Carlos Romero Barceló

Order	5th Democratically Elected Governor
Term of office	January 2, 1977–January 2, 1985
Predecessor	Rafael Hernández Colón
Successor	Rafael Hernández Colón
Date of birth	Sunday, September 4, 1932
Place of birth	San Juan, Puerto Rico
First Lady	Kate Donally
Profession	politician, lawyer
Political party	New Progressive Party
Resident Commissioner	Baltasar Corrada del Río (1977-1985)

Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló (born September 4, 1932) was Puerto Rico's fifth democratically elected Governor, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party (PNP) and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001.

Romero Barceló is the grandson of Antonio R. Barceló, a former Union Party leader and advocate of Puerto Rican self-determination during the early 20th century.

Education

Carlos Romero Barceló attended Philips Exeter Academy in the state of Massachusetts, graduating in 1949. Later he attended Yale University, obtaining a B.A. in Political Science and Economics in 1953. That same year, at age 20, he returned to Puerto Rico and enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico Law School, becoming a licensed lawyer in 1956.

Political career

Romero Barceló, an avid supporter of Puerto Rico statehood with the United States of America, was elected Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1968. Later, he became the first hispanic to become president of the National League of Cities . He served as mayor until 1976 when he defeated incumbent Governor Rafael Hernández Colón.

Governor

Romero Barceló brought well-received economic resolutions to the island during his terms in office, emphasizing the island's tourism potential. In 1980 he was elected for a second term as governor by a margin of 3,037 votes over again PPD-candidate Rafael Hernández Colón. The 1980 gubernatorial elections was among the closest in Puerto Rican history, and the results controversial because they required intervention of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico to rule whether improperly cast ballots should be counted. He sought re-election for a third term in 1984 but was defeated by Rafael Hernández Colón. After the elections, Barceló's reaction to the defeat, in response to TV news reporter Rafael Bracero, was Que Derrota? (What defeat?). For him, he said, what had occurred was not a defeat, but simply an "electoral loss". The comment has become legendary in Puerto Rican politics. In 1985, he returned to the private sector as a lawyer.

Resident Commissioner

In the 1992 elections, he was elected Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, and relocated to Washington D.C., and was re-elected in 1996. During his tenure as Resident Commissioner, he campaigned for Puerto Rican statehood and endorsed the Young Project, which sought to call a referendum to resolve Puerto Rico's political status. In 2000, he was defeated by PPD's Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. He once again sought his party's nomination for the post of Resident Commissioner in 2003, but was defeated by Luis Fortuño. Although he has retired from electoral politics, he has remained active in PNP political gatherings and is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

Maravilla Hill controversy

Main article: Maravilla Hill case.

On July 25, 1978 , two Puerto Rican independence activists died by police gunfire at the Maravilla Hill (Cerro Maravilla). Police knew, through an undercover police informant accompanying them, that the two would be attempting sabotage of communication facilities. During a public ceremony, Romero Barceló lauded the police action as heroic. It was later uncovered that the two young men were apprehended after a brief shootout, and summarily executed on site. Some accused the then-Governor of complicity in the affair; others believe he obstructed justice and did not pursue the guilty parties.

Romero Barceló was never indicted for any malfeasance regarding the cases; however, legislative investigations and hearings held during the early 1980's adversely affected his image. This is believed to have contributed to his failed re-election bid during the 1984 elections.

Legacy

Romero Barceló is married to Kate Donnelly . His daughter, Melinda Romero Donelly , is a PNP member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. He is a boxing fan, and advocated for holding world championship bouts in San Juan during his terms in office.

Publications

• "Puerto Rico, U.S.A.: The Case for Statehood." Foreign Affairs 59 (Fall 1980): pp. 58-81.
• Statehood Is For the Poor. N.P.: Master Typesetting of P.R. Inc., 1978. Originally published as La Estatidad es para los Pobres, 1973.

External links

• Hispanic Americans in Congress: Carlos Romero-Barceló
• The National League of Cities
• League of United Latin American Citizens

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Antonio Colorado | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
1993–2001 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá