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The Jayuya Uprising, also known as the Jayuya Revolt or El Grito de Jayuya, refers to the revolt against the Government of the United States in Puerto Rico which occured on October 30, 1950 in the town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico.
Events Leading to the Revolt
In 1922, the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was formed. It wanted radical changes within the economy and social welfare programs of Puerto Rico. It also believed that Puerto Rico should be an independent nation even if it meant an armed confrontation. The president of the party was Pedro Albizu Campos, a lawyer who once served in the U.S. Army during WWI as a second lieutenant.
In the 1930s, the U.S. appointed governor of Puerto Rico, Blanton Winship, and police colonel Riggs declared war against the Nationalist Party. In 1936, Albizu Campos and the leaders of the party were arrested and jailed at the Princesa Jail in San Juan and later sent to the Federal Prison at Atlanta, Georgia. On March 21, 1937, the nationalists held a parade in Ponce and the police opened fire on the crowd in what was to become known as the Ponce Massacre.
Albizu Campos returned to Puerto Rico on December 15, 1947 after spending 10 years in prison. On June 11, 1948, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Jesus T. Piñero, signed a law which made the public advocation of independence unlawful. It resembled the anti-communist Smith Law passed in the United States. On June 21, 1948, Albizu Campos gave a speech in the town of Manati where nationalists from all over the island and Jayuya were gathered in case there was an attempt by the police to arrest him. Later that month Campos visited Blanca Canales and her cousins Elio and Griselio Torresola, the nationalist leaders of the town of Jayuya. Griselio soon moved to New York where he met and befriended Oscar Collazo.
Planning
From 1949-1950, the nationalists in the island began to plan and prepare an armed revolution. The revolution was to take place in 1952, on the date that the United States Congress was to approve the creation of the political status "Free Associated State" (Estado Libre Associado) for Puerto Rico. The reason behind Albizu Campos' call for an armed revolution was that he considered the "new" status a colonial farse. Albizu Campos picked the town of Jayuya as the headquarters of the revolution because of its location. Weapons were stored in the Canales residence.
The Revolution and its Aftermath
On October 26, 1950, Albizu Campos was holding a meeting in Fajado when he received the news that his house in San Juan was surrounded by the police which were also waiting to arrest him. He was also told that the police had already arrested other nationalist leaders. He escaped from Fajardo and ordered the revolution to start. On October 30, the nationalists staged uprisings in the towns of Ponce, Mayaguez, Naranjito, Arecibo, Utuado, San Juan, and Jayuya.
In Jayuya, Canales and the Torresolas led the armed nationalists into the town and attacked the police station. A small battle with the police ocurred and one officer was killed and three others wounded before the rest dropped their weapons and surrendered. The nationalists cut the telephone lines and burned the post office. Canales led the group into the town square where the Puerto Rican Flag was raised (it was against the law to carry a Puerto Rican Flag). In the town square, Canales gave a speech and declared Puerto Rico a free Republic. The town was held by the nationalists for three days.
The United States declared martial law in Puerto Rico and sent the United States National Guard to attack Jayuya. The town was attacked by air by bomber planes and on land by artillery. Even though 70% of the town was destroyed, news of this military action was prevented from spreading outside of Puerto Rico. It was called an incident between Puerto Ricans. The top leaders of the nationalist party were arrested, including Albizu Campos and Blanca Canales, and sent to jail to serve long prison terms. Griselio Torresola was in the United States where, together with fellow nationalist Oscar Collazo, he decided to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. On November 1, 1950, they attacked the Blair House where Torresola and a security guard lost their lives. Oscar Collazo was arrested and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, and he eventually received a presidential pardon. The City of Jayuya converted Blanca Canales house into a historical museum.
See also
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