Rafael Hernández Colón
Encyclopedia
Rafael Hernández Colón (born October 24, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico
) 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, having won his first term at the age of 36. Hernández is also the person who has run for Governor the most times, a total of five. During his terms as Governor, Hernández Colón's administration was known for trying to invigorate the Puerto Rican economy as well as defending the current political status of the island.
in Pennsylvania, graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy and College
, then had obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science
from Johns Hopkins University
in 1956 where he graduated with honors
. In 1956, he obtained his degree in Law
from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, graduating magna cum laude and as valedictorian
of his class. Between 1961 and 1965 he was lecturer on civil procedure at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
in Ponce.
He was married to Lila Mayoral (now deceased), with whom he had four children: Rafael, Jose Alfredo, Dora Mercedes and Juan Eugenio. Juan Eugenio Hernandez Mayoral is currently a senator in the Puerto Rico Senate.
, or Partido Popular Democratico (PPD). He served as Associate Commissioner of Public Service under the governorship of Roberto Sánchez Vilella
. In 1965 he was named Secretary of the Department of Justice. In 1968 he was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico
, becoming the youngest Senator to hold a seat in the Senate at the time. A young political star, he was President of the Senate from 1968 through 1972. In 1972, he successfully ran for Governor of Puerto Rico
.
and opposed President Gerald Ford
's wishes to make Puerto Rico the 51st state. In 1974, Time Magazine recognized Rafael Hernandez Colon as one of the world's young leaders.
During his first term, the island was wracked by recession, induced by the 1973 oil crisis
, which hit Puerto Rico particularly hard because of the many businesses that were directly related to petroleum processing in Puerto Rico (particularly, the Commonwealth Oil Refining Company, CORCO, which operated one of the world's largest oil refineries in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico
). Puerto Rico had financed numerous public works with bonds (which matured by the time Hernández became governor), and previous administrations had used the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
(not unlike the Bank of North Dakota
in performing duties identical to those of a regional branch of the Federal Reserve) as a revolving credit line with disastrous results, which forced the Hernández administration to devote large sums of the Puerto Rican government's budget
to save the bank and honor the bonds' obligations. Hernández exacerbated the situation by raising taxes and making costly purchases of failed private entreprises, as to somehow lower the cost of doing business in Puerto Rico. For example, the government bought a failed shipping line, which became Navieras de Puerto Rico, as to stabilize shipping costs to and from Puerto Rico. Over the years, this purchase would cost the government of Puerto Rico over 500 million dollars in losses (Navieras is better known for being the former owner of the SS Mayagüez
, which added to its notoriety) Hernández also instituted a retroactive income tax, popularly known as "La Vampirita" ("The Little Vampire"). For these reasons and others, Hernández lost in 1976 to then Mayor
of San Juan
, Carlos Romero Barceló
. He lost again to Barcelo in 1980; the margin of victory in the 1980 elections was small, a 3,000 vote margin out of 1.6 million votes.
by 49 to 46% (http://electionspuertorico.org/cgi-bin/events.cgi). He also sponsored an unsuccessful bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games.
During this era Puerto Rico experienced an economic boom with gdp growth at 5% during the years 1987-1989 the highest since Operation Bootstrap due to 936 and the Economic Boom in the United States. Unemployment drop drastically in his term from an all time high 25%in 1983 to 12.0% in 1990.
He lost popularity with the controversial Pabellon de Sevilla that was an attempt of a representation of Puerto Rico at the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992.
Because of this, in June 1991 Hernández announced that he would not seek re-election. On January 11, Hernandez Colón resigned as President of the Popular Democratic Party
, the post he held for 23 years. Then Senator Victoria Munoz Mendoza
succeeded as President of the party and would later become gubernatorial candidate.
Hernández Colón has been granted honoris causa degrees from Johns Hopkins University
, Seton Hall and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
, where he has served as a law professor in the university's Law School.
In 1985, Hernández Colón was awarded the Order of Duarte, Sánchez y Mella. In 1987 he was awarded the Cross of Isabel the Catholic by king Juan Carlos I and the government of Spain
. That same year he was awarded the "Grand Cordón del Libertador" by the government of Venezuela
, the Harvard Foundation Award, and the Spirit of the Caribbean Award. In 1989 he was awarded the Olympic Order Award.
On October 18, 1991 at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Spain, Hernandez Colón, received the Principe de Asturias de las Letras award that was granted to Puerto Rico by Felipe de Borbón.
