Government & Politics

Widow of Late Cataño Mayor Announces Bid to Succeed Him

Published Sep 7, 2026 · via El Nuevo Día

Bethzaida Rodríguez Torres, widow of the late mayor of Cataño, Julio Alicea Vasallo, has decided to run for mayor of the municipality. She said she never had the chance to discuss a possible political aspiration with her husband before his sudden death.

While still grieving his loss, she said she had to "put on armor" to seek the mayor's office. Rodríguez Torres said her goal is to give continuity to projects already underway under her late husband's administration, as well as to push new initiatives aimed at senior citizens, children with functional diversity, and other vulnerable populations in Cataño.