"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. Meanwhile, Ruiz Belvis, who headed the Committee, was supposed to gather financial support for the incoming Puerto Rican revolution through a tour of South America. He had received an invitation from Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, a Chilean diplomat, to coordinate a common front against Spanish interests in all of Latin America (Spain was still threatening Chile after the Chincha Islands War, and any revolution in the Caribbean would have been a welcome"
"Ricans to immigrate to New York City were men and women who were exiled by the Spanish Crown for their political beliefs and struggles for the cause of Puerto Rican independence. By 1850, Puerto Rico and Cuba were the only two remaining Spanish colonies in the New World. The Spanish Crown would either imprison or banish any person who promoted the independence of these two nations. Two of these exiles were Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis who together founded ""The Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico"" in New York. They were the planners of the short and failed 1868"
"and moved to ""El Triunfo"" where the Rojas lived. Rojas admired Puerto Rican independence advocate Ramón Emeterio Betances and together with his brother Miguel, joined Betances in his quest for Puerto Rico's independence. A ""Revolution Committee of Puerto Rico"" was formed and directed by Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis, who were exiled, from the Dominican Republic. Several revolutionary cells were formed in the towns and cities in the western part of the island. They were to support the armed invasion that Betances had planned to bring from the Dominican Republic. Two of the most important cells were that of Mayagüez,"
"Francisco Ramírez Medina Francisco Ramírez Medina (born c.1828), was one of the leaders of ""El Grito de Lares"", the first major revolt against Spanish rule and call for independence in Puerto Rico in 1868. He has thus far been the only person to be named ""President of the Republic of Puerto Rico"". History has little to say about Ramírez Medina and his personal life; what is known however, is that he was a believer in the Puerto Rican independence movement. For years, various sectors in Puerto Rico had plans for claiming the independence of Puerto Rico from Spanish rule. Among"
"was to become known as the ""Grito de Lares"". During this time, Ruiz Belvis became ill. He still traveled to Valparaíso, Chile, to raise funds for the planned revolution. Ruiz Belvis died in Valparaiso of Fournier's gangrene on November 3, 1867. He died before the uprising the next year—""Grito de Lares""—which failed. Slavery was finally abolished in Puerto Rico on March 22, 1873. He is buried in the chapel of the Cemetery of Hormigueros. To honor the memory of Segundo Ruiz Belvis, Puerto Rico has named many streets after him. A school has been named for him in each of"
"town of Lares and declared the Republic of Puerto Rico. Ramón Emeterio Betances was the leader of this revolt. Earlier, Segundo Ruiz Belvis and Betances had founded the ""Comité Revolucionario de Puerto Rico"" (Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico) from their exile in the Dominican Republic. Betances wrote several ""Proclamas"", or statements attacking the exploitation of the Puerto Ricans by the Spanish colonial system, and called for immediate insurrection. These statements were rapidly circulated throughout the island as local dissident groups began to organize. Most dissidents were ""Criollos"" (born on the island). The critical state of the economy, along with the"
"for the rest of the Antilles. For example, when Puerto Rico experienced a period of severe political repression in 1887 by the Spanish governor, Romualdo Palacio, which led to the arrest of many local political leaders, including Román Baldorioty de Castro, Gómez offered his services to Ramón Emeterio Betances, the previous instigator of the island's first pro-independence revolution, the Grito de Lares, who was then exiled in Paris. Gómez sold most of his personal belongings to finance a revolt in Puerto Rico and volunteered to lead any Puerto Rican troops if any such revolt occurred. The revolt was deemed unnecessary"
"Ramón Emeterio Betances Ramón Emeterio Betances y Alacán (April 8, 1827 – September 16, 1898) was a Puerto Rican nationalist. He was the primary instigator of the Grito de Lares revolution and is considered to be the father of the Puerto Rican independence movement. Since the ""Grito"" galvanized a burgeoning nationalist movement among Puerto Ricans, Betances is also considered """"El Padre de la Patria"""" (Father of the [Puerto Rican] Nation). Because of his charitable deeds for people in need, he also became known as """"El Padre de los Pobres"""" (""The Father of the Poor""). Betances was also a medical doctor"
"who proposed the abolition of slavery. In 1859, Ruiz Belvis returned to Puerto Rico and befriended Ramón Emeterio Betances, joining ""The Secret Abolitionist Society"" founded by Betances. The society baptized and emancipated thousands of black slave children. The event, which was known as ""aguas de libertad"" (waters of liberty), was carried out at the Cathedral of Mayagüez. Later, he moved to the city of Mayagüez where he established his law practice. Ruiz Belvis was named Justice of the Peace by the city's citizens. He was later appointed to the Mayagüez city council as a representative. His responsibilities included watching over"
