Grito de Lares: rebellion against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico
- When
- 1868
- Where
- Lares
- Episodes
- 2
The Grito de Lares was a planned uprising against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico, staged by the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico on September 23, 1868. Led by Ramón Emeterio Betances, hundreds of rebels in Lares declared independence. The revolt was suppressed by local militia forces approximately a week later, marking a significant moment in Puerto Rican history.
Episodes
- The Cry of Lares
Pro-independence rebels in Lares revolted against Spanish rule on September 23, 1868, seeking Puerto Rican independence.
- Suppression by Local Militia
Local militia forces defeated the rebels in Lares approximately a week after the uprising began.
Background and detail
Background. Ramón Emeterio Betances, a Puerto Rican independence leader and abolitionist, founded the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico in January 1868. The committee, established during exile in the Dominican Republic, aimed to secure independence from Spain. The uprising was planned by these pro-independence rebels, who were politically estranged from Spain and suffering from poverty.
The Uprising. On September 23, 1868, hundreds of men and women in the town of Lares revolted against Spanish rule. The rebels, driven by poverty and political estrangement, sought Puerto Rican independence. The event is often referred to as the 'Cry of Lares' or the Lares revolution, marking the first short revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.
Aftermath. The revolt was quickly suppressed by local militia forces. Despite the military failure, the Grito de Lares is considered the birth of Puerto Rican nationality. In 1869, a general amnesty was dictated by the incoming governor, releasing all prisoners associated with the uprising.
People involved
- Ramón Emeterio Betances · Independence leader and primary instigator of the revolt
- Segundo Ruiz Belvis · Co-founder of the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico
- José Laureano Sanz · Incoming governor who dictated a general amnesty
Sources
- Grito de Lares Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-24
- History of Puerto Rico Wikipedia
- Lares, Puerto Rico Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
- Ramón Emeterio Betances Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-06
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.