Luis Muñoz Marín

José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín ( born February 18, 1898 in San Juan, † 30 April 1980) was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico and is considered one of the most important political figures of the American continent in the 20th century. He worked closely with the Government of the United States to create a Constitution for Puerto Rico, which should be the basis for economic and political progress. Through his achievements in the 16- year tenure as governor, he acquired the nickname "Father of Modern Puerto Rico ". He also appeared as a poet and journalist in appearance.

Life

Muñoz Marín was the son of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera and Doña Amalia Marín Castilla in the 152 Calle de la Fortaleza in the Capital District Old San Juan. His father founded the Puerto Rico Herald newspaper in New York and represented Puerto Rico in 1910 as Resident Commissioner in the U.S. Congress. Luis himself traveled at a young age often in the United States.

In 1911 he went to Georgetown Preparatory School in Washington, DC and 1915, he began his law studies at Georgetown University. However, he had to because of the illness of his father, who died on November 15, 1916, to return to Puerto Rico.

On 1 July 1919 he married the American writer Muna Lee, who came from Raymond (Mississippi). It was considered a leading feminist of the southern states and as an emerging author of the Pan-American poetry. Together they had two children: Muna (also: Munita ) and Luis Muñoz Muñoz Lee Lee. At times, separation by convictions and his infidelity led to divorce on 15 November 1946. A day later married Muñoz Marín his longtime mistress Inés María Mendoza, with whom he had an affair since 1935.

Political activity

In 1920 he joined the Puerto Rican Socialist Party of Santiago Iglesias Pantín. During this time he spoke in favor of the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States and sympathized with the workers who were in his opinion, neglected by the policy.

In 1932 he joined, founded by Antonio R. Barceló Liberal Party and gave out their newspaper La Democracia. As a journalist, he coined the phrase: " The press can improve the government, but the government can not improve the press. " On March 13, 1932, he was elected together with Barceló senator. At Governor Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Muñoz Marín wrote: "I 'm radical nationalist: this 'm ready for the sake of morality and collective pride that are not under discussion, and for economic reasons, which I discuss at any time. "

After a political dispute with Barceló he had to leave the party, after which he founded the group Acción Social Independent Paulista (ASI ), which became the direct competition for Barceló Liberal Party Liberal Party later than Neto, Auténtico y Completo. 1938 seemed Muñoz Marín at the foundation of the Popular Democratic Party ( PPD). He concentrated his political campaigns to the rural areas and criticized the practice to affect farm workers with money in their voting behavior. During the campaign, he met his future wife, Inés María Mendoza. 1940 was able to record a short but startling victory in the election to the Senate the PPD, which was attributed to its activities. Muñoz Marín was elected then the fourth President of the Senate.

In his tenure as a senator, he campaigned for the workers in Puerto Rico. Rexford G. Tugwell, together with, the last determined by the United States governor, and a Republican-Socialist coalition in the House of Representatives, he brought forward the legislation on agricultural reform, economic recovery and industrialization. Land ownership was a company limited by law. 1944 was the PPD repeat their victory.

After a long time for the independence pronounced, Muñoz Marín changed in the mid 1940s his view. One reason for the change of political philosophy could be the pressure exerted by the U.S. military coercion on the island have been, a spin-off following the example of the Philippines could not afford. A meeting with officials of the U.S. Navy in 1946 could have helped. His rejection of the independence angered some members of the PPD, the short time later, the Puerto Rican Independence Party founded, while Muñoz Marín until his death rejected the aspirations open.

The actions of the Nationalist Party under the leadership of Pedro Albizu Campos, who found a violent climax at the Jayuya Uprising, led to the split between Muñoz Marín and the nationalists. The measures, which he put together with the U.S. government, including censorship laws (Ley de la Mordaza ), arrests for public wearing a Puerto Rican flag and thousands of secret dossiers were considered later as violations of the rights of the Constitution.

Term as governor

After the U.S. Congress had the Puerto Ricans in 1947 granted the right to elect their own governor, Muñoz Marín took over on January 2, 1949 as the first this post. 1952, 1956 and 1960, he was re-elected and was a total of 16 years in office. In the 1960 election condemned Catholic bishops choosing a PPD candidates because of politics in birth control and the prohibition of religious instruction in public schools as sin. During his time as governor, a Constitutional Convention was convened, which drafted a constitution for Puerto Rico, which was recognized in 1952 by the U.S. Congress.

In the 1950s, the industrialization project Operation Bootstrap provided along with an agrarian reform to accelerate the development of an agrarian to an industrial society, which brought some prosperity of the middle class. In the 1960s, however, the increasing unemployment slowed initially celebrated as a miracle development programs.

Muñoz Marín also launched the Operación Serenidad with projects to promote education and the arts.

After leaving the office of governor

1964 left Muñoz Marín 's candidacy Roberto Sánchez Vilella his Secretary of State, which was subsequently elected as the new governor. However, until 1970, he was still a deputy in the Senate of Puerto Rico. In 1968 there was a dispute with his successor, which he refused another term. Sánchez then bought the voting rights of the Partido del Pueblo and was a candidate for this party. Many PPD members voted for him what the PPD earned the first electoral defeat and Luis A. Ferré her to become a governor.

After the end of his political tenure Muñoz Marín traveled through Europe and met many politicians. In 1972 he returned to Puerto Rico back to the candidacy of Rafael Hernández Colón President of the Senate, the new PPD leader to support for governor.

1980 died Muñoz Marín at the age of 82 years on the effects of a stroke. His funeral was a major event which placed his own father 's funeral in the shadows and was accompanied by tens of thousands.

Importance and honors

During his tenure as governor, there were immense changes in Puerto Rico, which was transformed from a rural to an urban society. The number of second-generation Puerto Ricans in the continental States is now at least as large as those on the island. The autonomy is so far advanced as never before. He is also a harbinger of modern Puerto Rico.

However, his opponents see a Faustian adaptation of the youthful idealists and nationalists to power in the United States, who gave up the idea of ​​independence and instead cemented the colonial status of the island. Others accuse him that he reduced by enhancing the guest workers in the United States and by measures of family planning, population growth.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed Muñoz Marín on December 6, 1962, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from. The U.S. magazine TIME published in 1949 and 1958 two cover stories about him and described him as "one of the most influential politicians of recent times, whose services will remain for many years in memory" ( "one of the most influential politicians in recent times, Whose works will be remembered for years to come "). In 1957 he received an LLD from Bates College.

His daughter Victoria Muñoz Mendoza is also politically active and competed in 1992 unsuccessfully for the governorship. The central airport of Puerto Rico ( Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport) and some educational institutions are named after Muñoz Marín.