Carmelo Delgado Delgado
(April 20, 1913 – April 29, 1937) was a leader of the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
. Delgado joined the
Abraham Lincoln International Brigade and fought against the
Spanish Nationalists
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
. Delgado Delgado, a
Puerto Rican by birth and national origin, is thought to be the first U.S. citizen to die in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
's civil war.
Early years
Delgado was one of three siblings born to Eladio Delgado Berrios and Flora Delgado Gonzalez in the town of
Guayama, Puerto Rico
Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama ( es, Municipio Autónomo de Guayama) is a city and municipality on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 36,614. It is the ce ...
. He spent his early childhood on his parents' farm located in
Guamani barrio and later moved with his family to the Calle (Street) Concordia esquina (Corner) Hostos in the town of Guayama. There he received his primary and secondary education.
[Carmelo Delgado](_blank)
Retrieved November 12, 2007
Puerto Rican Nationalist
Delgado enrolled and was accepted in the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
, where he befriended Puerto Rican poet and Nationalist
Juan Antonio Corretjer
Juan Antonio Corretjer Montes (March 3, 1908 – January 19, 1985) was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and pro-independence political activist opposing United States rule in Puerto Rico.
Early years
Corretjer (birth name: Juan Antonio C ...
. Delgado became a pro-independence political activist and follower of Dr.
Pedro Albizu Campos
Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891Luis Fortuño Janeiro. ''Album Histórico de Ponce (1692–1963).'' p. 290. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta Fortuño. 1963. – April 21, 1965) was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the leading fi ...
. He was a member of the
Cadets of the Republic
Cadets of the Republic, known in Spanish as Cadetes de la República, was the paramilitary wing of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in the twentieth century. The organization was also referred to as the Liberation Army of Puerto Rico ''(Ej� ...
(''Cadetes de la República''), the youth organization of the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
. After earning his bachelor's degree, he moved to Spain in pursuit of a law degree.
Spanish Civil War
On September 22, 1935, Delgado left for Spain and upon his arrival enrolled in the
Central University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...
. He arrived in a Spain which was about to be confronted with a
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
between the
loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
and
rebels. Delgado became politically active as a supporter of the Spanish Second Republic and upon the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, joined the
Abraham Lincoln International Brigade. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was made up mostly of volunteers from the United States, which included Puerto Ricans and
Cubans
Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds.
Racial and ethnic groups
Census
The population of Cuba wa ...
who served in the Spanish Civil War in the
International Brigades. Delgado wrote to his friend, Puerto Rican Nationalist leader Carlos Carrera Benítez, the following letter:
Delgado was involved in the
Battle of Madrid
The siege of Madrid was a two-and-a-half-year siege of the Republican-controlled Spanish capital city of Madrid by the Nationalist armies, under General Francisco Franco, during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The city, besieged from Octo ...
, when he became unaware that his troops were ordered to retreat. He was captured and sent to
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peop ...
, where he faced a military war tribune. The
United States Embassy
The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
offered to help, however Delgado refused their offer. According to Corretjer: "Carmelo Delgado preferred to die before a firing squad than to beg for his live to the "
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...
".
Aftermath
Carmelo Delgado Delgado was executed on April 29, 1937 by firing squad, becoming one of the first
United States citizen
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
s that died in that conflict. The news of his execution reached Puerto Rico and was posted on the front page of ''
El Mundo''
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...
on July 25, 1937 as "Se confirma la ejecución del joven Carmelo Delgado" (The execution of Carmelo Delgado, a young man, has been confirmed).
[El Mundo, 25 de Julio de 1937; by José Enrique Ayoroa Santaliz, "Carmelo Delgado Delgado", Claridad, 16–22 July 1993 (BibliograffIa y fotos), p. 24–25.]
Military decoration
Carmelo Delgado Delgado was awarded the following:
*
Spanish Civil War Medal of the International Brigades
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
List of Puerto Rican military personnel
Throughout history Puerto Ricans, including people of Puerto Rican descent, have gained notability as members of the military. They have served and have fought for many countries, such as Canada, Cuba, England, Mexico, Spain, the United States an ...
*
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
*
Cadets of the Republic
Cadets of the Republic, known in Spanish as Cadetes de la República, was the paramilitary wing of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in the twentieth century. The organization was also referred to as the Liberation Army of Puerto Rico ''(Ej� ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* Delgado Cintrón, Carmelo (Dr.); "''Carmelo Delgado Delgado''" - Article by
Carmelo Delgado Cintrón, Social History historian and legal historian of Puerto Rico
* "Galeria de heroes de Puerto Rico" (Spanish); by Jose Morales-Dorta (Author); Publisher: Editorial Plaza Mayor (1997);
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delgado Delgado, Carmelo
1913 births
1937 deaths
People from Guayama, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent
Members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
Puerto Rican Army personnel
Abraham Lincoln Brigade members
Military personnel killed in the Spanish Civil War
Puerto Rican military officers
Puerto Rican independence activists
People executed by Francoist Spain
People executed by Spain by firing squad