Women Of Puerto Rico With Courage And Love
For hundreds of year, foreign tyrants have dominated the small island of Puerto Rico. Both the Empire of the Spanish and the colonialist land in Borinquen, (the Taino Indian name for their island which means land of the noble). The Europeans brought with them brutality, disease, and machismo. Before their arrival, equality existed among the Taino. Women were healers, warriors, and caciques, (Chieftans). As the spanish presence increased these women played a major role in leading their people in battle against the invaders. For over twenty years, the people of Borinquen fought the spanish who by 1514 had exterminated, cold bloodily, murdered 45,000 Taino men, women and children. Overwhelmed by superior military might, the Tainos that were left, fled to the hills.
African people kidnapped from their home land were then brought to the Island by the Europeans due to the lack of slave labor. The spanish raped, beat, and branded black women with the Carimbo, a tool used to brand cattle. The first revolt of black people held in slavery was in 1527, carried out by women and men. Many escaped to the mountains where they joined the surviving Taino peoples as well as many poor spanish peasants. These would become the Puerto Rico People.
By the 1820's, popular insurrections occured all across Puerto Rico. On 1824 on of these battles was led by "Maria Mercedes Barbudo", a revolutionary woman who, with help from Venezuelens, launched an insurrection against the spanish authorities. She was captured and jailed. These battles continued for many years. In 1868, there was a large uprising of peasants, laborers and even land owners who wanted to break away from Spain.
"Mariana Bracetti, also known as the "woman with the golden arm", because of her bravery and dedication to independence, became a leader in the Lares Revolutionary Council. The city of Lares is where the insurrection began. She also designed the Revolutionary flag of Puerto Rico. Mariana Bracetti bravely led the revolt of September 23, 1868. Six days ahead of the original date because some of the leaders had been caught. 400 Puerto Ricans armed with knives, machetes and a few guns took Lares freeing all slaves and arresting all officials. This victory was short lived for the spanish attacked in strength. Mariana Bracetti was then imprisoned in Arecibo Prison where her newborn son died.
"Lola Rodriguez De Tio" also participated in the revolt of "El Grito De Lares", (the cry of Lares) and was a poet who wrote "La Borinquena", The Puerto Rican Independence National Anthem. The song reflected the belief that freedom could only be won through armed struggle. El Grito De Lares was a historic turning point as the uprising signaled the end of spanish colonialism.
US COLONIALISM......
Then the US in 1898, just when the Puerto Ricans were liberating themselves from Spain, came with their develish triknology; saying that they came to help the people of PR (Even though the people of Puerto Rico did not need any help) and took over by millitary force and intimidation. Under US rule, Puerto Rico became one big plantation owned and operated by North American Corporations. The wages were uniformly lower than the lowest wages in the US. People worked for 15 to 15 hours a day for 40 cent wages. As us Maoist Revolutionaries say" "While the tiger was driven out the front door, the wolf slipped in the back".
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Dezigned By: LiL CaPoNe