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Puerto Rico leaders gather in Capitol rotunda to honor former governor Carlos Romero Barceló
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Summary
Family members, current and former island leaders paid tribute to Carlos Romero Barceló at a public ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, where officials announced the casket will remain for public viewing until 4:00 p.m. and honors, including gun salutes, will follow at that time.
Puerto Rico’s Senate hosted a public ceremony at the Capitol rotunda on Thursday to honor former San Juan mayor, governor and resident commissioner Carlos Romero Barceló, drawing current and former island leaders, family members and public officials.
The ceremony brought a succession of tributes highlighting Romero Barceló’s long political career and his advocacy for statehood. Senate President José Luis Dalmau Santiago led acknowledgments of dignitaries in attendance and noted Romero Barceló’s decades of public service. ‘‘Que descanse de paz, don Carlos Romero Barceló,’’ Dalmau said in his remarks.
The gathering included a presentation of colors by the Puerto Rico Police and an invocation by Father Carlos Pérez of Santa Rosa de Lima. Musical tributes were performed by Leticia Falcón Rivera and Aníbal Colón Matos. Officials announced that the governor’s casket would remain in the rotunda until 4:00 p.m. to permit public viewing and that formal honors, including rifle salutes, were scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Former House president Carlos Johnny Méndez Núñez recalled Romero Barceló’s personal outreach to voters and described him as ‘‘a person who loved Puerto Rico’’ who connected directly with constituents. Tomás Rivera Schatz, former president of the Senate, praised Romero Barceló’s leadership in founding and building the New Progressive Party and said that, during his career, Romero Barceló endured ‘‘the vilest and most cowardly political persecution’’ and faced serious accusations intended to damage him. ‘‘Procuraron por todos los medios demonizarlo,’’ Rivera Schatz said, framing Romero Barceló as resilient in the face of those attacks.
Resident Commissioner Jennifer González Colón, speaking as both a federal representative and a party leader, highlighted Romero Barceló’s work to expand Puerto Ricans’ access to federal programs, including her account that he helped secure stronger access to minimum-wage protections and federal education funds. ‘‘Don Carlos cambió la manera de hacer política en Puerto Rico,’’ González Colón said, citing his emphasis on direct, personal engagement with citizens.
Noelia García Bardales, representing Governor Pedro Pierluisi, described Romero Barceló’s record modernizing San Juan’s municipal administration and pursuing infrastructure projects that linked the capital to national organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities, which he once led.
Melinda Romero Donelli and other family members addressed the assembly, thanking officials and guests for attending and recounting private memories of Romero Barceló’s devotion to family and public life. The moderator read biographical details that were also noted during remarks: Carlos Romero Barceló was born Sept. 4, 1932, in Barranquitas; he earned undergraduate studies at Yale (1953) and a law degree from the University of Puerto Rico (1956), served as San Juan’s mayor, was elected governor, served two terms as resident commissioner and later served in the Senate.
The ceremony followed a program of honors including guard-of-honor presentations and short musical interludes. Organizers asked attendees to observe a minute of silence during the program and invited the public to view the casket in the rotunda through 4:00 p.m., when formal honors would be rendered.
The event concluded with final acknowledgments from presiding officials and family. The rotunda remained open for public visitation until the scheduled honors and the announced final program of salutes.
