José A. Santiago
| Mayor of the Autonomous Municipality of Comerío | |
|---|---|
|
Assumed office January 8, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Luis A. Rivera Rivera |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Antonio Santiago Rivera August 27, 1957 Comerío, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Political party | Popular Democratic Party (PPD) |
| Spouse(s) | Ramona Nieves |
| Children | José Juan Santiago Nieves Jozy Santiago Nieves Juan José Santiago Nieves Monica Santiago Nieves |
| Residence | Comerío, Puerto Rico |
| Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus |
| Occupation | Mayor President of the AAPR (PPD) |
| Profession |
Accountant Politician |
José A. "Josian" Santiago Rivera (born August 27, 1957) is a Puerto Rican politician. He became the mayor of the municipality of Comerío as a member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) at the 2000 general elections, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2008. In 2010 Santiago became the president of the Asociación de Alcaldes de Puerto Rico, the organization that regulates cooperation between most mayors affiliated to the PPD.
Santiago was born in Comerío to José Santiago Berrior and Angélica Rivera and is one of six siblings, along with three sisters, Myrna, Marisol and Nitza, and two brothers, Javier and Fernando. It was here where he completed his primary education, beginning at Escuela Elemental El Salto, completing the sixth grade at Escuela Horace M. Towner and receiving his high school diploma from Escuela Superior Juana Colón. During his youth, he was also a student at the Centro Residencial de Oportunidades Educativas de Mayagüez, a residential center that offers individualized education. Santiago then enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico's main campus, located in Río Piedras, the largest subdivision of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He completed his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and after received his diploma, went on to become a certified public accountant. Santiago is married to Ramona Nieves and is the father of four children, Juan José, Monica, José Juan and Jozy Santiago Nieves. He is a devout practitioner of the Roman Catholic religion and led the Juventud Acción Católica, a youth religious organization. In 1979, Santiago became involved in public service, administrating the management of external funds for the municipality under mayor Gumersindo Carmona. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Municipal Secretary, serving under mayor Pablo Centeno throughout the 1980s. In 1993, Santiago was recruited to work as assistant for José Aponte de la Torre, mayor of Carolina, Puerto Rico. He is a prominent leader of the soberanistas, the faction within the party that pursues the elimination of the territorial clause by reclaiming Puerto Rico's sovereignty, while entering the ELA Soberano, a document of association with the United States that safeguards existing arrangements including common coin, education grants and citizenship. Within the PPD, the soberanistas serve as polar opposites to the conservadores, the faction that supports remaining a territory.
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