La Bandera de El Grito de Lares

The original "Grito de Lares" flag was was created in 1867 or 1868. It was originally created by Ramón Emeterio Bentances to be the flag of the Puerto Rico Republic once independent from Spain. At the end of May/beginning of June, 1868, in a meeting of the Junta Centro Bravo, don Manuel Rojas presented the design of a flag, imagined by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances.

The flag was used officially for first time on the mountainous town of Lares on September 23, 1868 when a revolutionary underground army of volunteers took the town, expelling its Spanish authorities and proclaimed in it the Republic of Puerto Rico the same day. Emeterio Betances and others were exiled in the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas and from there they planned to come to Puerto Rico.

They had planned to bring arms and supplies from the Dominican Republic but the Spaniards were informed of their plans, and the Dutch authorty and Dominican president Buenaventura Báez (un vende patria, a sellout) stopped shipments of arms and recrutes. Because Spanish started to cracking down on the revolutionaies on the island, the revolutionaries had to move ahead the date of the rising in Lares hoping that they could hold on long enough to receive the arm supplies. The lack of reinforcements waited from outside lead to the defeated the Revolutionary Army headed by Manuel Rojas on Sept. 24, 1868 in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. The revolt, which was suppose to be a nation wide revolt became know a El Grito de Lares and the flag La bandera de Lares, symbose of Puerto Rican's resistence and determination for freedom. The revolt was also suppose to coin side with a revolt in Cuba, which took place in October and is know as "El Grito de Yara." Their revolt was able to develope into a nation wide revolt against Spain.

[ La Bandera de El Grito de Lares; and its relation w/ Cuba] [ Dark Blue or Sky Blue? ] [ The meaning of the flag ] [ Two National Anthems??]