, 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...
. She is the current vice-president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party
Puerto Rican Independence Party
The Puerto Rican Independence Party is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from United States suzerainty....
(PIP) and in 2004 became the first woman from that party to be elected into the Senate
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...
in the history of Puerto Rico
History of Puerto Rico
The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the archipelago of Puerto Rico by the Ortoiroid people between 3000 and 2000 BC. Other tribes, such as the Saladoid and Arawak Indians, populated the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New...
.
Biography
Santiago has a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and a master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.
In 1997, she began working as a legal counselor for Victor García San Inocencio while he served in 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...
. She also worked as a legal counselor for Manuel Rodríguez Orellana
Manuel Rodríguez Orellana
Manuel Rodríguez Orellana is a legal scholar, lawyer, lecturer, columnist, published poet and political leader of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement...
while he served as Senator 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...
.
In 2000, she began working as legal counselor for Fernando Martín
Fernando Martín
Fernando Martín may refer to:*Fernando Martín Álvarez , Spanish entrepreneur, former chairman of Martinsa-Fadesa and president of Real Madrid C.F.*Fernando Martín Carreras , Spanish football player...
while he served as Senator.
In January 2001, she was elected as vice-president of her political party, and in 2003 announced her candidacy as Senator for the Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004
Puerto 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....
. On November 2, 2004, Santiago was elected and became the first woman in the Puerto Rican Senate in the history of Puerto Rico to represent the Puerto Rican Independence Party.
In late 2004, incoming Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
's decision to recognize Santiago's status as Minority Leader provoked the ire 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...
's defeated gubernatorial candidate Pedro Rossello
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...
, who believed that neither she nor Garcia San Inocencio should be recognized as Minority Leaders since their party had not garnered enough votes to automatically remain a registered political party under Puerto Rico electoral law. Nevertheless, Santiago was one of only two senators to abstain when McClintock was elected to the presidency in 2005.
As a senator, Santiago has been involved in women's, mental health and special education issues, among others.
Santiago is the writer of a column that is published in the El Vocero
El Vocero
El Vocero is a Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in San Juan.Published since 1974, El Vocero was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing El Mundo and El Nuevo Día and leading The San Juan Star in sales...
newspaper, and was arrested during the Navy-Vieques protests for illegally trespassing military facilities to protest the military's bombing practice. She spent one month in jail as part of her sentence.
A native of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
Adjuntas is a small mountainside municipality in Puerto Rico located central midwest of the island on the Central Mountain range , north of Yauco, Guayanilla and Peñuelas; southeast of Utuado; east of Lares and Yauco; and west of Ponce. Adjuntas is spread over 16 wards and Adjuntas Pueblo...
, she is married and has one son.
External links
- www.independencia.net/ingles/welcome.html Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) (English-language website)
- www.independencia.net/historia/biomariadelourdes.html Santiago Biography at the PIP website - official site, in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. - Santiago Biography at Puerto Rican Senate website - official site, in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.