Former Bayamón mayor and New Progressive Party (PNP) leader Ramón Luis Rivera Rivera died on Wednesday at age 97, according to his son and current Bayamón mayor, Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz. No details on funeral arrangements were immediately released. In a press statement, Rivera Cruz said his father died at home, surrounded by his children, grandchildren and relatives, and that he had been dealing with health problems due to his advanced age.
"He went peacefully and with the satisfaction of duty fulfilled," his son said. Known as "Ramón Luis, el viejo" or "Ramón Luis, padre" after retiring from politics in 2000, Rivera Rivera served as mayor of Bayamón from 1977 to 2000. The article says his only regret in his final years was that Puerto Rico had not achieved statehood, a cause he fought for fervently.
It describes him as the "mayor of mayors," credited with positioning Bayamón as a leading city, helping develop new PNP leadership, aiding political adversaries and giving advice to multiple governors, legislators and officials. His legacy in the city includes the Parque de las Ciencias, the Ciudad Dorada senior residential complex, the Francisco Oller museum and the Archivo Histórico, community diagnostic and treatment centers (CDTs), the Braulio Castillo and Francisco Oller theaters, the Pilar Barbosa municipal library, the Parque de los Niños and the new Municipal Government Center.