2021 in Puerto Rico explained

Events in the year 2021 in Puerto Rico.

See also: 2021 in the Caribbean and 2021 in the United States.

Incumbents

• President: Donald Trump (R) (until January 20), Joe Biden (D) (starting January 20)
• Governor: Wanda Vázquez Garced (R) (until January 2), Pedro Pierluisi (D) (starting January 2)
• Resident Commissioner: Jenniffer González

Events

January to April

• January 2 – Pedro Pierluisi, 61, is sworn in as the new governor.^[1]
• January 5 – President Donald Trump announces $3.7 billion to rebuild water infrastructure. The grant covers 90% of the estimated costs of the water and wastewater improvement projects.^[2]
• January 24 – Governor Pedro Pierluisi declares a state of emergency over gender violence. The island saw 62 cases of femicide in 2020 and violence against members of the LGBTQ community.^[3]
• February 1 – President Joe Biden signs an order providing $6.2 billion to Puerto Rico for disaster mitigation.^[4]
• February 2 – The Health Department announces that for the next 28 days the COVID-19 vaccine will be exclusively for adults 65 years of age and older.^[5]
• February 23 – Governor Pedro Pierluisi rejects a proposed debt settlement because of concerns about the effect on the territory′s pension system.^[6]
• February 24 – A box containing 31 doses of COVID-19 vaccine is found on a street in Morovis. The vaccines had spoiled. Puerto Rico has reported at least 91,834 cases and 2,007 deaths from the virus.^[7]
• March 12 – San Juan′s San José Church prepares for reopening after being closed in 1996 for restoration and repairs. The second-oldest church on the island, which was built in 1532 near the ocean on top of a Taíno settlement at the highest point of Old San Juan, was originally a Dominican convent where Bartolomé de las Casas lived.^[8]
• March 23 – The United States Department of Education releases $912 million in federal funds that had been held up by the Trump administration.^[9]
• March – 27 schools reopen for in-person classes after being shut for year due to the Covid-19 pandemic .^[10]
• April 13 – Puerto Rican military veterans are onored on the first annual National Day of Borinqueneers.^[11]

Deaths

• January 15 – Elizam Escobar, 72, art theorist, poet, and political activist, cancer.^[12]
• February 16 – Ángel Mangual, 73, baseball player (Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates), World Series champion (1972, 1973, 1974).^[13]
• February 18 – Juan Pizarro, 84, baseball player, (Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox), cancer.^[14]
• February 26 – Ferdinand Vega, 84, Olympic archer (1972).^[15]
• March 11 – Orlando Llenza, 90, military officer.^[16]
• March 15 – Albert Rodriguez, 58, comedic actor.^[17]

See also

• 2021 in United States politics and government
• 2021 in Central America
• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
• 2020s

External links

• U.S. can break free of its dependence on China by rebuilding Puerto Rico’s pharmaceutical industry (Opinion by Carlos Roa, Miami Herald, Jan. 4, 2021)
• Don’t pretend statehood for Puerto Rico is the only choice. It’s not. Let all voices be heard (Opinion by Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá, The Miami Herald, February 1, 2021)

Notes and References

1. News: New governor sworn in as a wary Puerto Rico demands changes . January 2, 2021 . AP NEWS . 2 January 2021.
2. News: Trump administration announces $3.7 billion for Puerto Rico . January 5, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . AP . Yahoo News . January 5, 2021.
3. News: Abdalla . Jihan . Puerto Rico issues LGBTQ emergency declaration amid violence . February 24, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . February 18, 2021 . en.
4. News: Oliver Velez . Denise . President Biden is keeping the promise he made to Puerto Rico. Thank you Joe! . February 2, 2021 . Daily Kos . February 2, 2021.
5. News: Puerto Rico ordena vacunar solo a mayores de 65 ante escasez de dosis . February 11, 2021 . CNN . 3 February 2021 . es.
6. News: Puerto Rico rejects key deal with creditors to reduce debt . February 2, 2021 . AP NEWS . 23 February 2021.
7. News: Officials investigate box of Covid-19 vaccines found on a Puerto Rico street . February 25, 2021 . NBC News . February 24, 2021 . en.
8. News: Puerto Rico to reopen historic church after long restoration . March 12, 2021 . AP NEWS . 12 March 2021.
9. News: Acevedo . Nicole . Puerto Rico gets over $900M in education funds previously restricted by Trump admin. . March 23, 2021 . NBC News . March 23, 2021 . en.
10. Web site: 2021-05-14 . Reanudan las clases presenciales en 27 escuelas . In person classes begin in 27 schools . live . 2022-03-18 . El Vocero. https://web.archive.org/web/20210514115210/https://www.elvocero.com/educacion/reanudan-las-clases-presenciales-en-27-escuelas/article_634629b0-b462-11eb-ae92-8712b9cac09e.amp.html . 2021-05-14 .
11. Web site: Novak . Steve . 2021-04-14 . On 1st National Borinqueneers Day, Bethlehem breaks ground on Puerto Rican veterans memorial . 2022-03-18 . lehighvalleylive.
12. https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=63553&SEO=elizam-escobar-dies-from-cancer Elizam Escobar dies from cancer
13. https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/16/former-oakland-as-world-series-hero-dies-at-73/ Former Oakland A’s World Series hero dies at 73
14. https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/beisbol/notas/fallece-terin-pizarro-legendario-lanzador-puertorriqueno/ Fallece Terín Pizarro, legendario lanzador puertorriqueño
15. https://radioisla.tv/fallece-primer-atleta-que-represento-a-puerto-rico-en-tiro-con-arco-en-las-olimpiadas1/ Fallece primer atleta que representó a Puerto Rico en tiro con arco en las Olimpiadas
16. https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/fallece-exayudante-general-de-la-guardia-nacional/article_ddee838c-839e-11eb-9066-13e30667fad2.html Fallece exayudante general de la Guardia Nacional
17. https://www.primerahora.com/entretenimiento/cine-tv/notas/el-remix-se-despide-con-dolor-de-albert-rodriguez/ El Remix se despide con dolor de Albert Rodríguez