Rafael Cordero Santiago
Encyclopedia
Rafael Cordero Santiago (October 24, 1942 - January 17, 2004) – better known as Churumba – was the Mayor
of Ponce
, Puerto Rico
from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as the Greatest Lion (or, El León Mayor in Spanish) in reference to the city's nickname of The Lion City of Ponce. Mayor Cordero was a firm believer in the government descentralization process.
During Churumba's term in the Ponce mayoral office, the city saw the construction of the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
, the Tricentennial Park Plaza, and the La Guancha Boardwalk. In 1991, he instituted a restoration project for the 25 de Enero Street
historical area, and in 1990 he spearheaded the conversion of the old Parque de Bombas
into a museum. Also in 1990, he facilitated the establishment of Castillo Serralles as a museum.
Cordero Santiago is credited with re-establishing the "Ponce en Marcha" project in 1992, and there are some who also credit him with the passage by the Puerto Rico Legislature of the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991. One of his projects under Ponce en Marcha was the restoration of the Ponce Casino
, as depicted on the plaque at the northern exterior wall of the restored casino building on Marina and Luna streets.
“Churumba” - a nickname given in reference to Cordero's height - is a Puerto Rican Spanish
name given to small spinning tops. It is probably derived from the Andalusian Spanish
term "churumbel", used to describe a small child.
in Ponce, Puerto Rico
.
He attended public schools in Ponce: The Ramiro Colon and Rafael Pujals elementary schools, the McKinley middle school, and the Ponce High School
. He graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in Arts with a concentration in Political Sciences, Economy, and Social Sciences. As a student Cordero was a member of the Nu Sigma Beta
Fraternity Delta Chapter.
Cordero was involved in Puerto Rican politics since 1969, when he began working as a special aide to former Governor of Puerto Rico
Rafael Hernández Colón
, then president of the Puerto Rico Senate. A member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Cordero went on to work in the Departments of Finance and Workers' Rights (Spanish: Departmento del Derecho al Trabajo).
Among Cordero Santiago's many achievements as mayor are the construction of the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
, the largest family park in Puerto Rico. The park, which opened in 1994 and was named to honor the founder of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, covers some 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) and is located at the confluence
of the Bucaná
and Portugues
rivers. Cordero Santiago also built the Tricentennial Park Plaza in 1992, the La Guancha Boardwalk, and is credited with re-establishing the "Ponce en Marcha" project in 1992. In 1991, mayor Cordero Santiago instituted a restoration project for the 25 de Enero Street
homes, the street per se, and surrounding area based on their historical value. In 1990, the administration of Cordero Santiago restored the old Parque de Bombas
and turned it into a museum that preserves the history of Ponce's firefighters. On Cordero's credit list is also facilitating the establishment of Castillo Serralles as a museum in 1990. There are some who also credit him with the establishment of the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991. He was also instrumental in the celebration of the 1993 XVII Central American and Caribbean Games
held in Ponce.
In late 2003, Cordero signed and initiated the construction of a multi-million dollar mega port complex in Ponce named Port of the Americas, a project he fought for during several years. The project is expected to generate much needed jobs for Ponce residents, and improve the local Mercedita Airport
and the Ponce hotel industry. Upon his death in 2004, the project was still in construction. On June 28, 2004, via Law 166, the Legislature of Puerto Rico renamed the Port of the Americas as
the ‘Rafael “Churumba” Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas’, in his honor.
Churumba is widely regarded as author of a saying that is still used today:
A strong believer in the removal of the U.S. Navy from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Cordero was arrested in 2001 and imprisoned for 30 days after practicing civil disobedience
during the Navy-Vieques protests by illegally trespassing the restricted grounds of the United States Navy
on Vieques
.
and suffering a brain hemorrhage. His posthumous wish of donating his organs was fulfilled.
The funeral guard was held on January 18 in the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
with a rotatory guard of politicians, public servicemen and the various sport teams of Ponce. Many visitors cheered “Long live Churumba!” and “We love you!” The electronic board of the auditorium displayed the words “The Greatest Lion rests in peace”.
Churumba's coffin was later returned to a local funeral home for a family veil guard. The day after, on Monday, January 19, a prayer was offered in Ponce's Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral after exposing the mortal remains in the former mayor's home. Cordero's burial was held in the La Piedad Cemetery in Ponce. Former Governor Rafael Hernández Colón
and his brother were in charge of the oratory mourning.
His remains were subsequently transferred to the Panteon Nacional Roman Baldorioty de Castro
near downtown Ponce, where they are currently located in a prominent mausoleum.
sisters Solange Marie and Mara Bianca.
won their twelfth championship, player Antonio Colón lifted Cordero's usual courtside seat igniting Ponce fans into celebration. The championship was officially dedicated to Cordero. Cordero's seat was reserved open during every Ponce Lions home game in 2004, in his honor.
In March 2006, a Taekwondo
and Jujutsu
from the Caribbean World Of Martial Arts Family Inc. led by Steven Rodríguez and Isabel Rivera dedicated a tournament to Cordero Santiago, with the blessing of Cordero's widow, Madeleine Velasco. The team carried a banner in the NAGA World Jujutsu Championship in New Jersey with the message, "WE CAME TO FIGHT IN MEMORIAM OF RAFAEL 'CHURUMBA' CORDERO SANTIAGO". The team won the trophy for the best team of the world.
This phrase has become a common catchphrase among ponceños
, who are usually regarded for the pride they show for the city. "This [phrase] is in reference to the massive traffic jams experienced in the San Juan
metropolitan area where highways resemble parking lots certain times of the day." Cordero's widow, Madeleine Velasco, used the phrase at the closing of her late husband's funeral in his honor.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as the Greatest Lion (or, El León Mayor in Spanish) in reference to the city's nickname of The Lion City of Ponce. Mayor Cordero was a firm believer in the government descentralization process.
During Churumba's term in the Ponce mayoral office, the city saw the construction of the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
The Parque Familiar Julio Enrique Monagas is Puerto Rico's largest passive park. It is located in barrio Bucaná, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on the banks of rivers Bucaná and Portugués...
, the Tricentennial Park Plaza, and the La Guancha Boardwalk. In 1991, he instituted a restoration project for the 25 de Enero Street
25 de Enero Street
Calle 25 de Enero, 25 de Enero Street, is a historic Victorian village bounded by the street by that name in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and built to honor Ponce's volunteer firemen....
historical area, and in 1990 he spearheaded the conversion of the old Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
into a museum. Also in 1990, he facilitated the establishment of Castillo Serralles as a museum.
Cordero Santiago is credited with re-establishing the "Ponce en Marcha" project in 1992, and there are some who also credit him with the passage by the Puerto Rico Legislature of the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991. One of his projects under Ponce en Marcha was the restoration of the Ponce Casino
Old Ponce Casino
The Antiguo Casino de Ponce , or simply the Casino de Ponce, is a historic structure, built in 1922 and located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Originally built as a social club for Ponce's elite, it is currently used as the premier reception center of "The Noble City of Puerto Rico"...
, as depicted on the plaque at the northern exterior wall of the restored casino building on Marina and Luna streets.
“Churumba” - a nickname given in reference to Cordero's height - is a Puerto Rican Spanish
Puerto Rican Spanish
Puerto Rican Spanish is the Spanish language as characteristically spoken in Puerto Rico and by millions of people of Puerto Rican descent living in the United States and elsewhere...
name given to small spinning tops. It is probably derived from the Andalusian Spanish
Andalusian Spanish
The Andalusian varieties of Spanish are spoken in Andalusia, Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar. They include perhaps the most distinct of the southern variants of peninsular Spanish, differing in many respects from northern varieties, and also from Standard Spanish...
term "churumbel", used to describe a small child.
Early years
Cordero was born in Barrio PlayaPlaya (Ponce)
La Playa de Ponce, Ponce Playa, La Playa, or simply Playa, is one of the thirty-one barrios that comprise the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Bucaná, Canas, Vayas, and Capitanejo, Playa is one of the municipality's five coastal barrios...
in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
.
He attended public schools in Ponce: The Ramiro Colon and Rafael Pujals elementary schools, the McKinley middle school, and the Ponce High School
Ponce High School
The Ponce High School is public educational institution in Ponce, Puerto Rico, offering grades ten through twelve. The school's main building is a historic structure located on Cristina Street, in the Ponce Historic Zone. From its beginning the school has secured a unique place in Puerto Rico's...
. He graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a Roman Catholic university located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It provides courses in the areas of education, business administration, arts and human studies and science, leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degrees. Its campus is also home...
in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in Arts with a concentration in Political Sciences, Economy, and Social Sciences. As a student Cordero was a member of the Nu Sigma Beta
Nu Sigma Beta
Nu Sigma Beta Fraternity is a non-profit Puerto Rican fraternity. It was established in 1937 at the University of Puerto Rico by several young students from diverse backgrounds....
Fraternity Delta Chapter.
Cordero was involved in Puerto Rican politics since 1969, when he began working as a special aide to former Governor of Puerto Rico
Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
, then president of the Puerto Rico Senate. A member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Cordero went on to work in the Departments of Finance and Workers' Rights (Spanish: Departmento del Derecho al Trabajo).
Mayor of Ponce
In 1988, Cordero received the endorsement of then governor Rafael Hernández Colón for the office of Mayor of the city of Ponce and won the elections for the PPD by 1,617 votes against his opponent Helcías Bermúdez of the New Progressive Party that same year. He won re-elections in 1992, 1996, and 2000.Among Cordero Santiago's many achievements as mayor are the construction of the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park
The Parque Familiar Julio Enrique Monagas is Puerto Rico's largest passive park. It is located in barrio Bucaná, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on the banks of rivers Bucaná and Portugués...
, the largest family park in Puerto Rico. The park, which opened in 1994 and was named to honor the founder of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, covers some 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) and is located at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Bucaná
Río Bucaná
Río Bucaná, is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Rio Bucana has its origin in barrio Machuelo Arriba where it forms at an altitude of . It forms from the confluence of Rio Cerrillos and Rio Bayagan. It is also fed by Rio Portugues during its southernly run. Rio Bucana used to run...
and Portugues
Portugués River
Río Portugués , also known as Río Tibes, is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The river has a length of almost and runs south from the Cordillera Central mountain range into the Caribbean Sea. The Portugues is one of the best-known rivers in Ponce because of its prominent...
rivers. Cordero Santiago also built the Tricentennial Park Plaza in 1992, the La Guancha Boardwalk, and is credited with re-establishing the "Ponce en Marcha" project in 1992. In 1991, mayor Cordero Santiago instituted a restoration project for the 25 de Enero Street
25 de Enero Street
Calle 25 de Enero, 25 de Enero Street, is a historic Victorian village bounded by the street by that name in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and built to honor Ponce's volunteer firemen....
homes, the street per se, and surrounding area based on their historical value. In 1990, the administration of Cordero Santiago restored the old Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
and turned it into a museum that preserves the history of Ponce's firefighters. On Cordero's credit list is also facilitating the establishment of Castillo Serralles as a museum in 1990. There are some who also credit him with the establishment of the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991. He was also instrumental in the celebration of the 1993 XVII Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
held in Ponce.
