On January 16th, 2026, President Donald J. Trump pardoned Puerto Rico’s former Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced alongside her co-defendants, the Britannia Financial Group founder Julio Martin Herrera Velutini and co-conspirator Mark Rossini of federal corruption charges she faced during her election campaign (POLITICO). Vázquez’s pardon is especially notable, as it is the first time a Puerto Rican governor has been both convicted and pardoned on federal charges- but her rise to a governor position is just as interesting as her eventual downfall as a political figure.
In 2019, former Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló resigned after island-wide protests around group chats full of messages containing content such as misogyny, homophobia, and joking about deaths of Puerto Ricans lost during the devastating Hurricane Maria were leaked to the public (PBS News). According to the order of succession in Puerto Rico, his Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín would take over as Governor- but Marín had resigned alongside Rosselló (Pr.gov). The succession for Governor then went on to Justice Secretary Vázquez, a position that she vehemently stated she did not want to occupy (X). Rosselló did attempt to name Pedro Pierluisi as Secretary of State to replace him as Governor, however the island’s Supreme Court struck the decision down as unconstitutional due to Pierluisi’s nomination as Secretary of State not being confirmed as legitimate by both legislative chambers (Fox News).
On August 7th, 2019, Vázquez was officially sworn in as Governor of Puerto Rico. She later released a statement claiming that “[It is] with great humility and commitment that I assume the position to direct the destinies of our country, with responsibility and delivery” (NBC News), a very different perspective from her initial refusal to accept the position of Governor. Vázquez then went on to serve as Puerto Rico’s Governor from August 7th, 2019 to January 2nd, 2021. She attempted to run again for Governor after finishing out Rosselló’s term, but lost the New Progressive Party Primary vote to Pedro Pierluisi, who went on to become the next Governor after the island’s general election in November 2020 (Telemundo).
On August 4th, 2022, Vázquez was arrested on bribery charges related to her 2020 campaign (U.S. Department of Justice). She and several others were arrested in tandem, where unreported bank transactions and promises of financial support in exchange for government positions were discovered by the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice). With Vázquez’s initial charges, she could have faced up to twenty years in prison, but her charges were reduced to a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, and could have led to her serving up to a year in prison (AP News). On January 16th, 2025, President Donald J. Trump decided to pardon ex-Governor Vázquez on all charges of corruption, with no official comment from the President himself. However, an anonymous White House official stated that her prosecution was “an example of political persecution,” as the investigation into her alleged corruption began shortly after she endorsed Donald Trump for the 2020 presidential election (POLITICO).
The implications of this pardon may have significant effects on Puerto Rico’s political landscape. U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll for the District of Puerto Rico noted that “the Government’s decision to shift gears at the eleventh hour is allowed because ultimately the Government decides how it will exercise its prosecutorial discretion,” while also expressing concern over the reduction of the most serious corruption charges against Vázquez (CBS News). While the short-term effects of the pardon of Wanda Vázquez Garced remain uncertain, it may influence public perceptions of accountability and the prosecution of corruption within Puerto Rico’s government.
Sources:
NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-s-supreme-court-law-used-name-new-governor-n1039911
POLITICO: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/trump-pardon-former-puerto-rico-governor-00734044
Pr.gov: https://tinyurl.com/yzbtfzkf
U.S. Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-governor-puerto-rico-arrested-bribery-scheme