"over their country. Betances was also a collaborator of Dominican priest (and later Archbishop of Santo Domingo and one-time president of the country), Fernando Arturo de Meriño, who was the revolt's ideological leader (as well as its delegate in Puerto Rico when he was himself exiled by the restored republican government). These two friendships would prove to be key to Betances' own efforts to achieve Puerto Rican independence later on. The volatility of the Dominican situation was severe at the time: Luperón fought a guerrilla war against the Spanish and Santana and became vice-president of the country (in 1863), only"
"""Josefa"" after his father's death; the first thing he did was free the slaves. Upon returning to Puerto Rico, Ruiz Belvis found out that the Spanish-appointed governor, José María Marchesi Oleaga, did not like the liberal ideas that Ruiz Belvis and his friends had; they were all banished to exile. Ruiz Belvis eventually ended up in New York in 1866, where together with Betances and other patriots, he formed the ""Comité Revolucionario de Puerto Rico"" (Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico) for the independence of the island. They developed a plan to send an armed expedition to Puerto Rico, in what"
"informally, by letting them ""walk away,"" and the two younger sons in his will. During the mid-19th century, a committee of abolitionists was formed in Puerto Rico that included many prominent Puerto Ricans. Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (1827–1898), whose parents were wealthy landowners, believed in abolitionism, and together with fellow Puerto Rican abolitionist Segundo Ruiz Belvis (1829–1867), founded a clandestine organization called ""The Secret Abolitionist Society."" The objective of the society was to free slave children by paying for freedom when they were baptized. The event, which was also known as """"aguas de libertad"""" (waters of liberty), was carried out"
"in Puerto Rico gained momentum with the liberation successes of Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín in South America. In 1868, local independence leader Ramón Emeterio Betances urged Mariana Bracetti to knit a revolutionary flag using the flag of the Dominican Republic as an example, promoting the then popular ideal of uniting the three caribbean islands into an Antillean Confederation. The materials for the flag were provided by Eduvigis Beauchamp Sterling, named Treasurer of the revolution by Betances. The flag was divided in the middle by a white Latin cross, the two lower corners were red and the two"
"détracteurs de la race noire et de la République d'Haiti"""" (""The detractors of the black race and the Republic of Haiti"", 1882) Note: All references are in Spanish unless otherwise noted. From ""La Voz del Centro"", a collection of podcasts hosted by Angel Collado Schwarz (all in Spanish, MP3 format): Ramón Emeterio Betances Ramón Emeterio Betances y Alacán (April 8, 1827 – September 16, 1898) was a Puerto Rican nationalist. He was the primary instigator of the Grito de Lares revolution and is considered to be the father of the Puerto Rican independence movement. Since the ""Grito"" galvanized a burgeoning"
"breeding not only liberal thinkers such as Eugenio María de Hostos, but also radical ones such as Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances, the father of the Puerto Rican independence movement and first medical director of Mayagüez's Municipal Hospital (currently known as ""Hospital San Antonio""), Segundo Ruiz Belvis, the father of the Puerto Rican Abolitionism movement and a former city administrator, and José de Diego, first president of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and founder of the local College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The Grito de Lares, Puerto Rico's first major pro-independence revolt, was planned at a farm in the"
"the following places: his birth town of Hormigueros, Ponce, and Santurce. In the United States, ""Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center"" was named for him in Chicago, Illinois, and ""Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center"" in The Bronx, New York. Segundo Ruiz Belvis Segundo Ruiz Belvis (May 13, 1829 – November 3, 1867) was an abolitionist who also fought for Puerto Rico's right to independence. Ruiz Belvis was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico (then a barrio of the municipality of Mayagüez) to José Antonio Ruiz and Manuela Belvis. He received his primary education in Aguadilla. Ruiz Belvis went to Venezuela"
"amazing amount of 2,500 copies. In 1867 and then again in 1889, Rodríguez de Tió and her husband were banished from Puerto Rico by the Spanish appointed Governors. On their first exile they went to Venezuela and on their second banishment they first moved to New York where she helped José Martí and other Cuban revolutionaries, and later to Cuba, where the couple resided until their respective deaths. Their home became a gathering point for politicians and intellectuals as well as exiled Puerto Ricans. In 1868, inspired by Ramón Emeterio Betances's quest for Puerto Rico's independence and by the attempted"
"terms as Mayor of the town of Vega Baja. Padilla eventually abolished slavery in his ""hacienda."" Padilla helped organize the uprising against Spanish Colonial rule known as ""El Grito de Lares,"" which was the first major revolt against Spanish rule and call for independence in Puerto Rico. The short-lived revolt, planned by Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis and carried out by various revolutionary cells in Puerto Rico, occurred on September 23, 1868, and began in the town of Lares, Puerto Rico. Upon the failure of the revolt some 475 rebels - amongst them Padilla, Manuel Rojas and Mariana"
"proclaim independence as soon as possible. Many of the meeting's attendants sided with Betances, to the horror of Acosta. In late June 1867 Betances and at least 12 more potential ""revolutionaries"" were exiled from Puerto Rico by then governor Gen. José María Marchessi y Oleaga as a preventive measure, including Goyco and Ruiz. A battalion of local soldiers had revolted in San Juan earlier, protesting about their poor pay, compared to that of their Spanish counterparts living in Puerto Rico. Betances later stated that the revolt (called the """"Motín de Artilleros"""" by historians) was unrelated to his revolutionary plans, and"
"in the island to Spanish colonial rule. On September 23, 1868, the first major uprising against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico occurred in the town of Lares. The uprising, which was planned by Puerto Rican patriots, Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis, was carried out by several revolutionary cells in the island led by Manuel Rojas, Mathias Brugman, Mariana Bracetti, Juan Ríus Rivera, Juan de Mata Terreforte and Aurelio Méndez Martinez, among others. They took control of Lares and then left to take over the next town, San Sebastián del Pepino. The Spanish militia surprised the group"
"stronghold, however, was the Cibao valley in the northeastern part of Hispaniola. At the same time, the Spanish government, which ruled over Puerto Rico, attempted to banish Betances for a second time, but he and Segundo Ruiz Belvis (a lawyer and city administrator who became his closest friend and political companion) fled the island before they were apprehended. Both fled to the northern city of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic in 1861, where Betances established a close personal friendship with Gen. Gregorio Luperón, the military leader of the northern pro-independence faction who led the efforts to restore Dominican sovereignty"
"horror, many of the meeting's attendees sided with Betances. Frustrated by the lack of political and economic freedom, by the continuing repression on the island — all of this caused by the extreme centralism of the Spanish central government in Madrid — an armed rebellion was staged by the pro-independence movement soon after. The Lares uprising, commonly known as the ""Grito de Lares,"" occurred on September 23, 1868, but was planned well before that date. A group led by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis founded the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico () on January 6, 1868 from"
"the part that would later become the Dominican Republic; the surname Betanzos transformed into Betances while the family resided there), and María del Carmen Alacán de Montalvo, a native of Cabo Rojo and of French and African ancestry. They were married in 1812. Betances claimed in his lifetime that a relative of his, Pedro Betances, had revolted against the Spanish government of Hispaniola in 1808 and was tortured, executed, and his body burned and shown to the populace to dissuade them from further attempts. Meanwhile, Alacán's father, a sailor, led a party of volunteers that tried to apprehend the pirate"
"economics and the social makeup of the island. Political events in Puerto Rico and Cuba between the late 1860s and 1898 forced a liberalization of Spanish policy towards both territories, and Betances was directly involved as a protagonist in both circumstances. As a firm believer in """"Antillanismo"""" (the common improvement and unity of the countries that formed the Greater Antilles) Betances was also a strong supporter of the sovereignty of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. A Dominican historian and political leader, Manuel Rodríguez Objío, likened Betances' revolutionary work to that performed by Tadeusz Kościuszko for Poland, Lithuania and the United"
"otherwise."" ""If not, Puerto Ricans - HAVE PATIENCE!, for I swear that you will be free."""" Ten Commandments of Free Men The Ten Commandments of Free Men was a proclamation published by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances in November 1867 in order to encourage Puerto Ricans to aspire to independence from Spanish colonial rule. """"Puerto Ricans"" ""The government of Mme. Isabella II throws upon us a terrible accusation."" ""It states that we are bad Spaniards. The government defames us."" ""We don't want separation, we want peace, the union to Spain; however, it is fair that we also add conditions to the"
