Wanda Vázquez Garced
Wanda Vázquez Garced | |
---|---|
Governor-designate of Puerto Rico | |
Assuming office August 2, 2019 | |
Succeeding | Ricardo Rosselló |
Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico | |
Assumed office January 2, 2017 | |
Governor | Ricardo Rosselló |
Preceded by | César Miranda |
Personal details | |
Born | 1959 or 1960 (age 63–64)[1] San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S. |
Political party | New Progressive |
Other political affiliations | Democratic |
Spouse | Jorge Díaz Reverón |
Children | 1 |
Education | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (BA) Interamerican University, San Juan (JD) |
Wanda Vázquez Garced is a Puerto Rican attorney and public servant. Since 2017, she has been serving as Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico. On August 2, 2019, she is expected to become the Governor of Puerto Rico, following the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló that afternoon. She would be the second female governor of Puerto Rico after Sila María Calderón, who served from 2001 to 2005.
Early life and education
Vázquez Garced was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She began her primary studies at the Ramón Marín and Margarita Janer schools in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Vázquez became interested in law at an early age. She said in an interview that she used to watch TV shows like Hawaii Five-O with her father, which led her to realize she wanted to follow a career along that line. Vázquez studied at the University of Puerto Rico, where she completed her Bachelor's degree. After that, she completed her Juris doctor (J.D.) at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law.[2]
Career
During the 1980s, Vázquez worked for the Puerto Rico Department of Housing. She then worked as a district attorney for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice for 20 years. Vázquez specialized in cases of domestic and sexual abuse. She also worked in the Criminal Division for the Bayamón Prosecutor's office.
In 2010, Vázquez was appointed to replace Ivonne Feliciano as the head of the Office for Women's Rights of the island.[3] In November 30, 2016, Governor-elect Ricardo Rosselló nominated her for the position of Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico. She was confirmed and sworn in January 18, 2017.[4] Vázquez Garced is expected to become Governor of Puerto Rico after the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló on August 2, 2019.[5][6] She has already been met with opposition, with some already calling for her resignation due to allegations of corruption and inability to tackle gender violence in the island. Protests against her succession as governor have already taken place, the most notable of these being the Somos Más march, Spanish for "We Are More", a title alluding to a popular chant during the protests calling for Rosselló's resignation.[7] The hashtag #WandaRenuncia (Spanish for "Wanda Resign") began trending on Twitter soon after Rosselló's late-night resignation on July 24. [8][9][10][11]
Personal life
Vázquez is married to Jorge Díaz Reverón, a judge in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She has a daughter.[5]
References
- ^ Wanda Vázquez Garced
- ^ Cruz, Johanexis (March 2, 2017). "Entrevista a la Lcda. Wanda Vázquez Garced, Secretaria de Justicia" (in Spanish). LinkedIn.
- ^ "Wanda Vázquez Garced". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). December 1, 2016.
- ^ "Confirman a Wanda Vázquez como Secretaria de Justicia". Telemundo. January 18, 2017.
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(help) - ^ a b Del Real, Jose A.; Robles, Frances (July 24, 2019). "Who Is Wanda Vázquez, Who Is in Line to Become Puerto Rico's Next Governor?". New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "Puerto Rico Governor's Resignation Shakes Bankrupt Commonwealth". Bloomberg. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "Manifestantes piden la renuncia de Wanda Vázquez". El Nuevo Día. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Cole, Brendan. "#WandaRenuncia Trends As Puerto Ricans Call for Ricardo Rosello's Likely Successor As Governor to Resign As Well". Newsweek. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Steinbuch, Yason. "Puerto Ricans will continue protests if governor's likely successor takes office". New York Post. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Martínez, Gina. "Puerto Rico's Governor Is Resigning. But His Successor Worries Protestors Too". Time. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ De Jesús Salamán, Adriana. ""Wanda renuncia" adorna calles de San Juan". Noticel. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- 20th-century Puerto Rican lawyers
- Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) politicians
- Interamerican University of Puerto Rico alumni
- Living people
- Members of the 17th Cabinet of Puerto Rico
- New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) politicians
- People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico Attorneys General
- Puerto Rican women lawyers
- Secretaries of Justice of Puerto Rico
- University of Puerto Rico alumni
- 21st-century Puerto Rican lawyers
- 21st-century American women politicians
- 21st-century American politicians
- Governors of Puerto Rico