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You are here: Home / History / Who was the first Puerto Rican elected to govern Puerto Rico in 1946?

Who was the first Puerto Rican elected to govern Puerto Rico in 1946?

May 24, 2020 by Karen Hill

In 1946, the United States appointed a native Puerto Rican, Jesus T. Pifiero, as governor.

But the first Puerto Rican to be elected to the post was Luis Munoz Marin (1898-1980).

A journalist educated in Washington, D.C., he was the son of Luis Munoz Rivera (1859-1916), a patriot who had agitated against Spanish rule.

In the late 1930s, the younger Munoz founded the Popular Democratic Party and agitated against U.S. rule. In the 1940s, he changed his views, working instead for the transformation of the island into a self-governing commonwealth.

He believed that the economic advantages of the link to the wealthy United States outweighed whatever gains might result from independence, as long as Puerto Ricans could govern themselves.

The transformation to commonwealth was completed on July 25, 1952. In that year, under a new constitution, Puerto Rico’s own elected governor and legislature were fully put in charge of the island’s internal affairs.

The United States would continue managing its foreign affairs. Munoz was elected, and three times reelected, governor (1949-1965). He was the first native-born Puerto Rican governor to be put in office by the people’s vote.

July 25, Constitution Day, remains a Puerto Rican holiday.

Related Facts

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  • Where Is Puerto Rico Located, How Many People Live There, and Is Puerto Rico Part of the United States?
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  • Which of the Puerto Rican characters in the movie West Side Story were actually Puerto Ricans?
  • Why do people wear straw hats at the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York?
  • Where Are All the Puerto Rican Restaurants in New York?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why did Spain want to keep Puerto Rico before it was ceded to the U.S.?
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