Biography
Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras was born in Ponce on October 28, 1950. Son of Asela Ruiz de Porras and Julio Rivera, he is the only male of the marriage that produced 3 children. He completed his elementary and higher education at Colegio San Juan Bosco on the Cantera Peninsula and his university studies at the University of Puerto Rico and Caribbean University College. The legislator earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. For 29 years, he worked in local banking. The legislator has been married to María del Carmen Fuentes for 48 years. He has two daughters who are already professionals, Marisela and Melisa, and his 15-year-old grandson Osvaldo.
Due to his strong sense of commitment to Puerto Rico, he entered the political sphere as a Municipal Legislator in the Autonomous Municipality of Carolina, a position he held from 1989 to 2000 (12 years). From Municipal Legislator, he went on to serve as House Representative for District 40 of Carolina and Trujillo Alto for the Popular Democratic Party, a position he swore in to in January 2001. During that four-year term, he served as Chairman of the Banking, Insurance and Financial Affairs Committee and served on various committees.
In 2004, he was re-elected to the House of Representatives for District 39 following redistricting. He again obtained favorable results in the 2008 elections, serving as Minority Spokesperson on the Committees on Municipal Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Internal Affairs, and as a member of the Committees on Finance, Government, and Labor and Labor Relations.
After twelve years as a legislator, he ran again in the 2012 general elections, obtaining the highest number of votes for a District Representative. He was elected by his colleagues in his delegation as Vice President of the Legislative Body. He was an ex-officio member of all the committees. From September to December 31, 2016, he served as Acting President, achieving a seamless transition. Thus complying with all legal requirements.
He revalidated in the November 2016 elections, where he stood out by obtaining the largest number of votes among the PPD delegation. He served as Minority Spokesperson on the Municipal Affairs, Northeast Region, and Internal Affairs Committees. He was also a member of the Public Safety, Cooperativism, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.
In these November 2020 elections, he again obtained the support of his constituents for a sixth term as Representative of District 39, Carolina – Trujillo Alto. He is currently Alternate Spokesperson and Chairman of the Majority Committee on Internal Affairs. He is an ex-officio member of all committees.
During his tenure, the legislator has demonstrated his professional and human qualities and his commitment to working hard for his people. He has allocated funds for the construction of police stations, the rehabilitation of recreational facilities, and the remodeling of schools in various communities, among many other projects. One of his most important projects was the rehabilitation of the Esc. Roberto Clemente Walker from Carolina. He is a Public Servant who has worked for the benefit of the people and the communities he represents.
At the legislative level, he has introduced cutting-edge legislative measures aimed at directly protecting our families. Approved laws: Law 71-2002, Law 17-2003, Law 316-2003, Law 399-2004, Law 47-2006, Law 252-2008, Law 83-2013, Law 9-2014, Law 97-2014, Law 245-2014, Law 179-2016, Law 202-2018 and Law 143-2020.
He has received numerous recognitions and awards for his work benefiting our society. Among his accolades are the Jesús T. Piñero Award and the Roberto Clemente Award. He has also received awards from organizations such as the Puerto Rican League Against Cancer, the United Retail Center, Hogar CREA Inc., the Villa Carolina Recreational and Residents Association, and Legislator of the Year, among others.