Antonia Martínez Lagares (April 22, 1949 – March 4, 1970) was a 20-year-old student at the
University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
who was shot and killed by a policeman as she criticized the police violence while watching the 1970 anti-Vietnam War and Education Reform student protests at the University of Puerto Rico. She became a symbol against oppression, intolerance and US imperialism in post-
Ponce massacre
The Ponce massacre was an event that took place on Palm Sunday, March 21, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, when a peaceful civilian march turned into a police shooting in which 19 civilians and two policemen were killed, and more than 200 civilians ...
Puerto Rico. Martínez was from
Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Background
In Puerto Rico, as in much of the rest of the world, the late 1960s and early 1970s were characterized by profound social, economic, and political changes. A large portion of the student body at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, as well as much of its faculty, supported higher education reform that would produce changes to the administrative and educational formats in place. Of particular focus was the concept of "Casa de Estudios" (literally, "House of Studies") recently implemented by Chancellor
Jaime Benitez, and which was founded on a Western and universalist educational and administrative vision of the University as opposed to one of regional and national character.
Unrest at University of Puerto Rico
The newly implemented administrative changes resulted in friction between the administration and much of the student body. Student strikes and protests followed. Various laws were passed by the Government of Puerto Rico that sought to address concerns and some changes in governance were implemented, but the unrest continued. Many students opposed the political structure of the University, including the fact that they were given a voice but not a vote in university matters that affected them; the on-campus presence of the
ROTC, the mandatory military service conscription; and the
war in Vietnam
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. These factors resulted in student marches and protests.
On March 4, 1970, during these protests, the
Fuerza de Choque (Riot Police) was sent to the
University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
to intervene against students protesting the presence of the
Reserve Officers Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
on the campus. As the event unfolded, it is alleged that Antonia observed from her second floor balcony student residence on Ponce de León Avenue. She watched as police officers began beating fellow students and she shouted at them "''asesinos''" (murderers). At that point, allegedly, one of the police officers looked up to the balcony and spotting Martínez Lagares retrieved his service revolver and shot her. The bullet pierced her head and also injured another student that stood with her, striking the second student in his neck. Antonia died shortly at the Auxilio Mutuo hospital, located nearby.
Case and trial
Celestino Santiago, the other wounded student, recalled the events and identified some of the police officers involved. An officer who was not in the vicinity of the shooting was brought to the police
and charged for the crime but was later acquitted. The police stated that they were shooting into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd. The practice of firing shots into the air has been long discarded and is currently prohibited by departmental guidelines.
Memorials
In 2010 the mural that commemorated the 40th anniversary of the killing of Antonia Martínez Lagares was surreptitiously vandalized. Its restoration was led by former political prisoner
Rafael Cancel Miranda and aided by activists from various organizations and supported by a group of urban artists. Another mural memorializing Martínez Lagares was created at the Humanities Hall of the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.
Martínez is one of two University of Puerto Rico students who died during rioting in the early 1970s. A year after her death, University of Puerto Rico
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...
cadet
Jacinto Gutierrez was killed while defending the Reserve Officers' Training Corps building at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.
In pop culture
The death of Antonia Martínez Lagares has had a significant influence on pop culture in Puerto Rico and became a symbol of police abuse and oppression. Puerto Rican singer
Roy Brown, for example, wrote a song about the incident for his second album, ''
Basta Ya... Revolución''. Other songs were written by Leró Martínez Roldán (No te olvidamos Antonia) in his album Boricua Soy,
Antonio Cabán Vale and
Andrés Jiménez.
Legacy
An elementary school in
San Germán, Puerto Rico now bears the name of Antonia Martínez Lagares.
References
External links
Video de Funeral De Antonia Martinez Lagares 1970Antonia Martínez: Cuarenta años después(''in Spanish'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Antonia
1949 births
1970 deaths
1970 murders in Puerto Rico
People from Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican murder victims
1970 in Puerto Rico
People murdered in Puerto Rico
Latino people shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States