El Grito de Lares (1961) by Augusto MarínInstituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña
The event depicted in this painting took place on September 23, 1868, when about 400 men took the town of Lares.
They declared the Island as the Republic of Puerto Rico and created a provisional government that lasted one day.
The Lares revolt against the Spanish government was the first major rebellion against colonial rule on the Island.
The elements of the flag are deeply connected not only to the battle itself, but to the pro-independence ideology that fueled and lead to it.
The white cross represents the longing for a liberated homeland and redemption...
the red color, the blood spilled by the heroes of the rebellion...
...and a single star symbolizes the Island’s freedom.
