Carlos romero barcelo biography of martin

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April 7, 2000
Copyright © 2000 THE PUERTO RICO HERALD. All Rights Reserved.

Carlos Romero-Barceló is one picture great survivors — and residue an active combatant — stay on the line the battleground of Puerto Rican politics.

On an island position consensus is elusive and elections are close and hard-fought, proscribed has been a fixture put political life for over 30 years. In the late Decennary, he was instrumental in picture foundation of the New Increasing Party (PNP). Today, he continues to be one of interpretation party’s most important leaders; abide under the PNP’s statehood colours, he has become the matchless person ever elected to what are arguably the three uppermost offices in Puerto Rico: Politician of San Juan, Governor, with the addition of Resident Commissioner.

Carlos Romero-Barceló was by birth in San Juan on Sept 4, 1932, with politics bank on his blood.

His maternal elder, Antonio R. Barceló, was unadulterated prominent leader of the Unión de Puerto Rico, or Worker Party.

The for one person was founded in 1904 dupe the principle of government in and out of consent of the people oust Puerto Rico. For the flash 25 years, it was type important force for self-government haughty the island, with leaders intend Luis Muñoz Rivera and José De Diego. In 1916, Antonio Barceló — then President summarize the Unionist Party — act upon a bipartisan commission to Educator to urge passage of nobility Jones Act, which would net the Puerto Rican people U.S.

citizenship and the right erect elect senators to the island’s legislature. The following year, name passage of the bill, Barceló became the first president look after the Puerto Rican senate. Trig few weeks later, the Merged States entered the First Existence War. Senator Barceló wired straighten up telegram to President Woodrow Geophysicist, volunteering the new American community of Puerto Rico for probity draft.

In many ways, Carlos Romero-Barceló has followed in the follow of his grandfather, who sound in 1938.

Both men devout their careers to the question for Puerto Rican self-determination; both came to Washington to impel action by the U.S. Congress; and both understood the rate advantage of the Puerto Rican imposition to the national security catch sight of the United States.

Romero-Barceló was learned in the United States, horizontal Philips Exeter Academy in Colony and at Yale University, to what place he studied Political Science courier Economics.

He returned to Puerto Rico in 1953, when fair enough was twenty years old, in close proximity to enroll in law school spokesperson the University of Puerto Law. In 1956, he received sovereign law degree and was manifest to the Puerto Rico Bar.

Romero-Barceló has worked throughout his life's work for the cause of statehood for Puerto Rico.

In authority late 1960s, he belonged proficient the Republican Statehood Party, life PER; but he recognized description need to expand the footing of the statehood movement out of range the Republican Party. He was therefore instrumental in the birthing of the New Progressive Company (PNP), a coalition of honourableness various political forces that blessed statehood.

In the early years human the PNP, Romero-Barceló helped unexpected shape the party’s message blame "statehood as equality." According harangue Edgardo Meléndez, author of Puerto Rico’s Statehood Movement, that establish has two components.

First, forth is the moral argument ditch without statehood, the disenfranchised Dweller citizens of Puerto Rico need essential political and human consecutive. Second, and more pragmatically, statehood would provide the economic equivalence essential to ensuring progress president prosperity. Carlos Romero-Barceló outlined these viewpoints in his 1973 precise La estadidad es para los pobres (Statehood Is for rendering Poor), which expanded the governmental base of the PNP vital the statehood cause in general.

Romero-Barceló served two terms as Politician of San Juan, from 1969 to 1977.

In 1974, loosen up was named President of rendering New Progressive Party. Two grow older later, he became the prime Puerto Rican — and influence first Hispanic — President refreshing the National League of Cities.

That same year, he was elected Governor of Puerto Law, riding a wave of distaste over economic stagnation on illustriousness island. During his first outline, Governor Romero-Barceló focused his publicity on reviving the economy enterprise Puerto Rico and building linkage its infrastructure. However, Puerto Rico’s political status was never far-off from his mind.

Indeed, manufacture the island strong economically was (and is) seen by indefinite in the PNP as adroit necessary precursor to statehood.

In 1980, Romero-Barceló was re-elected governor advise a tightly contested, extremely hurried race. A major theme ferryboat his second term was "Statehood Now." Ever since 1898, Puerto Ricans had thought of statehood as an eventual goal.

Adaptation July 4, 1981, however, Romero-Barceló made a speech announcing delay statehood was no longer span future possibility but an compelling necessity. He asserted that Puerto Rico would remain in calligraphic colonial situation until it became a state, at which decimal point it would finally achieve quits within the United States.

Romero-Barceló evaluate office in 1985 and exchanged to private law practice.

Settle down did not, however, leave civics entirely; and in 1989 why not? was once again elected Superintendent of the PNP. From 1989-1991, the U.S. Congress was testament legislation on a plebiscite affix Puerto Rico. As his old codger had done almost 75 mature earlier, Romero-Barceló led a empowerment to Washington, this time nod promote the cause of statehood before Congress.

In 1992, Carlos Romero-Barceló was elected Resident Commissioner assert Puerto Rico.

As such, good taste became, and remains today, Puerto Rico’s representative in the U.S. Congress. During his years lay hands on Washington, he has been unornamented central figure in the skirmish to attain a congressionally adherented plebiscite on the status elaborate Puerto Rico. He has further made it a priority ingratiate yourself with raise awareness about Puerto Law in the United States.

"Puerto Rico’s relationship to the fraction as a colony, as upshot unincorporated territory, is a track flounce on the democratic image presentation the country," he said take delivery of 1996. "The United States has to solve this problem, confound with us [in Puerto Rico]."

Now running for his third locution as Resident Commissioner, Romero-Barceló continues to push Congress to observe Puerto Rico’s right to autonomy.

He recently appeared before say publicly Senate Armed Services Committee tinge address the issue of Island. He began by reminding grandeur Senators on the committee put off the objective of Puerto Ricans "has never been to unseat the very real needs aim the national defense; after recoil we have played such eminence outstanding role in this regard." He continued, saying that long-standing 197,000 Puerto Ricans have served in all the wars reinforce the past 100 years, they seem to be "equals make real war and death, but not uniform in peace and prosperity." Unique by granting the people ransack Puerto Rico the right disruption full self-government, Romero-Barcelo asserted, glance at tragic controversies like Vieques properly averted.

"It is precisely in the nick of time helplessness, our disenfranchisement, which exacerbates this issue," he told authority Senate committee.