Leopoldo Figueroa
Leopoldo Figueroa Carreras | |
|---|---|
Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico | |
| Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the 4 Bayamón-Cataño-Guaynabo district | |
| In office 1933–1944 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 21, 1887 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | October 15, 1969 (aged 82) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | |
| Spouse | Carmen Vazquez Rivera |
| Alma mater | University of Havana University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD) |
| Profession |
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| Note: Figueroa co-founded the Independence Association, which later merged with two other political organizations to form the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party | |
Leopoldo Figueroa (September 21, 1887 – October 15, 1969), also known as "The deacon of the Puerto Rican Legislature", was a Puerto Rican politician, journalist, medical doctor and lawyer. Figueroa, who began his political career as an advocate of Puerto Rican Independence, was the co-founder of the Independence Association of Puerto Rico, one of three political organizations which merged to form the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Figueroa changed political ideals and by 1948 was a member of the Partido Estadista Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Statehood Party). That year, he was the only member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives who did not belong to the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), and the only Representative to oppose the PPD's approval of what became known as the Ley de la Mordaza (Gag Law), which violated the civil rights of those who favored Puerto Rican Independence. On December 22, 2006, the Puerto Rican Legislature approved a law declaring every September 21, Leopoldo Figueroa Carreras Day.