Grito de Lares flag

The Grito de Lares flag (Spanish: Bandera del Grito de Lares), most commonly known as the Lares flag (Spanish: Bandera de Lares), represents the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) revolt of 1868, the first of two short-lived rebellions against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. It consists of a large white Greek cross in the center that extends to all four sides of the flag, dividing it into four equal rectangles, two blue above, the left of which bears a large, sharp, upright, centered, five-pointed white star, and two red below. The white star stands for liberty and freedom, the red rectangles for the blood poured by the heroes of the revolt, and the white cross for the yearning of homeland redemption. Established in the municipality of Lares 27 years before revolutionaries adopted the current flag of Puerto Rico in New York City, the flag of the revolt is recognized as the first flag of the archipelago and island.

Today, the flag is the official flag of the municipality of Lares, location of the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) revolt in 1868. It is also commonly used to show support for Puerto Rican independence from the United States, rejecting other alternatives on the issue of Puerto Rico's political status, namely statehood or integration into the U.S. as a state, and the current intermediary status of commonwealth as an unincorporated and organized U.S. territory. The independence movement of Puerto Rico has adopted light blue as the color of the flag.