Aguadilla mayor honored in Madrid for promoting Hispanic legacy in PR

Aguadilla Mayor Julio Roldán Concepción, at far left, was honored by the Royal Economic Society of Madrid for his outstanding work in preserving and promoting the Hispanic legacy in Puerto Rico and in strengthening the bonds between Hispanic peoples.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Royal Economic Society of Madrid held a reception and recognition ceremony earlier this week for Aguadilla Mayor Julio Roldán Concepción, for his outstanding work in preserving and promoting the Hispanic legacy in Puerto Rico and in strengthening the bonds between Hispanic peoples.

The event took place on Tuesday at the institution’s historic headquarters, the Torre de los Lujanes, a 15th-century civil building and one of the oldest in Madrid. During the day, representatives from the Municipality of Aguadilla and various Spanish entities toured the headquarters, followed by a public tribute to Roldán and municipal legislator Rafael Valle Ortiz.

The Royal Economic Society of Madrid thus recognizes the administration of the Aguadilla City Council, especially the municipal ordinances approved in 2025, the year in which the 250th anniversary of both the municipality and the Society itself was commemorated. Those measures were promoted by Valle Ortiz and approved by the municipal legislature under the leadership of Roldán.

Among the initiatives, the formal support of the Municipality of Aguadilla for the proposal of reparative Spanish nationality for the descendants of Puerto Ricans who were denaturalized after the 1898 U.S. invasion stands out. That proposal, championed by Spanish jurist Rafael Maldonado de Guevara Delgado, who also was present at the event, seeks to offer a path to the voluntary recovery of Spanish nationality as a gesture of historical and legal reparation.

“Mayor Roldán’s commitment to Hispanic brotherhood is exemplary,” said Manuel Rodriguez Alcayna, president of the Society. “His work leading Aguadilla reflects a vision that unites history, culture, and historical justice in a common effort to strengthen the ties between Puerto Rico and Spain.”

Roldán expressed his gratitude for the honor bestowed upon him, which he accepted on behalf of all his constituents.

“I humbly accept this recognition on behalf of the people of Aguadilla, heirs to a shared history with Spain,” the mayor said. “This tribute is also a renewed commitment to continue defending our language, our culture, and the ties that bind us across the ocean.”

The Society also recognized the proclamation of April 16 as “Spanish Language Preservation Day,” coinciding with the birth of the distinguished Aguadilla legislator and poet José de Diego, as well as the reaffirmation of the title of Loyal Town granted to Aguadilla by Queen Isabella II in 1860. The Society also highlighted the municipal government’s support for citizens who applied for Spanish citizenship under the 2022 Law of Democratic Memory.