Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico/Estado Libre de Puerto Rico (Female suffrage 1928/36) A Spanish Colony till 1898 has been a state in free association with USA from 1952. There have been several referenda refusing both becoming the 51^st state in the USA and full independence.

Also see Puerto Rico Parliament

Until 1513/14 Chief Loíza Aldea near the Cayniabón river
Also known as Yuisa, she was a Taino cacica (female chief) when the Spanish Conquistadores invaded Puerto Rico and enslaved the Taino Indians, who lived in the islands of the Carribean. They never adapted to slavery and most of the Taino men were killed. Many of the women lived on as wives of the spanish sailors. She entered a relastionship with the mulatto conquistador Pedro Mejias, possibly to protect her people, but some felt she was a traitor and she was killed (1513/14). About 100 years later the small town that grew up in the area was named Loíza Aldea.

1986-90 Secretary of Interior Sila Maria Calderón Serra de Krans
1988-98 Secretary of State
2001-05 Governor
Mayor of San Juan (The Capital) 1997-2001 and since 1999 President of Partido Popular

1995-99 Secretary of State and Secretary of the Planning Board Norma E. Burgos Andújar
First Vice-President of Partido Nuevo Progresista since 1998 and Senator from 2000.

2005 Secretary of State Marisara Pont Marchese
A lecturer at Puerto Rico's University she was President of the Commission of Transmission 2004-05.