In late 2003, Cordero signed and initiated the construction of a multi-million dollar mega port complex in Ponce named Port of the Americas, a project he fought for during several years. The project is expected to generate much needed jobs for Ponce residents, and improve the local Mercedita Airport
Mercedita Airport
Mercedita Airport is a commercial airport located three miles east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers and has one runway. Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all...
and the Ponce hotel industry. Upon his death in 2004, the project was still in construction. On June 28, 2004, via Law 166, the Legislature of Puerto Rico renamed the Port of the Americas as
the ‘Rafael “Churumba” Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas’, in his honor.
Churumba is widely regarded as author of a saying that is still used today:
A strong believer in the removal of the U.S. Navy from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Cordero was arrested in 2001 and imprisoned for 30 days after practicing civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
during the Navy-Vieques protests by illegally trespassing the restricted grounds of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on Vieques
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Vieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands...
.
Death and funeral
Churumba died on January 17, 2004 at 9:00 AM AST in the Medical Center of Río Piedras at the age of 61 after slipping into a comaComa
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and suffering a brain hemorrhage. His posthumous wish of donating his organs was fulfilled.
The funeral guard was held on January 18 in the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
The Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns , formerly, Coliseo Juan Pachín Vicéns, is a sports venue in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
with a rotatory guard of politicians, public servicemen and the various sport teams of Ponce. Many visitors cheered “Long live Churumba!” and “We love you!” The electronic board of the auditorium displayed the words “The Greatest Lion rests in peace”.
Churumba's coffin was later returned to a local funeral home for a family veil guard. The day after, on Monday, January 19, a prayer was offered in Ponce's Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral after exposing the mortal remains in the former mayor's home. Cordero's burial was held in the La Piedad Cemetery in Ponce. Former Governor Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
and his brother were in charge of the oratory mourning.
His remains were subsequently transferred to the Panteon Nacional Roman Baldorioty de Castro
Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro
The Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro is a tract of land in Barrio Segundo of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, originally designed as the city's cemetery, but later converted into what has come to be a famous burial place. Established in 1842, it is Puerto Rico's first national pantheon...
near downtown Ponce, where they are currently located in a prominent mausoleum.
Personal life
Cordero was married to Madeleine Velasco Alvarado. They had two daughters, fraternal twinTwin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
sisters Solange Marie and Mara Bianca.
Homages
After game seven of the Puerto Rico National Basketball League 2004 Finals, when the Ponce LionsPonce Lions (basketball)
The Leones de Ponce are a BSN basketball team based in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The Lions are one of the BSN's most successful franchises, having won a total of twelve championships...
won their twelfth championship, player Antonio Colón lifted Cordero's usual courtside seat igniting Ponce fans into celebration. The championship was officially dedicated to Cordero. Cordero's seat was reserved open during every Ponce Lions home game in 2004, in his honor.
In March 2006, a Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
and Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
from the Caribbean World Of Martial Arts Family Inc. led by Steven Rodríguez and Isabel Rivera dedicated a tournament to Cordero Santiago, with the blessing of Cordero's widow, Madeleine Velasco. The team carried a banner in the NAGA World Jujutsu Championship in New Jersey with the message, "WE CAME TO FIGHT IN MEMORIAM OF RAFAEL 'CHURUMBA' CORDERO SANTIAGO". The team won the trophy for the best team of the world.
Legacy
On 13 August 2008, the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly approved Law 256, naming Route PR-9, a controlled access highway which circles the city of Ponce, as the Rafael (Churumba) Cordero Santiago Highway.Quotes
- — Rafael 'Churumba' Cordero
This phrase has become a common catchphrase among ponceños
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, who are usually regarded for the pride they show for the city. "This [phrase] is in reference to the massive traffic jams experienced in the San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
metropolitan area where highways resemble parking lots certain times of the day." Cordero's widow, Madeleine Velasco, used the phrase at the closing of her late husband's funeral in his honor.
Other references
- Santana, Mario. Sublime muestra de agradecimiento. San Juan, Puerto Rico: El Nuevo Día. January 19, 2004.
- El Nuevo Dia. Muere 'Churumba' Cordero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. January 17, 2004.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans