Carlos Pesquera
Encyclopedia
Carlos Ignacio Pesquera Morales Ph.D.
(born 1956) is a Puerto Rican
civil engineer
and former politician. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico
in the elections of 2000. He is married to Irasema Rivera, an agronomist, and has one son and one daughter. He currently resides in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
.
, where he graduated with high honors as an engineer. Later, Pesquera continued his graduate studies at Cornell University
, where he obtained an M.A. and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering. Afterwards, he taught civil engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
's first and second terms as Governor (1993-1999). As Secretary of Transportation, he is credited as the driving force behind the $2 billion Tren Urbano
(Urban Train), the Superaqueduct that has resolved metropolitan San Juan's
water rationing problems, numerous road construction projects and the construction of the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
in San Juan. He ran for Governor of Puerto Rico
as a candidate of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
in the 2000 elections but was defeated by Sila María Calderón
of the Popular Democratic Party
. The results of that election showed: Sila Calderón (PDP
) with 978,860 votes (48.6%); Carlos Pesquera (NPP
) 919,194 votes (45.7%); Ruben Berrios
(PIP
) 104,705 (5.2%), while other candidates had about 2700 votes (under 0.5%). Afterwards, he reorganized his followers and remained the head of the NPP until the year 2003. That same year Pedro Rosselló returned from retirement and Pesquera ran for his party's candidacy for Governor but was soundly defeated in a primary election by Rosselló.
Pesquera then retired from public life and is currently teaching at several Puerto Rican universities. On January 2007, Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
nominated him to be part of the Board of Regents of the University of Puerto Rico
.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(born 1956) is a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and former politician. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
in the elections of 2000. He is married to Irasema Rivera, an agronomist, and has one son and one daughter. He currently resides in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas; south of Cataño; east of Bayamón; and west of San Juan...
.
Education
Carlos Pesquera graduated from High School while attending Nuestra Señora de Belen. Dr. Pesquera attended the University of Puerto Rico at MayagüezUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez in Spanish , is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
, where he graduated with high honors as an engineer. Later, Pesquera continued his graduate studies at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he obtained an M.A. and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering. Afterwards, he taught civil engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
Political career
Pesquera was the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico under Pedro RossellóPedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
's first and second terms as Governor (1993-1999). As Secretary of Transportation, he is credited as the driving force behind the $2 billion Tren Urbano
Tren Urbano
The Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
(Urban Train), the Superaqueduct that has resolved metropolitan San Juan's
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
water rationing problems, numerous road construction projects and the construction of the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, officially named "Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot" , is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico dedicated to entertainment...
in San Juan. He ran for Governor of Puerto Rico
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
as a candidate of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
in the 2000 elections but was defeated by Sila María Calderón
Sila María Calderón
Sila María Calderón Serra is a Puerto Rican politician and businesswoman who served as the seventh Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005. She is the first and, to date, only woman elected to that office...
of the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
. The results of that election showed: Sila Calderón (PDP
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
) with 978,860 votes (48.6%); Carlos Pesquera (NPP
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
) 919,194 votes (45.7%); Ruben Berrios
Rubén Berríos
Rubén Ángel Berríos Martínez is a lawyer, a Puerto Rican politician, and the current president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party...
(PIP
Puerto Rican Independence Party
The Puerto Rican Independence Party is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from United States suzerainty....
) 104,705 (5.2%), while other candidates had about 2700 votes (under 0.5%). Afterwards, he reorganized his followers and remained the head of the NPP until the year 2003. That same year Pedro Rosselló returned from retirement and Pesquera ran for his party's candidacy for Governor but was soundly defeated in a primary election by Rosselló.
Pesquera then retired from public life and is currently teaching at several Puerto Rican universities. On January 2007, Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
nominated him to be part of the Board of Regents of the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
.