Luis Oscar Casillas

Luis Oscar Casillas Gonzáles known popularly as "El General Casillas" (General Casillas) has become the living symbol of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico's grassroots leader and is also known for his active role as a communicator in WAPA Radio, a pro-NPP radio station. He is considered a pro statehood political activist.

Life

Born in the 1950s in Caimito, a rural "barrio" or ward of the capital city of San Juan, he became politically active in his teenage years within the political organization of local precinct statehood leader Jorge Navarro Alicea, who in 1977 went on to become a state representative, and Kenneth McClintock, who in 2005 became Puerto Rico's Senate president, and for whom he served as political advance director during McClintock's tenure as NPP precinct president in the late 1980s. Always a militant activist of his party and his statehood ideal, since the 2005 party rift as a result of former Gov. Pedro Rosselló's attempt to replace McClintock, Casillas supported Rosselló and what had become official party policy condemning the six NPP senators who didn't allow Rosselló to become Senate President. After the six senators didn't comply with a party policy and a mandate to make Rosselló senate president, Casillas led the movement to expel these six senators and started referring to them as traitors. Even after this actions, he managed to maintain a cordial personal relationship with the group of NPP senators who remained loyal to McClintock and with McClintock in particular. In fact, his wife's son was recruited by one of the six senators to serve on his staff. He is often referred as "El General Casillas" by his peers because he always wears a US Army outfit with a 5 star rank, even though he has never served in the military. He wears this uniform because he is the self proclaimed "Statehood General".

Political career

In what was a surprise to many, Casillas filed a bid to run in the NPP's March 9, 2008 primary for senator at-large, easily collected over 5 thousand signatures in the required petition drive, with the help of many grassroots leaders throughout country. In March 9, 2008 Casillas was heart broken as his leader and candidate for governor, Dr. Pedro Rosselló, lost in the New Progressive Party internal primaries to Luis Fortuño. "El General" Casillas also lost his bid to enter as a senate candidate on the New Progressive Party ballot in November 2008, as he arrived at the last place with 28,000 votes. When Casillas was asked about Rossello's lost he replied "A lot of people didn't do their job, El General did his job" (Mucha gente no hicieron su trabajo, El General sí hizo su trabajo)".

Controversy

Casillas has often been criticized for being too passionate defending his ideology especially when he went along with a group of NPP followers and protested in front of the private residence of Puerto Rico's Attorney General, Roberto Sánchez Ramos, when the Justice Department accused Pedro Rosselló of having an illegal pension. This action gained Casillas a lot of criticism in the media because many believed he was harassing the functionary and disturbing the peace of him and his neighbors. It has also been said that Casillas is illiterate and doesn't know how to write or read because he has a very humble background, but this has been ruled out since the constitution states that in order to run for the Senate you must know to write and read, and he has sworn that he complies with all qualifications for office.

ources

http://ceepur.org/sobreCee/eventosElectorales/LISTADO%20DE%20ASPIRANTES%20POR%20PARTIDO.pdf

http://ceepur.org/Primarias2008/papeletas/pnp/PNP_SenxAcum/PNP-Sen.%20x%20Acum.%20-%20M.pdf