Background
Luis Muñoz-Rivera was born on July 17, 1859, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, to Luis Muñoz Barrios and Monserrate Rivera Vazquez.
Luis Muñoz-Rivera was born on July 17, 1859, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, to Luis Muñoz Barrios and Monserrate Rivera Vazquez.
Muñoz-Rivera largely educated himself, aside from instruction received in the elementary schools of his native town, by diligent reading in Spanish and French literature.
As a young man Muñoz-Rivera began writing poetry, designed particularly to inspire his people with a spirit of nationalism and with patriotic ideals, which was published in various papers from 1882; later he became more interested in editorial writing directed to the same ends.
In 1887 he was a member of the assembly of protest at Ponce which demanded from Spain for Puerto Rico autonomy, decentralization of administration, and the right to vote upon the island's budget. Moving to Ponce Muñoz-Rivera launched La Democracia (July 1, 1890) as an organ for expounding its program. His editorials aroused opposition from the Spanish administration and led to many lawsuits, but they evoked the enthusiastic support of many liberals, and soon he became a leader of the Autonomist party. A small extreme group, which desired independence obtained by insurrection, organized a Puerto Rican branch of the Cuban Revolutionary party, but he persuaded his party to send a commission to Spain (1896), of which he was a member, where an agreement was made with Sagasta and the Liberals that, when that party should again return to power, they would grant autonomy to Puerto Rico.
Those who accepted this pact became the Insular Liberal party (1897), with El Liberal which he founded in San Juan as its organ; those who rejected it were known as "Puros. " The assassination of the Conservative leader, C novas, led to the return to power of the Liberals and a royal decree of November 25, 1897, granted autonomy to Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In the first Autonomist cabinet (February 12, 1898), consisting of three Liberals and three Puros, Muñoz-Rivera was secretary of grace, justice, and government, but later he became president. War between Spain and the United States interrupted these plans and resulted in the transfer of sovereignty to the latter (October 18, 1898).
The resignation of the Autonomist cabinet was not accepted by General Brooks, the first military governor, and its members continued to serve until he was succeeded by Gen. Guy V. Henry, who sought to abridge the powers they were exercising, accepted their resignation, and reorganized the cabinet in another form (1899), Muñoz-Rivera then went to Washington to secure free trade with the United States on behalf of the agriculturists of the island. Opposing the Foraker Act, which initiated civil government, as inadequate and unsatisfactory, he organized the Federal party and launched El Diario de Puerto Rico as its organ (1900). His party being in the minority - and he claimed harshly treated - he went to New York in 1901 and launched the Puerto Rico Herald.
In 1902 a fusion of the Federals with dissatisfied Republicans became the Unionist party. He returned to the island, campaigned for it, and was elected to the Puerto Rican House of Delegates (1906 - 1910). The Unionists then elected him resident commissioner for Puerto Rico to the United States. While in Washington he continued his articles for La Democracia as a means of informing the people of Puerto Rico of conditions in the United States and gained a speaking knowledge of English after he was fifty so that he could present his country's needs to Congress.
His last and most important speech in Congress was in favor of the Jones Bill, which became Puerto Rico's organic act, although he did not live to see its passage. After securing the postponement of the general elections until this should be in force, he returned to San Juan to receive a great welcome from his people (September 20). Luis Muñoz Rivera fell ill and died on November 15, 1916, in the town of San Juan, before the Jones Act was enacted into law. Accompanied by thousands his body was carried to his birthplace and buried at Barranquitas.
Luis Muñoz-Rivera was an influential statesman, publisher, and patriot, who devoted his life to obtaining Puerto Rico’s autonomy, first from Spain and later from the United States. In 1923, the municipality of Ponce erected a statue in honor of Muñoz Rivera and renamed the northern plaza of the city's main square Plaza Muñoz Rivera for him. Sixteen Puerto Rican schools were named for Muñoz.
Luis Muñoz-Rivera became a leader of the autonomist parties, and in 1897 he was instrumental in obtaining Puerto Rico’s charter of home rule from Spain. He soon became secretary of state and later president of the first autonomist cabinet.
Quotations: "My country unanimously requested U. S. citizenship many times. It requested it under the promises of General Miles when he disembarked in Ponce. Give us statehood and we would welcome your glorious citizenship for us and our children. "
On January 3, 1893, Luis Munoz-Rivera married Amalia Marín, by whom he had a son.
José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, journalist, politician, and statesman, regarded as the "Father of Modern Puerto Rico" and the "Architect of the Commonwealth."
