# Government of Wanda Vázquez Garced

The government of Wanda Vázquez Garced was formed the week following the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares as a result of the massive protests resulting from the Telegramgate scandal, and a Supreme Court decision that vacated the office from an invalid occupant.

## Background

While the Secretary of State, Luis G. Rivera Marín, would have been the successor, his involvement in the scandal forced his resignation earlier in July 2019. Rosselló Nevares attempted to name a successor in Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia by nominating him for the Secretary of State, but his confirmation was stalled in the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico.
The situation led to confusion as Rosselló resigned without a confirmed Secretary of State, who at the same time swore in on his own ceremony, becoming de facto governor. After a week, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico decided in Senado de Puerto Rico v. Gobierno de Puerto Rico, 2019 TSPR 138 CT-2019-4 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico 2019) that the clear successor was the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico, annulled any recognition or vestiges of legitimacy in the week-long Pierluisi government.
Pierluisi vacated the Palace of Santa Catalina at noon of 7 August 2019, and Wanda Vázquez Garced was sworn that day at 5pm as the 13th Constitutional Governor of Puerto Rico. Her New Progressive Party (PNP) had majorities on both chambers of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and she inherited several cabinet members from the previous government.

## Party breakdown

Party breakdown of cabinet members, not including the governor:
| New Progressive Party | 19 |
| Independents | 2 |
The cabinet was composed of members of the PNP and two independents or technical positions (or people whose membership in a party was not clearly ascertained from any available media).

## Members of the Cabinet

The Puerto Rican Cabinet is led by the Governor, along with, starting in 1986., the Secretary of Governance. The Cabinet is composed of all members of the Constitutional Council of Secretaries (Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico (1952)), who are the heads of the executive departments, along with other Cabinet-level officers who report directly to the Governor of Puerto Rico or to the Secretary of Governance, but who are not heads nor members of an executive office. All the Cabinet-level officers are at the same bureaucratic level as of the Secretaries
| Office | Name | Party | Term |
| Governor |||||
| Governor of Puerto Rico Gobernación de Puerto Rico | Wanda Vázquez Garced | PNP | 7 August 2019 – 2 January 2021 |
| Office of the Governor |||||
| Secretariat of Governance Secretaría de la Gobernación | Zoé Laboy Alvarado | PNP | 21 August 2019 – 31 December 2019 |
| Secretariat of Governance Secretaría de la Gobernación | Antonio Luis Pabón Batlle | PNP | 31 December 2019 – 2 January 2021 |
| President of the Puerto Rico Planning Board Presidencia de la Junta de Planificación | María del Carmen Gordillo Pérez | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 2 January 2021 |
| Executive Director for Federal Affairs Directoría Ejecutiva de PRFAA | Jennifer Storipan | PNP | 1 August 2019 – 15 January 2021 |
| Council of Secretaries |||||
| Secretary of State Secretaría de Estado | María Marcano de León (acting) | PNP | 4 August 2019- December 2019 |
| Secretary of State Secretaría de Estado | Elmer Román | PNP | 20 December 2019 – 23 August 2020 |
| Secretary of State Secretaría de Estado | Raúl Márquez Hernández | PNP | 30 August 2020 – 2 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Justice Secretaría de Justicia | Dennise Longo Quiñones | PNP | 18 August 2019 – 7 July 2020 |
| Secretary of Justice Secretaría de Justicia | Inés del Carmen Carrau Martínez (acting) | PNP | 7 July 2020 – 2 January 2021 |
| Secretary of the Treasury Secretaría de Hacienda | Francisco Parés Alicea | Ind. | 24 June 2019 – Present |
| Secretary of Education Secretaría de Educación | Eligio Hernández Perez | Ind. | 8 April 2019 – 31 December 2020 |
| Secretary of Labor and Human Resources Secretaría del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos | Briseida Torres Reyes | PNP | 8 May 2019 – 9 June 2020 |
| Secretary of Labor and Human Resources Secretaría del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos | Carlos Rivera Santiago | PNP | 9 June 2020 – 31 December 2021 |
| Secretary of Transportation and Public Works Secretaría de Transportación y Obras Públicas | Carlos Contreras Aponte | PNP | 2 January 2017 - 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio | Manuel Laboy Rivera | PNP | 9 January 2017 – 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Health Secretaría de Salud | Rafael Rodríguez Mercado | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 13 March 2020 |
| Secretary of Health Secretaría de Salud | Concepción Quiñones de Longo (acting) | PNP | 13 March 2020 – 26 March 2020 |
| Secretary of Health Secretaría de Salud | Lorenzo González Feliciano | PNP | 26 March 2020 – 2 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Agriculture Secretaría de Agricultura | Carlos Alberto Flores Ortega | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Consumer Affairs Secretaría de Asuntos del Consumidor | Carmen Salgado Rodríguez | PNP | 9 June 2019 – 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretaría de Corrección y Rehabilitación | Eduardo Rivera Juanatey | PNP | 14 September 2019 – 2 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Family Affairs Secretaría de la Familia | Glorimar Andújar Matos | PNP | 9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 |
| Secretary of Family Affairs Secretaría de la Familia | Orlando López Belmonte | PNP | 14 May 2020 – 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Housing Secretaría de Vivienda | Fernando Gil Enseñat | PNP | 9 January 2017 – 19 January 2020 |
| Secretary of Housing Secretaría de Vivienda | Luis Carlos Fernández Trinchet | PNP | 28 January 2020 – 1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales | Tania Vázquez Rivera | PNP | 2 January 2017 – 7 November 2019 |
| Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales | Rafael Machargo Maldonado | PNP | 7 February 2020 – 31 March 2022 |
| Secretary of Public Safety Secretaría de Seguridad Pública | Elmer Román | PNP | 2 April 2019-December 2019 |
| Secretary of Public Safety Secretaría de Seguridad Pública | Pedro Janer Román | PNP | December 2019-1 January 2021 |
| Secretary of Sports and Recreation Secretaría de Deportes y Recreación | Adriana Sánchez Parés | PNP | 15 January 2018 – 1 January 2021 |
| Other Cabinet-level officers |||||
| Inspector General Inspectoría General | Ivelisse Torres Rivera | PNP | 16 January 2019 – Present |
| Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Directoría Ejecutiva de la Autoridad de Asesoría Financiera y Agencia Fiscal de Puerto Rico | Omar J. Marrero Díaz | PNP | 31 July 2019 – Present |