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Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón (April 22, 1855 – December 13, 1913) was a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
was a Spanish colony. After the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
, when the island was ceded to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
, he advocated statehood for Puerto Rico. In later years, Matienzo Cintrón supported Puerto Rico's independence.


Early years

Matienzo Cintrón was born in the town of
Luquillo, Puerto Rico Luquillo () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northeast coast, northwest of Fajardo; and east of Rio Grande. Luquillo is spread over 5 barrios and Luquillo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of th ...
where he received his primary and secondary education. He moved to Spain to continue his education at the
University of Barcelona The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities ...
, and earned his law degree there in 1875. His daughter, Carlota Matienzo Román, was born in 1881 in Barcelona.María de Fátima Barceló-Miller (1998). "Halfhearted Solidarity: Women Workers and the Women's Suffrage Movement in Puerto Rico During the 1920s", in Félix V. Matos Rodríguez ; Linda C. Delgado, ''Puerto Rican Women's History: New Perspectives'', M. E. Sharpe. pp. 127–129, 131 Upon his return to Puerto Rico with his wife and new daughter, he moved to the city of Mayagüez and established his law practice.El Nuevo Dia


Political career

In November 1885 Matienzo Cintrón was accused by the colonial government of being a
Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, which was illegal as it was opposed by the state Catholic Church. He was briefly imprisoned. After his release, he ran for the position of provisional representative for the district of Mayagüez and was elected. In 1887, Matienzo Cintrón assisted the Assembly of Autonomists in
Teatro La Perla Teatro La Perla is a historic theater in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was name ...
in the city of Ponce. During the assembly,
Luis Muñoz Rivera Luis Muñoz Rivera (July 17, 1859 – November 15, 1916) was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico in union with Spain. In 1887, Muñoz Rivera became part ...
proposed founding the Puerto Rican Autonomist Party. Matienzo Cintrón supported the proposal, and became one of the party's most prominent figures. From the beginning, Matienzo Cintrón had some differences with Muñoz Rivera. At first he was against Muñoz Rivera's suggestion that their party make a pact with the Spanish Liberal Fusionist Party, headed by
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar (21 July 1825 – 5 January 1903) was a Spanish civil engineer and politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party—as part of t ...
. Later he came to agree that such a pact would be to their benefit. Matienzo Cintrón was named to the commission which, along with Luis Muñoz Rivera, José Gómez Brioso and
Federico Degetau Federico Degetau y González (December 5, 1862 – February 20, 1914) was a Puerto Rican politician, lawyer, writer, author, and the first Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States House of Representatives. Early years Degetau ...
, traveled to Spain to make official the pact with the Spanish Liberal Fusionist Party. On February 12, 1897, the Puerto Rican Autonomist Party held an assembly in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, where new suggestions to the pact made by Matienzo Cintrón were approved. He recommended renaming the Puerto Rican Autonomist Party as the Puerto Rican Liberal Fusionist Party. A group of members, headed by Dr.
José Celso Barbosa José Celso Barbosa Alcala (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921) was a Puerto Rican physician, sociologist and political leader. Known as the father of the statehood movement in Puerto Rico, Barbosa was the first Puerto Rican, and one of the ...
, did not agree with some of the new by-laws, and consequently, the party divided into two factions. In 1898, the United States declared war against Spain in what is known as the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
. The United States forces under the command of Major General
Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. From 1895 to 1903, Miles served as the last Commanding G ...
invaded Puerto Rico via the town of Guanica in a military operation known as the Puerto Rico Campaign. Miles and his men were officially greeted that following August by a committee headed by Matienzo Cintrón, who provided the general with a banquet in his honor. Miles named Matienzo Cintrón President of the Ponce Audience, a position which he held until 1899.


Puerto Rican Republican Party

On July 4, 1899, Barbosa founded the pro-statehood Puerto Rican Republican Party and Matienzo Cintrón became a member. Although he belonged to the executive counsel of the party, Cintrón still had personal differences with Barbosa. He quit the party. Together with
Luis Muñoz Rivera Luis Muñoz Rivera (July 17, 1859 – November 15, 1916) was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico in union with Spain. In 1887, Muñoz Rivera became part ...
(who had returned from a self exile in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
), Antonio R. Barceló, Eduardo Georgetti, and
José de Diego José de Diego y Martínez (April 16, 1866 – July 16, 1918) was a statesman, journalist, poet, lawyer, and advocate for Puerto Rico's political autonomy in union with Spain and later of independence from the United States who was referred to by ...
, he founded the
Union of Puerto Rico The Union of Puerto Rico ( es, Unión de Puerto Rico, UPR), also known as the Unionist PartyBolivar Pagan. ''Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898-1956).'' San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p ...
Party. Their political ideology was based on repeal of the
Foraker Act The Foraker Act, , officially known as the Organic Act of 1900, is a United States federal law that established civilian (albeit limited popular) government on the island of Puerto Rico, which had recently become a possession of the United State ...
, and the enhancement of Puerto Rican autonomy, as a pathway to full independence. On June 5, 1900, President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
named Matienzo Cintrón, together with José Celso Barbosa, José de Diego, Manuel Camuñas and Andrés Crosas to an Executive Cabinet under U.S.-appointed Governor Charles H. Allen, the first civilian governor of Puerto Rico. The Executive Cabinet also included six American members.Chronology of Puerto Rico in the Spanish–American War
/ref>


Later years

In 1904, Matienzo Cintrón was elected to the
Puerto Rico House of Representatives The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senat ...
from the district of
Humacao Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...
. In 1906 and 1908, he was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez. He served as ''Presidente de la Camara'' (President of the Chamber) from 1905 to 1906. In 1912, Matienzo Cintrón became convinced the party was not doing enough to promote Puerto Rico's independence. He left to organize another party, the ''Partido de la Independencia''. On February 8, 1912, together with
Luis Lloréns Torres Luis Llorens Torres (May 14, 1876 – June 16, 1944), was a Puerto Rican poet, playwright, and politician. He was an advocate for the independence of Puerto Rico. Early years Llorens Torres was born in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. His parents ...
, Manuel Zeno Gandía and others, he wrote a manifesto demanding the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States.Luis Llorens Torres
, Zonai
The Independence Party, which also included Eugenio Benítez Castaño and Pedro Franceschi as founding members, was the first party in the history of Puerto Rico to establish an absolute and non-negotiable demand for Puerto Rican independence. In this manner, the Independence Party established a precedent for future organizations with similar ideologies.


Legacy

Matienzo Cintrón died on December 13, 1913, in his hometown of Luquillo and was buried at Old Luquillo Municipal Cemetery. The government of Puerto Rico honored his memory by naming an elementary school in the town of Sabana Grande, and a plaza in Luquillo, after him.


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans *
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senat ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* ''Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón, Orientador y Guardián de una Cultura;'' by Luis M. Díaz Soler; Published in 1960, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Ediciones del Instituto de Literatura Puertorriqueña (Río Piedras, P. R) * ''El Movimiento Anexionista En Puerto Rico'' (Spanish Edition) by Edgardo Melendez {{DEFAULTSORT:Matienzo Cintron, Rosendo 1855 births 1913 deaths People from Luquillo, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent Union of Puerto Rico politicians Puerto Rican nationalists Puerto Rican independence activists Speakers of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico University of Barcelona alumni