HISPANOMAGNO

New Insights to The American Invasion of Puerto Rico

(The Autonomic Struggle)

--Preambles--

   This is an excerpt from my short novel: “Piruli”, about poor shoe-shine boy who lived in the slums of Old San Juan, and who later became a multimillionaire during the last part of the 19th Century and first part of the 20th. In this section, it deals with a lot of inside and novel aspects of the environment for the Invasion of Puerto Rico, during the Hispano-American War of 1898. I was able to “paint” the scene trough letters and actual conversations I had with my Grandfather, who fought then as a “Puertorrican Voluntary Guard”. It will show the insidious maneuvering of the Washington establishment and the prevalent attitude of powerful people with vested interests in the Caribbean; and in control of the Press in those pre war days. It also shows, how these “power-behind-the-throne” people and some disgruntled puertorricans, were able to convince President McKinley, a Republican (Who had that in mind anyhow), to send the Navy and Army to invade Puerto Rico, A country who had never declared war on the United States and who was then, an autonomous country by virtue of the Autonomic Charter granted years before by Spain. In other words: was not in war with the United States. And finally, it will demonstrate Spain’s betrayal during negotiations about Puerto Rico.

   The interest of the United States to acquire rights and control over some of the Antilles predates the Hispano-American war by many years. It was precisely the idea of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, then in 1852, that the Great Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, were destined to gravitate within the orbit of his new nation. In those days, as an example of this, he tried to purchase Samana Bay in the Northeastern part of the Hispaniola (Dominican Republic). Of course it was rejected by that country. In Cuba, a lot of wealthy North-Americans had invested vast sums of money; especially on Sugar production, through the Boston’s connection who was the big hoarder of sugar and molasses. This naturally created a lot of tensions between the Spanish’s interests and those of the Boston’s people. And after the Civil War, James G. Blaine Secretary of State in 1891, openly advocated for the annexation of Cuba and Puerto Rico. No to mention the Lodges, Henry and his father before, participated and were part of the commission that visited President McKinley with that notion.

   The sinking of the Cruiser Maine in Havana’s Bay, was a well orchestrated myth; an absurd and clumsy excuse to justify war on Spain. Who doesn’t know, that all of the international commissions called to mediate and investigate that unfortunate incident, were able to determine that it was an accident, an explosion from within the hull of the ship, and not a torpedo or explosive from the outside, as maintained by the Hawks in Washington. The same who many years later also said that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and got the Nation in a big mess. Of course it was premeditated act, as some in the North had said, but the question is and still is, by whom?

This recount is not intended to be an anti-American statement, but a historical fact which explains lot of things about the mentality of us the people of Puerto Rico; and aspects in the role of Spain in the post war negotiations, which needs to be told and then left behind for a new beginning.

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   When it was all fête acompli and the United States were already marching trough the streets of San Juan…our story begins with a conversation between Piruli and Carlos Classen, my grand mother’s cousin, He had been living in the French Island of Martinique, after leaving Venezuela were he had all his business for many years, and were he made his fortune. A commission from Puerto Rico led by Classen, had traveled to that Island to invite him to come and bring his fortune to Puerto Rico. Little did they know that this now tycoon was one day, a shoe shine boy from the slums of San Juan:

--I must ask Carlo – interrupted Piruli --that I find an act of cowardice that no one, complained to the Presidency for this uncalled act of unwarranted aggression. Are no valiant voices there?

--Of Course sir…there are these voices, but it must be analyzed retrospectively—he answered a little bit ruffled. There had been serious attempts to stall and even impede the Invasion. Not everybody in Puerto Rico, looked the other way. In Ponce, for example, Roman Baldorioty de Castro, had been leading an intellectual group to strengthen our autonomic gains from Spain, based on the Canadian Autonomic model. It just was too fast and unexpected. Before the invasion, Spain had persecuted and incarcerated in the Morro Castle’s dungeons most of these patriots. So I believe that we had no time to regroup and recuperate, not only from the blow from Spain but to be able to mount a real strategy against United States presumptions. We had been waging resistance or war, in two fronts at once.

--And what was the De Castro’s movement?—asked Piruli.

--They called it –continued Carlos—“The Irish Land League”.

--The Irish Land League? And what is that?

--I think—answered Carlos—that this movement started in Ireland some years ago; and in Ponce, it was adapted and became likewise, a secret society against Spain’s interests and holdings in the Island. The movement itself was only devised to help poor land owners and peasants fight the English interests and big landlord’s cruelty there. In Puerto Rico, it had spreaded to everything that is not puertorrican; some sort of economic xenophobia. But… as I told you, Spain’s repression was swift and expeditious and almost all of the leaders were thrown in jail. I really don’t know how it got to Puerto Rico. The thing is, Sir, that not until another young man from Barranquita, a small town in the central mountain side, appeared, the autonomic movement, was an infant, derelict acephalic creature.

--And who was he?—ask Piruli

--I was about to tell you. Yes… this young man not only took up the autonomic flag, but has magnificently fitted De Castro’s Shoes. “The Terrible year of the 87”; we all called it. Luis Muñoz Rivera, convinced most of us to rally behind him. His message has been simple: as he fought in Spain just few years prior to the War, for economic autonomy, the ability to control certain factor of our economy, as it is natural to expect from countries in search of liberty and in recognition of their sovereignty., As he was successfully able to convince the Spanish courts about our needs for these rights, and after a furious apposition from, the myriad of individual, institutions, and government’s