María de Lourdes Santiago

María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón is a native of Adjuntas. She attended public schools in Adjuntas before entering the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras in 1986. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in Drama, followed by a law degree. In 2001, she was elected Vice President of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP). During the civil disobedience process in Vieques, she assisted in coordinating the PIP camp within the restricted zone. In 2002, she led a group of women in civil disobedience by entering the restricted zone in Vieques, an action for which they served one month in jail. In 2004, she became the first pro-independence woman elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico and the first woman to serve as spokesperson for a legislative delegation in the history of the Senate. She returned to the Senate following the general elections of November 6, 2012. In 2016, she led the PIP ticket as a candidate for governor, the first pro-independence woman to seek that position. Following the election, she was arrested for her participation in the struggle against the dumping of toxic ash in Peñuelas. In 2017, she served as the Electoral Commissioner for the PIP and played a significant role in exposing undelivered supplies found on the premises of the State Elections Commission after Hurricane María. In 2021, she was elected as an At-Large Senator and assumed the presidency of the Special Committee for Legislative Monitoring of the Special Education Program. She was re-elected as an At-Large Senator for the PIP in 2024. In addition to her work for the independence of Puerto Rico, she has advocated for the LGBTTIQ community, gender equity, the rights of girls with functional diversity, public education, the transformation of the health system, environmental justice, tax justice, food sovereignty, and workers' rights.