"increasing repression imposed by the Spanish, served as catalysts for the rebellion. The stronghold of the movement were towns located on the mountains of the west of the island. The rebels looted local stores and offices owned by ""peninsulares"" (Spanish-born residents) and took over the city hall. They took as prisoners Spanish merchants and local government officials. The revolutionaries placed their revolutionary flag on the high altar of the church to signify that the revolution had begun. The Republic of Puerto Rico was proclaimed, and Francisco Ramírez Medina was proclaimed interim presidency. The revolutionaries offered immediate freedom to any slave"
"government authorities, considered by the rebels as enemies of the fatherland, were taken as prisoners. The rebels then entered the town's church and placed the revolutionary flag of Lares on the High Altar. This was the sign that the revolution had begun. The Republic of Puerto Rico was proclaimed at (2:00 am local time) under the presidency of Francisco Ramírez Medina at the church and the revolutionaries offered freedom to the slaves who joined them. President Ramírez Medina appointed Government officials as follows: The next day, on September 24, the rebel forces departed to take over the next town, San"
"Ten Commandments of Free Men The Ten Commandments of Free Men was a proclamation published by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances in November 1867 in order to encourage Puerto Ricans to aspire to independence from Spanish colonial rule. """"Puerto Ricans"" ""The government of Mme. Isabella II throws upon us a terrible accusation."" ""It states that we are bad Spaniards. The government defames us."" ""We don't want separation, we want peace, the union to Spain; however, it is fair that we also add conditions to the contract. They are rather easy, here they are:"" ""The abolition of slavery"" ""The right to vote"
"Puerto Rico to countries where slavery had been abolished already; other societies sought to liberate as many slaves as possible by buying out their freedom. The objective of the particular society Betances founded was to free children who were slaves, taking advantage of their need to receive the sacrament of Baptism at the town church, ""Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria"", which is now the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Mayagüez. Since buying the freedom of slave children cost 50 ""pesos"" if the child had been baptized, and 25 ""pesos"" if the child had not, Betances, Basora, Segundo Ruiz Belvis and other"
"Segundo Ruiz Belvis, and other independence advocates met in New York City where they founded the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico. An outcome of this venture was a plan to send an armed expedition from the Dominican Republic to invade the island. Several revolutionary cells were formed in the western towns and cities of Puerto Rico. Two of the most important cells were at Mayagüez, led by Mathias Brugman and code named ""Capa Prieto"" and at Lares, code-named ""Centro Bravo"" and headed by Manuel Rojas. ""Centro Bravo"" was the main center of operations and was located in the Rojas plantation"
"proceeded to plan a major coup. The uprising, which became known as the Intentona de Yauco was to be directed by Betances, organized by Aurelio Mendez Mercado and the armed forces were to be commanded by General Juan Ríus Rivera. The coup, which was the second and last major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico failed. Betances was also a government representative for some of the governments of Haiti while in Paris. He was also technically a diplomat for the United States of America once. Through coordination with Betances and local pro-independence leaders in Puerto Rico, a Dominican military"
"colonial rule. In 1869, the incoming governor of Puerto Rico, Jose Laureano Sanz, in an effort to ease tensions in the island, dictated a general amnesty and released all who were involved with the Grito de Lares revolt from prison. Both Mariana Bracetti and Manuel Rojas were released. Bracetti lived her last years in the town of Añasco, while Rojas was deported to Venezuela. Many of the former prisoners joined the Cuban Liberation Army and fought against Spain. Among the many Puerto Ricans who volunteered to fight for Cuba's independence were Juan Ríus Rivera, Francisco Gonzalo Marín, also known as"
"are known) who believed in full independence of Puerto Rico in ""Barrio Barinas"" of Yauco and made plans to overthrow the government. On December of that year, the local Civil Guard discovered their plans and proceeded to arrest all those involved who, besides Mercado and Mattei Lluberas, included Dario and Carlos Franchesi and Emiliano Lavergue, however they were soon released and returned to their respective homes. In 1897, Mattei Lluberas visited the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee in New York City. There he met with Ramon Emeterio Betances, Juan de Mata Terreforte and Aurelio Méndez Martinez and together they proceeded to"