In 1972, Perales, along with two other young Puerto Rican attorneys—Jorge Batista and Victor Marrero—raised enough seed money to open the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, a legal organization modeled on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
According to the local people, the image of Christ came from the church in the village of Perales, remote place that is located on a hill, between Fontoria and Otero.
Perales composed "Porque te vas" (Why Are You Leaving), which was performed by Jeanette and sold 4 million copies worldwide in 1972.
On July 23, 2006, Perales represented her country in Miss Universe 2006, held in Los Angeles, California, U.S. She placed in the top ten, competing in swimsuit and evening gown.