Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico
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On June 8, 1950, the United States government approved Public Law 600, authorizing Puerto Rico to draft its own constitution in 1951. The Constitutional Assembly (Spanish: Asamblea Constituyente) or Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico met for a period of several months between 1951 and 1952 in which the document was written. The framers had to follow only two basic requirements established under Public Law 600. The first was the document must establish a republican form of government for the island. The second was the inclusion of a Bill of Rights.
The Constitution of Puerto Rico renamed the body politic until then known as the "People of Puerto Rico", and henceforth known as the "Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" (Estado Libre Asociado).
Members of the Constitutional Assembly[edit]
| #[a][1] | Delegate | Constituency | Residence[2] | Committee assignments[b][3] | Cmtes. | Signing order[4][5] | Notes[c] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Manuel Acevedo Rosario | PPD | Aguadilla | Camuy | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 32 | ||
| 79 | Juan Alemañy Silva | PEP | Guayama | Guayama | Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 1 | 33[d] | ||
| 29 | Arcilio Alvarado Alvarado | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan (Santurce) | Bill of Rights Judicial Branch | 3 | 34 | ||
| 92 | Enrique Álvarez Vicente | PSO | Arecibo | Utuado | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 35 | ||
| 42 | Francisco L. Anselmi Rodríguez | PPD | Ponce | Coamo | Legislative Branch[e] Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 2 | 26 | ||
| 37 | Francisco A. Arrillaga Gaztambide | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan (Hato Rey) | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 36 | ||
| 74 | Carmelo Ávila Medina | PPD | Humacao | Naguabo | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 37 | ||
| 77 | José Bartolo Barceló Oliver | PPD | Ponce | Adjuntas | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 38 | ||
| 39 | Ramón Barreto Pérez | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan (Hato Rey) | Legislative Branch | 1 | 39 | ||
| 32 | Ramón Barrios Sánchez | PSO | At-large | Bayamón | Rules and Bylaws Scheduling | 1 | 40 | ||
| 28 | Jaime Benítez Rexach | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Río Piedras) | Bill of Rights[g] Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 2 | 10 | ||
| 55 | Francisco Berio Suárez | PPD | Guayama | Comerío | Scheduling | 1 | 41 | ||
| 59 | Virgilio Brunet Maldonado | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Hato Rey) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Bill of Rights | 2 | 42 | ||
| 53 | Agustín Burgos Rivera | PPD | Ponce | Villalba | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 43 | ||
| 41 | Mario Canales Torresola | PPD | Ponce | Jayuya | Legislative Branch | 1 | 44 | Former-mayor of Jayuya | |
| 61 | Ángel M. Candelario Arce | PPD | Mayagüez | Peñuelas | Judicial Branch | 1 | 45 | ||
| 01 | Ernesto Carrasquillo Quiñones | PPD | Humacao | Yabucoa | Bill of Rights[h] | 1 | 19 | Former-mayor of Yabucao | |
| 17 | Dionisio Casillas Casillas | PPD | Humacao | Humacao | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 46 | ||
| 68 | José A. Cintrón Rivera | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | Bill of Rights | 1 | 47 | ||
| 25 | Luis Alfredo Colón Velázquez | PPD | Aguadilla | Moca | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Rules and Bylaws[e] Executive Branch[i] | 3 | 30 | ||
| 89 | Ramiro L. Colón Castaño | PEP | Ponce | Ponce | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures | 1 | —[j] | Only delegate not to sign the Constitution.[k] Then-general manager of the Cooperative of Coffee Growers of Puerto Rico.[7] | |
| 04 | Juan Dávila Díaz | PPD | Arecibo | Manatí | Accounting and Publications[e] | 1 | 31 | ||
| 51 | José M. Dávila Monsanto | PPD | Guayama | Guayama | Judicial Branch[e] | 1 | 25 | ||
| 58 | Lionel Fernández Méndez | PPD | Guayama | Cayey | Rules and Bylaws Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 2 | 48 | ||
| —[l] | Antonio Fernós Isern | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | — | 0 | 01 | Then-Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
| 30 | Luis A. Ferré Aguayo | PEP | Ponce | Ponce | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 2 | 49[d] | ||
| 75 | Alcides Figueroa Oliva | PPD | Aguadilla | Añasco | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 50 | ||
| 13 | Leopoldo Figueroa Carreras | PEP | At-large | Cataño | Scheduling Bill of Rights | 2 | 51 | ||
| 18 | Ernesto Juan Fonfrías Rivera | PPD | San Juan II | Toa Baja (Carr. 2 K-19) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Judicial Branch | 2 | 52 | ||
| 23 | Jorge Font Saldaña | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures[e] Drafting, Style and Enrolling[f] | 2 | 24 | ||
| 78 | Juan R. García Delgado | PEP | Aguadilla | Hatillo | Rules and Bylaws Accounting and Publications[m] | 2 | 53 | ||
| 12 | Miguel Ángel García Méndez | PEP | Mayagüez | Mayagüez | Scheduling Judicial Branch | 2 | 54 | ||
| 34 | Genaro Antonio Gautier Dapena | PPD | San Juan I | Caguas (La Muda) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures | 1 | 55 | Then-first spouse of San Juan | |
| 38 | Rubén Gaztambide Arrillaga | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan (Río Piedras) | Bill of Rights Legislative Branch[h] | 2 | 18 | ||
| 90 | Fernando José Géigel Sabat | PEP | San Juan I | San Juan (Santurce) | Legislative Branch | 1 | 56 | ||
| 62 | José Rosario Gelpí Bosch | PEP | Mayagüez | Mayagüez | Rules and Bylaws Executive Branch | 2 | 57 | ||
| 35 | Darío Goitía Montalvo | PPD | Arecibo | Arecibo | Executive Branch | 1 | 58 | ||
| 10 | María Libertad Gómez Garriga | PPD | At-large | Utuado | Drafting, Style and Enrolling[h] | 1 | 02 | Only female member. | |
| 46 | Héctor González Blanes | PEP | San Juan I | San Juan (Santurce) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Bill of Rights | 2 | 59 | ||
| 02 | Andrés Grillasca Salas | PPD | Ponce | Ponce | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 60 | Then-mayor of Ponce | |
| 26 | Víctor Gutiérrez Franqui | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | Judicial Branch Drafting, Style and Enrolling[g] | 2 | 03 | ||
| 14 | Celestino Iriarte Miró | PEP | At-large | Cataño (Carr. Cataño) | Accounting and Publications[m] Legislative Branch Judicial Branch | 3 | 05 | ||
| 69 | Jesús Izcoa Moure | PPD | San Juan II | Naranjito | Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 1 | 61[d] | ||
| 21 | Lorenzo Lagarde Garcés | PPD | Ponce | Ponce | Judicial Branch | 1 | 62 | ||
| 91 | Ramón Llobet Díaz, Jr. | PEP | San Juan II | Guaynabo | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 63 | ||
| 80 | Ramiro Martínez Sandín | PSO | Arecibo | Vega Baja | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 2 | 64 | ||
| 43 | Juan Meléndez Báez | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan | Bill of Rights | 1 | 65 | ||
| 60 | Ramón Mellado Parsons | PPD | San Juan II | San Juan (Río Piedras) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures | 1 | 66 | ||
| 56 | Bernardo Méndez Jiménez | PPD | Aguadilla | San Sebastián | Bill of Rights[e] | 1 | 27 | ||
| 72 | Armando Mignucci Calder | PPD | Mayagüez | Yauco | Scheduling | 1 | 67 | ||
| 22 | José Mimoso Raspaldo | PPD | Guayama | Caguas | Rules and Bylaws[h] | 1 | 22 | ||
| 45 | Pablo Morales Otero | PPD | San Juan II | San Juan (Santurce) | Executive Branch | 1 | 68 | ||
| 09 | Luis Muñoz Marín | PPD | At-large | San Juan | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures[g] | 1 | 04 | Then-Governor of Puerto Rico | |
| 81 | Luis Muñoz Rivera | PPD | San Juan I | San Juan (Hato Rey) | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 69 | ||
| 76 | Eduardo Negrón Benítez | PPD | Aguadilla | San Sebastián | Rules and Bylaws | 1 | 70 | ||
| 07 | Luis A. Negrón López | PPD | Mayagüez | Sabana Grande | Legislative Branch[g] Executive Branch[e] | 2 | 09 | ||
| 84 | Abraham Nieves Negrón | PPD | Guayama | Guayama | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 71[d] | ||
| 48 | Mario Orsini Martínez | PSO | Humacao | Juncos | Judicial Branch Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 2 | 72 | ||
| 06 | Benjamín Ortiz Ortiz | PPD | At-large | Guaynabo | Scheduling[g] Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 2 | 12 | ||
| 24 | Cruz Ortiz Stella | PPD | Humacao | Humacao | Rules and Bylaws[g] Bill of Rights | 1 | 13 | ||
| 15 | Lino Padrón Rivera | PSO | At-large | Vega Baja | Bill of Rights Legislative Branch Judicial Branch | 3 | 06 | ||
| 03 | Santiago R. Palmer Díaz | PPD | Mayagüez | San Germán | Accounting and Publications[g] | 1 | 14 | ||
| 47 | Norman E. Parkhurst | PEP | San Juan II | Bayamón | Accounting and Publications | 1 | 73[d] | ||
| 86 | Francisco Paz Granela | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | Bill of Rights | 1 | 74 | ||
| 20 | Santiago Polanco Abreu | PPD | Arecibo | Isabela | Judicial Branch Transitory Provisions and General Affairs[h] | 2 | 20 | ||
| 11 | Samuel R. Quiñones Quiñones | PPD | At-large | Carolina (Carr. Isla Verde) | Executive Branch[g] Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 2 | 07 | President, Senate | |
| 49 | Ubaldino Ramírez de Arellano | PPD | Mayagüez | San Germán | Legislative Branch | 1 | 75 | ||
| 08 | Ernesto Ramos Antonini | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Hato Rey) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Judicial Branch[g] | 2 | 08 | President, House of Representatives | |
| 88 | Ramón María Ramos de Jesús | PEP | Guayama | Aibonito | Drafting, Style and Enrolling | 1 | 76 | ||
| 16 | Antonio Reyes Delgado | PSO | At-large | Arecibo | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Bill of Rights Executive Branch | 3 | 77 | ||
| 85 | Dolores Rivera Candelaria | PPD | Arecibo | Utuado | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 78 | Then-mayor of Utuado | |
| 44 | Heraclio H. Rivera Colón | PPD | San Juan II | Toa Alta | Scheduling[h] Legislative Branch | 2 | 21 | ||
| 64 | Alejo Rivera Morales | PSO | Humacao | Ceiba | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 1 | 79 | ||
| 33 | Álvaro Rivera Reyes | PPD | Humacao | Río Grande | Bill of Rights Executive Branch[h] | 2 | 16 | ||
| 71 | Carmelo Rodríguez García | PPD | Arecibo | Arecibo | Executive Branch | 1 | 80 | ||
| 70 | Carlos Román Benítez | PPD | San Juan II | San Juan (Santurce) | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures Scheduling | 2 | 81 | ||
| 36 | Alfonso Román García | PPD | Humacao | Fajardo | Accounting and Publications[h] | 1 | 23 | ||
| 50 | Joaquín Rosa Gómez | PPD | Arecibo | Manatí | Rules and Bylaws | 1 | 82 | ||
| 54 | Alberto E. Sánchez Nazario | PPD | At-large | San Juan (Santurce) | Bill of Rights | 1 | 83 | ||
| 83 | Ángel Sandín Martínez | PPD | Arecibo | Vega Baja | Transitory Provisions and General Affairs[e] | 1 | 28 | Then-mayor of Vega Baja | |
| 52 | Luis Santaliz Capestany | PPD | Aguadilla | Las Marías | Rules and Bylaws | 1 | 84[n] | ||
| 05 | Yldefonso Solá Morales | PPD | Guayama | Caguas | Executive Branch[i] Transitory Provisions and General Affairs[g] | 2 | 11 | ||
| 31 | Juan Bautista Soto González | PEP | At-large | Gurabo | Bill of Rights Judicial Branch | 2 | 85[n] | ||
| 67 | Rafael Torrech Genovés | PPD | San Juan II | Bayamón | Executive Branch | 1 | 86 | Mayor of Bayamón | |
| 40 | Lucas Torres Santos | PPD | Ponce | Orocovis | Scheduling | 1 | 87 | Former-mayor of Orocovis | |
| 82 | Pedro Torres Díaz | PPD | Humacao | Gurabo | Scheduling | 1 | 88 | ||
| 27 | José Trías Monge | PPD | At-large | Guaynabo | Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures[h] Judicial Branch | 2 | 15 | ||
| 65 | Augusto Valentín Vizcarrondo | PPD | Mayagüez | Mayagüez | Legislative Branch | 1 | 89 | ||
| 66 | Baudilio Vega Berríos | PPD | Mayagüez | Mayagüez | Rules and Bylaws | 1 | 90 | Then-mayor of Mayagüez | |
| 19 | Sigfredo Vélez González | PPD | Arecibo | Arecibo | Scheduling[e] | 1 | 29 | Former-mayor of Arecibo | |
| 63 | José Veray, Jr. Hernández | PEP | Aguadilla | Aguadilla | Executive Branch Transitory Provisions and General Affairs | 2 | 91 | ||
| 87 | José Villares Rodríguez | PPD | Guayama | Caguas | Judicial Branch[h] | 1 | 17 |
Committees[edit]
Ten permanent committees and their officers and members were designated by the body's president, Antonio Fernós Isern, during the 25 September 1951 session,[3][8] which was followed by the naming of additional delegates and several substations on 27 September.[9] All presidents, vice presidents and secretaries were from the PPD.[9] These committees were grouped by their purposes as follows:[8]
Functions committees (3):
- Rules and Bylaw
- Accounting and Publications
- Scheduling
Constitutional committees (7):
- Preamble, Amendment and Ordinance Procedures
- Bill of Rights
- Legislative Branch
- Executive Branch
- Judicial Branch
- Transitory Provisions and General Affairs
- Drafting, Style and Enrolling
Notes[edit]
- ^ Number in the Session Hall
- ^ a b While the official designation for the subordinate groups was commission these were in practice committees as they did not entail an external body.
- ^ Employment at the time of their tenure as Delegates and position in the committee of the whole.
- ^ a b c d e While contemporary news reports do not include his signature, the Session Diary does include. The latter being the official source, it takes prevalence over the former.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Secretary of the commission.
- ^ a b c d e Alvarado Alvarado was replaced by Font Saldaña on 27 September 1951.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j President of the commission.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Vice President of the Commission.
- ^ a b c d e Colón Velázquez was replaced by Solá Morales on 27 September 1951.
- ^ While contemporary news reports included his signature, the Session Diary reflects his decision not to sign the document by correctly omitting his name. His last recorded attendance to the Convention was on the fifty-fourth day (24 January 1952).
- ^ Colón Castaño was opposed to signing the Constitution since it did not solve the political status of Puerto Rico, claiming that "if the United States Congress had the power to allow us to pass a constitution, it also had the power to take it away from us." [6]
- ^ President of the Convention
- ^ a b c d e Iriarte Miró was replaced by García Delgado on 27 September 1951.
- ^ a b While contemporary news reports places Santaliz Capestany after Soto González, the Session Diary has them in alphabetical order. The latter being the official source, it takes prevalence over the former.
- ^ a b El Mundo erroneously names José Veray, Jr. Hernández and Antonio Reyes Delgado, as it repeats the Executive branch list under the Judicial and then states the correct Judicial list. The Session Diary names Miguel Angel García Méndez and Mario Orsini Martínez.
- ^ Spanish: Preámbulo, Procedimientos de Enmiendas y Procedimientos
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Named on 27 September.
- ^ Spanish: Reglas y Reglamentos
- ^ Spanish: Contabilidad y Publicaciones
- ^ Spanish: Agenda
- ^ Spanish: Carta de Derechos
- ^ Spanish: Rama Legislativa
- ^ Spanish: Rama Ejecutiva
- ^ Spanish: Disposiciones Transitorias y Asuntos Generales
- ^ Spanish: Redacción, Estilo y Enrolado
References[edit]
- ^ "Lista de delegados divididos por partidos políticos" [List of Delegates Divided by Political Parties]. Proposiciones y resoluciones de la Convención Constituyente de Puerto Rico 1951-1952 [Proposals and resolutions of the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico 1951-1952] (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Academia Puertorriqueña de Jurisprudencia y Legislación. 1992. ISBN 978-0-9907566-0-6.
- ^ "Delegados a la Convención Constituyente de Puerto Rico 1951–1952" [Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico 1951–1952]. Festival de la juventud puertorriqueña [Puerto Rican Youth Festival] (PDF) (in Spanish). Popular Democratic Party. 1970. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2021 – via Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
- ^ a b c "Nombran 10 Presidentes Comisiones" [10 Commission Chairpersons Appointed] (PDF). El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 September 1952. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021 – via Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
- ^ Gálvez Maturana, S. (7 February 1952). "Constitucion de Pto. Rico Fué Firmada Ayer Tarde Ante Jueces del Supremo" [Constitution of Puerto Rico Signed Yesterday Afternoon Before Supreme Court Justices] (PDF). El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021 – via Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
- ^ "Firmas que aparecen en el documento de la nueva Constitución para P. Rico" [Signatures that Appear in the Document of the New Constitution for P. Rico] (PDF). La Prensa (in Spanish). 11 February 1952. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021 – via Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
- ^ Colón Muñoz, Wendell W. (13 November 2016). "Por qué mi padre no firmó la Constitución" [Why My Father Didn't Sign the Constitution]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: GFR Media. p. 52-52. ISSN 1043-7614. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Ramiro L. Colon". MoreBooks. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Día 3 de Sesión" [Session Day 3] (PDF). Diario de Sesiones: Procedimientos y debates de la Convención Constituyente de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). 1 (3): 33–34. 25 September 1951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2021 – via Senate of Puerto Rico.
- ^ a b c "Día 4 de Sesión" [Session Day 4] (PDF). Diario de Sesiones: Procedimientos y Debates de la Convención Constituyente de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). 1 (4): 41. 27 September 1952. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2021 – via Senate of Puerto Rico.
External links[edit]
- Resolutions and Propositions of the Constitutional Assembly (in Spanish)
- Session Diary of the Constitutional Convention (in Spanish)
- Analyses of the Constitutional Convention (in Spanish)
- 25 July 1952 Program of Events (in Spanish)
- Text of the Constitution sent by the Convention
