19 Facts About Orlando Parga

Orlando Parga served as President pro tempore of the Senate from 2005 to 2009.

Orlando Parga Figueroa was born on February 6,1939, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Orlando Parga's father, Orlando Parga Tossas, was a leader of the Partido Estadista Republicano and a right-hand man to its leader, Miguel A Garcia Mendez.

Orlando Parga continued his college studies at the University of Puerto Rico, and then at the State University of New York receiving a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration.

Orlando Parga worked for several years for the weekly newspaper La Opinion.

Orlando Parga worked as City Editor and Editor of La Opinion from 1962 to 1968, and then as Director from 1973 to 1975.

Orlando Parga has written columns for other newspapers like El Mundo, La Semana, and El Nuevo Dia.

Orlando Parga began his political career when he was elected state president of the Republican Youth in 1957, a post to which he was reelected in 1960 and 1964.

In 1961, Orlando Parga became the first Puerto Rican to be named as part of the United States Republican Youth National Committee.

In 1968, Orlando Parga ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives under the Republican Party, which would disappear following that year's elections.

Orlando Parga then worked as Director of Public Relations at the Automobile Accidents Compensation Administration from 1969 to 1973.

From 1975 to 1976, Orlando Parga served as Press Aide to Carlos Romero Barcelo, who was Mayor of San Juan at the time.

Orlando Parga served as Communications Advisor to another Mayor of San Juan, Baltasar Corrada del Rio, from 1985 to 1988.

Orlando Parga ran unsuccessfully for Senator at-large in the 1991 and 1995 PNP primaries.

Orlando Parga was finally elected to the post in a special election held on April 11,1999, to fill the vacancy left by former Senate President Roberto Rexach Benitez' resignation.

However, when the defeated 2004 PNP gubernatorial candidate, Pedro Rossello, gained a seat in the Senate and tried to oust President Kenneth McClintock, Orlando Parga was one of the six Senators that supported the latter and refused to support Rossello.

On July 5,2007, Orlando Parga announced that, rather than file for reelection under the PNP banner, he would aspire to become the first independent candidate to win an election to the Senate and put all his Senate leadership positions at McClintock's disposal.

Actually, as a political analyst, Orlando Parga has not held his punches when commenting on Puerto Rico's status and politics issues.

Orlando Parga has three children, Waldo, Ana Ivette, and Carlos Manuel from a previous marriage.