In early 2003, Lila Mayoral, his first wife, died of cancer. He married attorney Nelsa López in late 2004.
Currently, Hernández Colón maintains distance from public political engagement, but continues involved in Puerto Rico
's political affairs assisting active politicians. Some political analysts speculate that Hernández still exerts a sizeable control over the PDP's party structure, which may rival the current PDP president's.
Since Puerto Rico's 2006 fiscal crisis that partially shut down several government departments; State funded bodyguard services to ex-governors were eliminated in order to cut government spending. This decision was disputed by unlikely allies, himself, and ex-governor Carlos Romero Barceló, arguing that this was an acquired right that could not be eliminated. Resolution of this issue is pending before Puerto Rico's Supreme Court.
In 2011, the creation of the Rafael Hernandez Colon Gubernatorial Library by the Foundation by the name was started. It will be located in the Ponce Historic Zone
, in barrio Cuarto
, just blocks from Plaza Las Delicias
.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
) is a Puerto Rican politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
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, having won his first term at the age of 36. Hernández is also the person who has run for Governor the most times, a total of five. During his terms as Governor, Hernández Colón's administration was known for trying to invigorate the Puerto Rican economy as well as defending the current political status of the island.
Education
Hernández Colón studied at WayneWayne
- People with the surname Wayne :* Anthony Wayne, a general in the American colonial and United States armies* David Wayne , a musician* Elsie Wayne, a Canadian politician* Gary Wayne an American Major League baseball player* Jeff Wayne, a musician...
in Pennsylvania, graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy and College
Valley Forge Military Academy and College
Valley Forge Military Academy & College is an American all male preparatory boarding school and coeducational junior college in the military school tradition...
, then had obtained a bachelor's degree 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...
from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 1956 where he graduated with honors
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
. In 1956, he obtained his degree 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, graduating magna cum laude and as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of his class. Between 1961 and 1965 he was lecturer on civil procedure at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a Roman Catholic university located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It provides courses in the areas of education, business administration, arts and human studies and science, leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degrees. Its campus is also home...
in Ponce.
He was married to Lila Mayoral (now deceased), with whom he had four children: Rafael, Jose Alfredo, Dora Mercedes and Juan Eugenio. Juan Eugenio Hernandez Mayoral is currently a senator in the Puerto Rico Senate.
Political career
Hernández Colón affiliated himself with the Popular Democratic PartyPopular 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....
, or Partido Popular Democratico (PPD). He served as Associate Commissioner of Public Service under the governorship of Roberto Sánchez Vilella
Roberto Sánchez Vilella
Roberto Sánchez Vilella was the second Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1965 to 1969. He was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
. In 1965 he was named Secretary of the Department of Justice. In 1968 he was elected to 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...
, becoming the youngest Senator to hold a seat in the Senate at the time. A young political star, he was President of the Senate from 1968 through 1972. In 1972, he successfully ran 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...
.
First term (1973-1977)
Hernández Colón made an effort to get more international firms to invest in Puerto RicoPuerto 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...
and opposed President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
's wishes to make Puerto Rico the 51st state. In 1974, Time Magazine recognized Rafael Hernandez Colon as one of the world's young leaders.
During his first term, the island was wracked by recession, induced by the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, which hit Puerto Rico particularly hard because of the many businesses that were directly related to petroleum processing in Puerto Rico (particularly, the Commonwealth Oil Refining Company, CORCO, which operated one of the world's largest oil refineries in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico
Peñuelas, Puerto Rico
Peñuelas is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Adjuntas, east of Guayanilla, west of Ponce and north of the Caribbean Sea. Peñuelas is spread over 12 wards and Peñuelas Pueblo . It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area...
). Puerto Rico had financed numerous public works with bonds (which matured by the time Hernández became governor), and previous administrations had used 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...
(not unlike the Bank of North Dakota
Bank of North Dakota
The Bank of North Dakota is a state-owned and -run financial institution based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Under state law the bank is the State of North Dakota doing business as the Bank of North Dakota....
in performing duties identical to those of a regional branch of the Federal Reserve) as a revolving credit line with disastrous results, which forced the Hernández administration to devote large sums of the Puerto Rican government's budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
to save the bank and honor the bonds' obligations. Hernández exacerbated the situation by raising taxes and making costly purchases of failed private entreprises, as to somehow lower the cost of doing business in Puerto Rico. For example, the government bought a failed shipping line, which became Navieras de Puerto Rico, as to stabilize shipping costs to and from Puerto Rico. Over the years, this purchase would cost the government of Puerto Rico over 500 million dollars in losses (Navieras is better known for being the former owner of the SS Mayagüez
SS Mayagüez
SS Mayaguez was a U.S.-flagged container ship that attained notoriety for its 12 May 1975 seizure by Khmer Rouge forces of Cambodia, which resulted in a confrontation with the United States at the close of the Vietnam War....
