María De Lourdes Santiago

María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón
Maria de Lourdes Santiago at the UN, on the Decolonization Committee, Colonial Case of Puerto Rico (2016)
Vice President of Puerto Rican Independence Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 2001
Member of Puerto Rican Senate from at-large district
In office January 2, 2013 – January 2, 2017
In office January 2, 2005 – January 1, 2009
Personal details
Born	Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, US
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Political party	PIP
Spouse(s)	Divorced
Children	Jose Julián
Alma mater	University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus (B.A. in Drama; J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney Journalist

María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón is a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician from Adjuntas. She is the current vice-president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and in 2004 became the first woman from that party to be elected into the Senate in the history of Puerto Rico.

Born in Ponce on November 13, 1968, Santiago has a bachelor's degree in theatre and a master's in law from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.

In 1997, she began working as a legal counsel for Victor García San Inocencio while he served in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. She also worked as a legal counselor for Manuel Rodríguez Orellana while he served as Senator of Puerto Rico.

In 2000, she began working as a legal counselor for Fernando Martín García while he served as Senator.

In January 2001, she was elected as vice-president of her political party, and in 2003 announced her candidacy as Senator for the Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004. On November 2, 2004, Santiago was elected and became the first woman in the Puerto Rican Senate in the history of Puerto Rico to represent the Puerto Rican Independence Party.