Antonio J. Colorado Laguna (born September 8, 1939) is a lawyer and politician from New York City, New York (USA). He served as Secretary of State and Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico for the administration of Rafael Hernández Colón.

Biography

Colorado attended elementary and high school in Puerto Rico. In 1962, he earned a bachelor's degree from Boston University and three years later graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras with a Juris Doctor. In 1966, he earned a master of Laws from the Harvard University School of Law and was admitted to the Puerto Rican bar.

From 1966 to 1968 he served as legal tax adviser to the Economic Development Administration of Puerto Rico , and from 1968 to 1969 he served as the executive assistant to the economic development administrator of Puerto Rico. He began a law practice in 1969, and became a member of the Puerto Rico Tax Reform Commission Subcommittee in 1973.

In the late 1970s, in addition to his law practice, he lectured at both the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. In 1985, then Governor of Puerto Rico, Rafael Hernández Colón, appointed Colorado to the post of administrator of economic development. From 1990 to 1992 he served as Secretary of State for Puerto Rico.

In 1992, Colorado was appointed Resident Commissioner to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Jaime B. Fuster, who was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. In the United States House of Representatives Colorado tried to address problems faced by Puerto Ricans, such as crime and drug abuse, and requested additional medicaid support for the Island.

He was unsuccessful in his 1992 bid for reelection and returned to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Publications

• The first book of Puerto Rico. ISBN 0531006174. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc. 1972.
• Democracia y Socialismo: dos ensayos políticos. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Raices Inc. 1990.
• Semblanzas de ayer y de hoy. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Raices Inc. 1990.
• Puerto Rico: La tierra y otros ensayos. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 1972.

References

1. "Antonio J. Colorado". Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1822-1995. Washing, DC: Library of Congress. June 9, 1997.