Department of State

Biografía del Secretario

HON. OMAR J. MARRERO DÍAZ
SECRETARIO DE ESTADO

Omar J. Marrero Díaz obtuvo un bachillerato en administración de empresas (B.B.A.) con una doble concentración en Contabilidad y Finanzas de la Universidad de Dayton (Ohio)

The Department of State was created by Section 6 of Article IV of the Constitution of July 25, 1952. Said section provides that the Governor shall be supported by Secretaries of Government, among them, a Secretary of State, whom he shall appoint with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Likewise, it is established that the Secretary of State is the constitutional successor of the Chief Executive in his absence.

As one of the most important governmental instrumentalities, the Department of State is responsible for fostering cultural, political and economic relations between Puerto Rico and foreign countries, as well as with other jurisdictions of the United States of America. In addition, it performs various administrative functions such as:

To enact, publish and certify the laws and bylaws of the Government of Puerto Rico;
To regulate the use of the flag and coat of arms of Puerto Rico;
To issue licenses for the exercise of professions or trades regulated by the State through the Examining Boards;
Preparing and keeping various registries: consuls; corporations and partnerships; trademarks; notaries and intellectual property, among others;
Process passport applications for U.S. citizens, a task delegated by the Federal Government;
Coordinate matters of a protocol nature that fall within the Government's purview.

It also keeps a record of government appointments made by the Chief Executive; promulgates proclamations issued by the Chief Executive or the Secretary of State; and provides assistance to persons visiting the Island for research or educational purposes through the Department's Cultural Exchange and Technical Cooperation Office.

Currently, the Department of State occupies the structure listed as a point of historical interest in Old San Juan: the Real Intendencia

Official Signs of Puerto Rico

The Flag of Puerto Rico

The flag that the Commonwealth Legislature adopted in 1952 as the official emblem of Puerto Rico is an ancient flag designed by a group of patriots in 1895. It is a symbol of the spirit of the people facing their own destiny, and that of America as a whole. It reflects the confidence that Puerto Rico has in itself and its fraternal respect towards all. The lone white star that appears on the flag symbolizes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and it rests on a blue triangle, whose corners are reminiscent of the Republican form of government with its three branches, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The three red stripes symbolize the blood that feeds those three branches of the government, which work separately and independently. The two white stripes represent the rights of men and the freedom of individuals, which maintain a sound balance between the three branches of the Commonwealth Government.

The Coat of Arms of Puerto Rico

The Coat of Arms of the Government of Puerto Rico, given by King Ferdinand of Spain under the Royal Order of November 8, 1511, is the only one still in official use in Hispanic America since the conquest. It was reconfirmed and adopted as such pursuant to Act Number 7 of August 8, 1952, as amended by Act Number 142 of June 3, 1976.

Said Royal Order described the blazon as “a green shield bearing in the center a silver lamb resting upon a red book, and bearing a flag with cross and banner, the streamer of the lance showing the device of Sanct Joan and having for border castles and lions and flags and crosses of Jerusalem, and for adevice an F. and a Y. with its crowns and yokes and arrows, and a motto aroundit reading as follows: Joannes est nomen ejus”.

The predominant color is green, the color used early in the Christian erawhen referring to St. John the Baptist, as a symbol of the grass or vegetation when he preached in the deserted jungle of Judea. The silver lamb represents the white and pure color corresponding to the figure of the Lamb of God, the Agnus Dei, identified with Jesus Christ. The red book represents the Book of the Seven Seals or the Apocalypse of the Apostle Saint John.

The castles and lions are symbols of the colonizing kingdom. The flags and crosses of Jerusalem symbolize Saint John the Baptist, name given to the Island, and invariably linked to the name of Jerusalem. The F. and the Y. refer to the names of the rulers Ferdinand and Ysabel; and the cluster of arrows and the yoke represent ideograms for the initials of the names of the Catholic Monarchs, F. and Y. The clusters of arrows consist of the mysterious number seven, which is often repeated symbolically in the Apocalypse.

Our Coat of Arms is a symbol where every good son of this land should find its glorious history reflected, thus constituting a powerful and vital stimulus that, together with our flag and anthem, incites us to imitate and try to surpass the virtues, heroic value and personal merits of our forefathers.

Great Seal of Puerto Rico

The devices in the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico were inspired in those that appear in the Coat of Arms which the Spanish Crown gave Puerto Rico on the early 16^th century.

‍The lamb in the green center of this Seal represents peace and serenity. Above that lamb, there appears a cluster of arrows which symbolizes creative strength. The yoke above the arrows represents unity and harmonization of efforts for great achievements. The letters F and I are the initials of Ferdinand and Isabella, Kings of Spain at the time of the discovery of Puerto Rico, and they evoke a great pioneer effort. The motto reads “John is his name” because Puerto Rico was originally named St. John The Baptist. On the white border there are towers of Castille, lions of Leon, crosses of the Conquest of Jerusalem, and Spanish banners, which are reminiscent of the cultural roots of Puerto Rico and serve as a frame for the central symbols of the Great Seal.

National Anthem of Puerto Rico

It is not known when the former melody titled “La Borinqueña” was written, nor is there any certainty as to who the author was. The earliest printed publications, which date from the late 19^th century, attribute the score to the distinguished musician Félix Astol while others attribute it to Francisco Ramírez-Ortiz from San Germán. The lyrics were written, by poetess Lola Rodríguez de Tió, also from San Germán, who placed a warm, patriotic feeling into the words.

Before becoming our national anthem, “La Borinqueña” was interpreted as a “danza”, a musical expression of Puerto Rican origin that flourished during the second half of the 19^th century when the national identity of Puerto Rico was more clearly defined.

Flag of the United States of America

The official flag of the United States of America consists of 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red alternating with 6 white, and, in the upper left corner near the staff, a rectangular blue field containing 50 five-pointed white stars. The stripes symbolize the 13 colonies that originally constituted the United States. The stars represent the 50 states of the Union. Many early flags of the American colonies were adaptations of the British Union Jack. In 1777 Congress announced that the new nation’s flag would consist of13 stripes, alternating red and white, with 13 white stars on a blue field. It has not been determined yet when this flag was first hoistened. Historical research has failed to establish a factual foundation for the traditional story that flag maker Betsy Ross made the first American Flag. Although Congress had made no rule for the arrangement of the stars, the usual arrangement was a circle. As new states joined the Union, they would request representation in the flag. Legislation enacted in 1818 called for the addition of one star to the flag for every state admitted to the Union. The last star was added in 1960, after Hawaii became the 50^thstate. An executive order issued by President William Howard Taft in 1912 fixed the proportion of the flag.

Anthem of United States of America

This National Anthem of the United States of America was inspired by the defense of Ft. McHenry, near Baltimore, Maryland, during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key had spent the night of the bombardment on a British warship in harbor, where he had gone under a flag of truce to arrange for the release of prisoners. The tune was originally a popular song titled “Anacreon in Heaven” to which a text, “Adams and Liberty”, was added during the American Revolution.

Secretary's Biography

HON. OMAR J. MARRERO DÍAZ
SECRETARY OF STATE

Omar J. Marrero Díaz earned a B.B.A. in Business Administration with a double concentration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Dayton (Ohio).