Senator María De Lourdes Santiago

Native of Adjuntas. She studied in the public schools of Adjuntas until entering the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, in 1986. There, she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities with a concentration in Drama and later a law degree. In 2001, she was elected Vice President of the PIP. During the civil disobedience process in Vieques, she assisted in coordinating the camp maintained by the PIP in the restricted zone. In 2002, she led a group of women civil disobedients who entered the restricted zone in Vieques, an act for which they served one month in jail. In 2004, she became the first female independence advocate elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico and the first woman to hold the position of spokesperson for a legislative delegation in the history of the Senate of Puerto Rico. She returned to the Senate following the General Elections of November 6, 2012. In 2016, she headed the PIP ticket as a candidate for governor, being the first female independence advocate to run for that position. Days after the elections, she was arrested for her participation in the struggle against the disposal of toxic ash in Peñuelas, along with PIP militants and community members. In 2017, she served as Electoral Commissioner for the PIP, playing an important role in the complaints regarding undelivered supplies found on the grounds of the State Elections Commission after Hurricane Maria. In 2021, she was elected as Senator at Large, assuming the Chairmanship of the Special Commission for the Legislative Monitoring of the Special Education Program. She was re-elected in 2024 as Senator at Large for the PIP. In addition to her work for Puerto Rican independence, María de Lourdes has intensely advocated for the LGBTTIQ communities, gender equity, the rights of girls with functional diversity, public education, the transformation of the healthcare system, environmental justice, tax justice, food sovereignty, and workers’ rights.