Grito de Lares

Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares), also referred to as the Lares revolt, or the Lares revolution, was the first short revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico, staged by the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico on September 23, 1868. Three decades after its uprising in Lares, the committee carried out a second unsuccessful revolt in the neighboring southwestern municipality of Yauco, known as the Intentona de Yauco (Attempted Coup of Yauco). The Grito de Lares flag is recognized as the first flag of Puerto Rico.

Causes of revolt

In the 1860s, the government of Spain was involved in several conflicts across Latin America. It became involved in a war with Peru and Chile and had to address slave revolts in Cuba. At the time, Puerto Rico and Cuba also suffered a severe economic crisis because of increasing tariffs and taxes imposed by the Spanish central government on most import and export goods. The Spanish crown needed the funds badly to subsidize its troops in the Dominican Republic.

In mid-19th century Puerto Rico, many supporters of independence from Spain, as well as others who did not support independence from Spain but simply called for liberal reforms, were jailed or exiled. However, in 1865, the central government in Madrid, finally attempted to appease the growing discontent in all its overseas provinces by setting up a "board of review" to receive complaints from provincial representatives. The board, the Junta Informativa de Reformas de Ultramar (Informative Board on Overseas Reforms) would be formed by representatives of each overseas province in proportion to their collective population. The board would meet in Madrid and report to the Minister of State (Ministro de Estado), Emilio Castelar.

thumb|The city's nickname, can be seen on an overpass as one enters Lares.

The Puerto Rican delegation was freely elected by those eligible to vote (male Caucasian property owners) in what was one of the first exercises of political openness in Spain. The separatist Segundo Ruiz Belvis was elected to the Junta representing Mayagüez, which horrified the governor of Puerto Rico as well as most of residents of the island since the majority of Puerto Ricans did not support independence from the rest of Spain. a phrase that he used throughout his entire life to refer to Spain's unwillingness to grant Puerto Rico or Cuba any reforms.

Betances then suggested an outright island-wide rebellion, with a proclamation of independence as soon as possible. Among them, Los Diez Mandamientos de los hombres libres (The Ten Commandments of Free Men) written in exile in Saint Thomas in November 1867. It is directly based on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted by France's National Assembly in 1789, which contained the principles that inspired the French Revolution.

That same year, poet Lola Rodríguez de Tió, inspired by Ramón Emeterio Betances's quest for Puerto Rico's independence, wrote the patriotic lyrics to the existing tune of La Borinqueña, Puerto Rico's national anthem.

Although Mariana Bracetti is popularly credited with having sewed the Grito de Lares flag, it was fellow revolutionary Eduviges Beauchamp Sterling who embroidered the flag, while Bracetti was in charge of the encrypted communications used for the planning and execution of the revolt. The flag was divided in the middle by a white Latin cross, the two lower corners were red and the two upper corners were blue. A white star was placed in the upper left blue corner. According to Puerto Rican poet Luis Lloréns Torres the white cross stands for the yearning for homeland redemption; the red squares, the blood poured by the heroes of the rebellion and the white star in the blue solitude square, stands for liberty and freedom.

Secret cells of the Revolutionary Committee were established in Puerto Rico by Mathias Brugman, Mariana Bracetti and Manuel Rojas bringing together members from all sectors of society including landowners, merchants, professionals, peasants, and slaves. Most were criollos (Spaniards born on the island).

thumb|262x262px|General Manuel Rojas

The Revolutionary Committee named twelve of their members as generales (generals). They were:

Manuel Rojas, Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation Army
Andrés Pol, Major General
Juan de Mata Terreforte, Major General
Joaquín Parrilla, Major General
Nicolás Rocafort, Major General
Gabino Plumey, Major General
Dorvid Beauchamp, Major General
Mathías Brugman, Major General
Rafael Arroyo, Major General
Francisco Arroyo, Major General
Pablo Rivera, Brigadier General - Cavalry
Abdón Pagán, Major General - Artillery

The critical state of the economy, slavery, and the increasing political repression from the Spanish central government, served as catalysts for the rebellion.

The stronghold of the movement were towns located in the mountains, on the western part of the island.

On September 20, Francisco Ramírez Medina held a meeting at his house in which the insurrection was planned and set to begin in Camuy on September 29. The meeting was attended by Marcelino Vega, Carlos Martínez, Bonifacio Agüero, José Antonio Hernández, Ramón Estrella, Bartolomé González, Cesilio López, Antonio Santiago, Manuel Ramírez, Ulises Cancela. Cancela instructed Manuel María González to deliver all of the acts and important papers in regard to the meeting to Manuel Rojas.

Juan Castañón, a captain stationed in Quebradillas, overheard two cell members commenting that on September 29 the troops at Camuy would be neutralized by poisoning the bread rations. Given the fact that September 29 would be a holiday for most laborers, simultaneous uprisings would occur, beginning with the cell in Camuy, and following with the ones in various other points; reinforcements would arrive on a ship, El Telégrafo, and the cells would be reinforced by more than 3,000 mercenaries. Castañón and his men then entered González's residence and confiscated the documents of Medina's meeting and alerted his commanding officer in Arecibo. The cell leaders at the Lanzador del Norte cell in Camuy were soon arrested.

On another front, the Dominican government had supported Ramón Emeterio Betances. They allowed him to recruit a small army, and gave him a ship containing weapons. However, when the ship was about to sail, the Spanish government made its move. It prohibited the ship's departure from Dominican territory. The authorities in the then Danish West Indies Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where the ship was anchored, boarded the vessel and confiscated its cargo.

Seeing their plans disrupted, the other leaders feared arrest. They decided to change the date of the revolution for an earlier one without consulting Betances. The revolutionary cavalry attempted to enter the militia barracks, only to be repulsed by bursts of fire from the defenders. After half an hour of fighting, at 9:00 a.m., both the cavalry and the infantry withdrew with the intention of joining the rest of the forces and beginning a new attack.

The revolutionary forces, united under the common command of General Rojas, began their second attack from the southern end of the plaza. Their approach was met by heavy rifle fire from the militiamen and local residents.

Aftermath

right|thumb|Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee<br />(standing L-R) Manuel Besosa, Aurelio Méndez Martínez, and [[Sotero Figueroa (seated L-R) Juan de Mata Terreforte, Dr. Jose Julio Henna and Roberto H. Todd]]

Although the revolt failed to achieve its main objective, the Spanish government granted more political autonomy to the island.

During the years immediately following the Grito, there were minor pro-independence protests and skirmishes with the Spanish authorities in Las Marías, Adjuntas, Utuado, Vieques, Bayamón, Ciales and Toa Baja (Palo Seco).

Juan de Mata Terreforte, who fought alongside Manuel Rojas, was exiled to New York City. He joined the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee and was named its vice-president.

Grito de Lares

Causes of revolt

Aftermath

Photo gallery

See also

References