Constitutional_Convention_of_Puerto_Rico

Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico

Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico

Convention to draft a constitution for Puerto Rico

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

More information #, Delegate ...

Committees

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
More information Committee, Membership ...

Notes

  1. Number in the Session Hall
  2. While the official designation for the subordinate groups was commission these were in practice committees as they did not entail an external body.
  3. Employment at the time of their tenure as Delegates and position in the committee of the whole.
  4. 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.
  5. Secretary of the commission.
  6. Alvarado Alvarado was replaced by Font Saldaña on 27 September 1951.
  7. President of the commission.
  8. Vice President of the Commission.
  9. Colón Velázquez was replaced by Solá Morales on 27 September 1951.
  10. 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).
  11. 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]
  12. President of the Convention
  13. Iriarte Miró was replaced by García Delgado on 27 September 1951.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Spanish: Preámbulo, Procedimientos de Enmiendas y Procedimientos
  17. Named on 27 September.
  18. Spanish: Reglas y Reglamentos
  19. Spanish: Contabilidad y Publicaciones
  20. Spanish: Agenda
  21. Spanish: Carta de Derechos
  22. Spanish: Rama Legislativa
  23. Spanish: Rama Ejecutiva
  24. Spanish: Disposiciones Transitorias y Asuntos Generales
  25. Spanish: Redacción, Estilo y Enrolado

References

  1. [1]
    "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.
  2. [2]
    "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.
  3. [3]
    "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.
  4. [4]
    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.
  5. [5]
    "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.
  6. [6]
    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.
  7. [7]
    "Ramiro L. Colon". MoreBooks. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  8. [8]
    "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.
  9. [9]
    "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.
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