Perez Rodriguez succeeds James Torres in the role and will serve a four-year term.

Luis Vigo Garcia will be Perez’s vice-president, while Angel Torres has been appointed treasurer.

Dialma Ortiz will continue as Secretary General following the elections in San Juan.

It is set to be a crucial period for the PCPR and the Paralympic Movement in Puerto Rico, with the 2019 Parapan American Games scheduled for Lima.

The following year, Puerto Rico will look to send athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Perez Rodriguez says he is aiming to field their largest-ever team at the event, scheduled to run from July 24 to August 9.

The Caribbean island, which has a population of just under 3.5 million people, has competed at every edition of the Paralympics since the Games in Seoul in 1988.

Perez Rodriguez admits the country and the PCPR face challenges in the lead-up to the Paralympics in the Japanese capital but is confident these obstacles can be overcome.

“I will work hard to send Puerto Rico's biggest delegation ever to a Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020,” said Perez Rodriguez.

“The athletes are priority number one.

“I hope we can further build momentum following the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“I know we will face big challenges, but I have a big commitment and we will work tirelessly.”

A total of 13 athletes represented Puerto Rico at the Seoul 1988 Paralympics, where they returned with a haul of one gold and two silver medals thanks to field competitor Isabel Bustamante.

Alexis Pizarro was the next Puerto Rican Paralympic medallist as he earned shot put bronze at Sydney 2000, before he repeated the feat in the javelin competition in Athens four years later.

Nilda Gomez Lopez won bronze in the SH1 air rifle shooting event at Beijing 2008.

Puerto Rico sent four athletes to the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and they did not win a medal of any colour.