San Germán mayor named a vice president of Latin American cities federation

San Germán Mayor Virgilio Olivera (LinkedIn)

By THE STAR STAFF

San Germán Mayor Virgilio Olivera Olivera was appointed on Saturday in Sucre, Bolivia to a vice presidency of the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Governments (FLACMA) for the period 2026-2029. 

Olivera has also been appointed co-president of the Latin American Network of Cultural Heritage Cities, also from 2026 to 2029.

“We accept these distinctions with immense pride and responsibility, but also with humility and a heart deeply grateful to our Creator,” Olivera said in a written statement before participating in a series of activities related to his new positions.

“Our beloved San Germán is present throughout Latin America and the world!” he emphasized.

FLACMA is an international organization that brings together 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, representing more than 16,000 cities, municipalities and territorial associations, and whose mission is to support and strengthen the work of mayors on behalf of their communities.

“Both positions represent an extraordinary opportunity to bring the voice of our beloved San Germán and all of Puerto Rico to the forums where the present and future of our cities are discussed,” stated the mayor, who also congratulated the new president of FLACMA, Alejo Umpiérrez Cabrera, mayor of Rocha, Uruguay.

“Municipalities are the level of government closest to the people,” Olivera added. “We are the ones who know, firsthand, the needs, challenges, and great opportunities of our communities. For this reason, we firmly believe that strengthening municipalities means strengthening our people and improving the quality of life for all our residents. … Puerto Rico is built from its 78 municipalities.”

FLACMA was established in 1980 with the objective of giving a major boost to municipalism, local autonomy and the exchange of best practices in governance.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Sucre, Fátima Tardío Quiroga, was elected president of the Latin American Network of Cultural Heritage Cities, while also assuming a FLACMA vice presidency.