Secretary of State of Puerto Rico

Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
Official Seal
Incumbent Luis Rivera Marín since January 2, 2017
Department of State
Nominator	Governor
Appointer	Governor with advice and consent from the Senate and House of Representatives
Term length	At the pleasure of the Governor
Formation	Established by Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico
Succession	First
Salary	$120,000 (set by statute) USD
Website	www.estado.gobierno.pr

The Secretary of State of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Secretario de Estado de Puerto Rico) leads all efforts that promote the cultural, political, and economical relations between Puerto Rico and foreign countries, and other jurisdictions of the United States. The post was created by Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico which merely establishes that the secretary serves as acting governor when the governor is unable to perform his duties—a post similar to that of a lieutenant governor in U.S. politics. In recent times, however, the post has evolved into one similar to that of a foreign minister. Today, the secretary is the officer in charge of Puerto Rico's foreign relations, albeit under the consent of Congress or the U.S. Department of State due to Puerto Rico's political status.

Administratively, the post differs to other similar titles in U.S. politics. Namely, that in contrast to lieutenant governors, the secretary is not elected by the people. He is instead appointed by the governor with advice and consent from both the Senate and House of Representatives. In addition, the secretary does not have any role whatsoever in the state legislature, in contrast to lieutenant governors. Unlike secretaries of state in other U.S. jurisdictions, the secretary of state of Puerto Rico does not take part in the elections process. That responsibility falls into the State Commission on Elections.