, which added to its notoriety) Hernández also instituted a retroactive income tax, popularly known as "La Vampirita" ("The Little Vampire"). For these reasons and others, Hernández lost in 1976 to then Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
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...
, 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...
. He lost again to Barcelo in 1980; the margin of victory in the 1980 elections was small, a 3,000 vote margin out of 1.6 million votes.
Second and third terms (1985-1993)
Hernández Colón ran again against Barcelo in the elections of November, 1984 and was victorious by about 54,000 votes (48 to 45% respectively). He again won re-election in 1988 election, besting his main rival Baltasar Corrada del RíoBaltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río is a former politician from Puerto Rico. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner , Mayor of the capital city of San Juan , Puerto Rico's 15th Secretary of State and...
by 49 to 46% (http://electionspuertorico.org/cgi-bin/events.cgi). He also sponsored an unsuccessful bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games.
During this era Puerto Rico experienced an economic boom with gdp growth at 5% during the years 1987-1989 the highest since Operation Bootstrap due to 936 and the Economic Boom in the United States. Unemployment drop drastically in his term from an all time high 25%in 1983 to 12.0% in 1990.
He lost popularity with the controversial Pabellon de Sevilla that was an attempt of a representation of Puerto Rico at the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992.
Because of this, in June 1991 Hernández announced that he would not seek re-election. On January 11, Hernandez Colón resigned 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....
, the post he held for 23 years. Then Senator Victoria Munoz Mendoza
Victoria Muñoz Mendoza
Victoria "Melo" Muñoz Mendoza is a former politician from Puerto Rico. She is the daughter of the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín, founder of the Popular Democratic Party and his second wife, Inés Mendoza...
succeeded as President of the party and would later become gubernatorial candidate.
Retirement and legacy
Rafael Hernández Colon has published various works specializing in law. Among his works; "Procedimiento civil, Trayectoria historica de la Autonomia politica puertoriqueña" and "Nueva Tesis" (ISBN 8459967565) which talks about the Puerto Rican Commonwealth's political relationship with the United States of America.Hernández Colón has been granted honoris causa degrees from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Seton Hall and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a Roman Catholic university located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It provides courses in the areas of education, business administration, arts and human studies and science, leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degrees. Its campus is also home...
, where he has served as a law professor in the university's Law School.
In 1985, Hernández Colón was awarded the Order of Duarte, Sánchez y Mella. In 1987 he was awarded the Cross of Isabel the Catholic by king Juan Carlos I and the government of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. That same year he was awarded the "Grand Cordón del Libertador" by the government of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, the Harvard Foundation Award, and the Spirit of the Caribbean Award. In 1989 he was awarded the Olympic Order Award.
On October 18, 1991 at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Spain, Hernandez Colón, received the Principe de Asturias de las Letras award that was granted to Puerto Rico by Felipe de Borbón.
In early 2003, Lila Mayoral, his first wife, died of cancer. He married attorney Nelsa López in late 2004.
Currently, Hernández Colón maintains distance from public political engagement, but continues involved 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...
's political affairs assisting active politicians. Some political analysts speculate that Hernández still exerts a sizeable control over the PDP's party structure, which may rival the current PDP president's.
Since Puerto Rico's 2006 fiscal crisis that partially shut down several government departments; State funded bodyguard services to ex-governors were eliminated in order to cut government spending. This decision was disputed by unlikely allies, himself, and ex-governor Carlos Romero Barceló, arguing that this was an acquired right that could not be eliminated. Resolution of this issue is pending before Puerto Rico's Supreme Court.
In 2011, the creation of the Rafael Hernandez Colon Gubernatorial Library by the Foundation by the name was started. It will be located in the Ponce Historic Zone
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
, in barrio Cuarto
Cuarto (Ponce)
Cuarto is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Quinto, and Sexto, Cuarto is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...
, just blocks from Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of...
.