Succeeding Ceferino Pacheco Name Edgardo Velez | Role Politician | |
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Political party Popular Democratic Party | ||
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Edgardo Arlequín Vélez is a Puerto Rican politician and former mayor of Guayanilla. Arlequín is affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and was first elected as mayor in 2001. He served in the seat until his arrest and conviction for sexual misconduct, which forced him to resign in January 12, 2016.
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Political career
Arlequín Vélez was elected as Mayor of Guayanilla in the 2000 Puerto Rican general elections. To win the seat, Arlequín defeated the incumbent Ceferino Pacheco Giudicelli, from the New Progressive Party. The margin of the win was 236 votes (1.8%) in favor of Arlequín. Like most mayors, he was sworn in in January 2001.
At the 2004 Puerto Rican general elections, Arlequín retained the seat winning by a wider margin this time (57.7% of the votes). His main rival was again Pacheco Giudicelli, who received only 39.3% of the votes.
Arlequín Vélez was reelected two more times in 2008 and 2012.
Legal troubles
In November 18, 2014, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice referred a sexual misconduct case against Arlequín Vélez to the Puerto Rico Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor's Panel (PFEI). The accusations came from an employee of the municipality. In March 2015, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) suspended Arlequín from all his charges within the party. The next month, a judge found cause for arrest against Arlequín for the charges.
On December 17, 2015, Arlequín Vélez was sentenced to four years in prison. After this, the Party started conversations with him to voluntarily resign to his seat, but Arlequín initially refused. On January 12, 2016, he finally presented his resignation while also presenting an appeal to his sentence.