Pedro Vázquez (politician)

Pedro Vázquez
8th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
In office 1979–1981
Governor	Carlos Romero Barceló
Preceded by	Reinaldo Paniagua
Succeeded by	Carlos S. Quirós
Personal details
Born	December 16, 1934 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died	June 23, 2011 (aged 76) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Political party	New Progressive Party Democratic Party
Spouse	Carmen Iris Alsina
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Rank	Captain

Pedro Rafael Vázquez Rivera (December 16, 1934 – June 23, 2011), served as Puerto Rico's eighth Secretary of State from 1979 to 1981 under Governor Carlos Romero Barceló, Deputy Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico from 1984 to 1988 under Mayor Baltasar Corrada del Rio and Executive Director of the publicly owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) from 1977 to 1979. He was an attorney and engineer.

Public life

A United States Naval Academy graduate in 1957, he served in the United States Marines Corps during the late 1950s and early 1960s. During the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, he served as Deputy Counsel and General Counsel of the United States Department of Commerce. He served in multiple public sector roles at the Federal, state and municipal level, in addition to practicing law, serving as president of the now-defunct El Mundo newspaper and working as a developer and project manager.

During his stint as PREPA's Executive Director, the authority went through one of its most difficult strikes.

As Secretary of State, he not only headed Puerto Rico's Department of State, but fulfilled the role of Lieutenant Governor, serving as Acting Governor whenever Gov. Romero was off the island.

Private life

Born on December 16, 1934, Vázquez died on June 23, 2011, at the age of 76. He was married to the former Carmen Iris Alsina and had three daughters and a son, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he was interred at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico where he was eulogized by his successor, current Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock. Flags flew at half-staff for three days in his honor after his death.