Background
Brugman"s father was Pierre Brugman from Curaçao of Dutch–Jewish Sephardic ancestry and his mother, Isabel Duliebre from Puerto Rico. They met and married in New Orleans, Louisiana where Brugman was born, raised and educated.
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Mathias Brugman
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Career
Mathias Bruckman, was a leader in Puerto Rico"s independence revolution against Spain known as (Lares" Cry). He opened a colmado (grocery store) and became rather successful, only to lose a good part of his fortune attempting to grow coffee. Like many other residents of Puerto Rico at the time, he resented the political injustices practiced by Spain on the island.
This led him to become a believer in the cause of the Puerto Rican independence movement.
Brugman admired independence advocates Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis. lieutenant was this admiration which inspired him to become an outspoken advocate for Puerto Rico"s independence.
In his Colmado, people would normally gather on a daily basis to discuss politics. Together, with a group of other patriots, they formed revolutionary committees.
These committees were mainly based on the west coast towns of Puerto Rico.
The first revolutionary committee formed was Mathias Brugman"s in Mayagüez. He used his Colmado as his headquarters and his cell was code named: "Capa Prieta" (Black Cape). Manuel Rojas committee in Lares was code named "Centro Bravo" (Bravo Center).
On September 23, 1868, the revolution began and the town of Lares was taken in what was to be known as El "Grito de Lares".
The revolutionists declared Puerto Rico to be the free "Republic of Puerto Rico". However, the Spanish were already forewarned and soon defeated the small Army of liberators.
Many of the others were either killed or imprisoned, including Manuel Rojas and Mariana Bracetti. The men refused to surrender and eventually were executed.
Mathias Brugman died in the town of Yauco, Puerto Rico in 1868.
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Born
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Died
September 30, 1868 (aged 57) -
Nationality
United States