María Meléndez

María Meléndez

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María Eloisa Meléndez Altieri also known as Mayita, is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the mayor of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 2009 to 2021. Meléndez Altieri was elected during the Puerto Rican general elections of 2008, becoming the first woman elected to the office in Ponce's political history. She was also the first mayor of a party other than the Popular Democratic Party in Ponce since 1989, when Rafael Cordero Santiago became mayor. This is Mayita's second candidacy in politics on the island and her first electoral win. In the Puerto Rico's 2004 general election, Mayita presented her candidacy for a senatorial seat representing Puerto Rico's 5th district, but lost in her bid for the position. Meléndez Altieri lost her bid for reelection in the 2020 general elections to Luis Irizarry Pabon from the Popular Democratic Party.

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Aug 23, 2026
Lean Left
Art historian who challenged the idea of nationalizing the Gelman Collection, sparking debate over cultural policy.
PRD sees her as a defender of pluralism and private cultural ownership against Sheinbaum's state-centric intervention.
Jul 9, 2026
Lean Left
In an opinion piece, she argued that Mexico's World Cup elimination does not dim the country's incurable optimism.
PRD appreciates the cultural optimism but uses the column to contrast popular resilience with Morena's gloomy political management.
Jul 8, 2026
Lean Left
Mexico News Daily opinion writer argues the World Cup loss cannot dampen the country's incurable optimism.
PRD appreciates her cultural optimism but insists optimism must be matched by real progress on inequality and security.
Jun 27, 2026
Lean Left
Writer María Meléndez analyzed the paradoxical drop in homicides alongside increased disappearances.
PRD praises Meléndez for highlighting the government's incomplete security narrative, which downplays the persistent crisis of missing persons.

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