Jesús T. Piñero Jiménez (April 16, 1897 – November 19, 1952) was a Puerto Rican businessman and politician, who served by order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman as the 175th governor of Puerto Rico from 1946 to 1949. Piñero was the last appointed governor of the archipelago and island, as he was succeeded by Luis Muñoz Marín, who became the first popularly elected governor in 1948. Piñero was the first and only native Puerto Rican to hold the office in a formal, not interim capacity during the direct Spanish and American control of the governorship from 1508 to 1948.
Early years
Jesús Toribio Piñero Jiménez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to Emilio Piñero Estrella (son of Basilio Piñero) and Josefa Jiménez Sicardó into a wealthy family with roots in the Canary Islands. His direct ancestor was Domingo Antonio José Piñero Pineda from Hermigua, La Gomera, who arrived in Puerto Rico around 1816. He obtained his primary and secondary education in his hometown. In 1914, he attended the College of Liberal Arts of the University of Puerto Rico. He also attended the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Political career
Between 1920 and 1944, Piñero's interest in agriculture kept him engaged in the dairy business and in the cultivation of sugar cane. His interest in the agricultural development of Puerto Rico led him to participate in politics, particularly those concerning the issues of the cultivation of sugar cane and development of the industry. This bill, which resembled the anti-communist Smith Act passed in the United States in 1940, became known as the Ley de la Mordaza (Gag Law) when Governor Piñero signed it into law on June 10, 1948. Under this new law it would be a crime to print, publish, sell, or exhibit any material intended to paralyze or destroy the insular government; or to organize any society, group or assembly of people with a similar destructive intent. It made it illegal to sing a patriotic song, and reinforced the 1898 law that had made it illegal to display the Flag of Puerto Rico, with anyone found guilty of disobeying the law in any way being subject to a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to US$10,000 (), or both.
According to Dr. Leopoldo Figueroa, the only non-PPD member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, the law was repressive and was in violation of the First Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees Freedom of Speech. He pointed out that the law as such was a violation of the civil rights of the people of Puerto Rico.
Piñero served as governor until 1949, when Puerto Rico celebrated its first popular election for the position, in which Muñoz Marín was elected governor.