Javier "Eustakio" siendo pensativo sobre la situación junto a su compañero Agapito Pérez Rolon
Who would have thought that the Puerto Ricans sooner or later will rebel against their own government? Well that was the case of today September 23, 1868 at the central plaza in the municipality of Lares, Puerto Rico which was suddenly filled of people at about 11:00 a.m. including: “jornaleros”, children, women and slaves. I remember I was waking up from a terrible night because I suffer a little bit of insomnia while thinking of so many problems, including the big problem of dealing with the checking and thorough examination of the “libretas” of my very beloved “jornaleros”. I started to get ready to get out of my house near the plaza so I could observe the protest in a more closed-up version and observe what was happening around. I suddenly heard that the screaming and loudness of the people started to rise gradually but with extraordinary intensity. Then I thought “something’s wrong in here”, so I asked the first person I could imagine could have relevant information of what was the situation and the purpose of the protest. I remember I was standing at the farthest corner in the south west side of the plaza and when I actually started to ask, one of the persons there told me in an unusual and strange manner the following: “They started to march in an effort to stop the tyranny and oppression of the “Régimen de la Libreta” and maybe some other reasons. But what’s interesting is, is that this is not a common civil protest; this may turn the wrong way and can turn into a nasty and horrible revolution. In my opinion, I suggest we should leave as soon as possible out of this town now and later on exile in another country like St. Thomas”. I was amazed at the severity of what was happening I started to make sense I was a little more awake from the horrible night I passed. I suddenly thought that in Spain the "Revolución Gloriosa" which took place days earlier to this revolution right now, so maybe it can be a direct effect of this “Revolución Gloriosa” that caused the spark so Puerto Ricans wanted to rebel against the government. Meanwhile I was thinking, the person I asked, asked me back: “Hey, what’s your name” I said: “Javier “Eustakio” López Erazo, at your service!” He responded: “Nice to meet you, I’m Agapito Pérez Rolon, I am an hacendado at Ciales but I’m around in Lares because I was looking for better working jornaleros when I confronted this madness at the plaza.” With much amaze I responded: “Wow, I am an hacendado right up North in Lares too.” Suddenly we connected and started to be like friends. I remember that he told me to leave the town, and if I could, the island later on for exile to St. Thomas. So I thought of an idea and asked him: “Since we are both hacendados we can take the money of the hacienda and the workers and use it to leave the country, what do you think?” He told me: “Good idea, I think we should go to your place and start planning what we are going to do about this situation” Both of us left the plaza and went directly to my house and started to figure out a possibility of leaving the country for a better and secure life for both of us in St. Thomas.
Who would have thought that the Puerto Ricans sooner or later will rebel against their own government? Well that was the case of today September 23, 1868 at the central plaza in the municipality of Lares, Puerto Rico which was suddenly filled of people at about 11:00 a.m. including: “jornaleros”, children, women and slaves. I remember I was waking up from a terrible night because I suffer a little bit of insomnia while thinking of so many problems, including the big problem of dealing with the checking and thorough examination of the “libretas” of my very beloved “jornaleros”. I started to get ready to get out of my house near the plaza so I could observe the protest in a more closed-up version and observe what was happening around. I suddenly heard that the screaming and loudness of the people started to rise gradually but with extraordinary intensity. Then I thought “something’s wrong in here”, so I asked the first person I could imagine could have relevant information of what was the situation and the purpose of the protest. I remember I was standing at the farthest corner in the south west side of the plaza and when I actually started to ask, one of the persons there told me in an unusual and strange manner the following: “They started to march in an effort to stop the tyranny and oppression of the “Régimen de la Libreta” and maybe some other reasons. But what’s interesting is, is that this is not a common civil protest; this may turn the wrong way and can turn into a nasty and horrible revolution. In my opinion, I suggest we should leave as soon as possible out of this town now and later on exile in another country like St. Thomas”. I was amazed at the severity of what was happening I started to make sense I was a little more awake from the horrible night I passed. I suddenly thought that in Spain the "Revolución Gloriosa" which took place days earlier to this revolution right now, so maybe it can be a direct effect of this “Revolución Gloriosa” that caused the spark so Puerto Ricans wanted to rebel against the government. Meanwhile I was thinking, the person I asked, asked me back: “Hey, what’s your name” I said: “Javier “Eustakio” López Erazo, at your service!” He responded: “Nice to meet you, I’m Agapito Pérez Rolon, I am an hacendado at Ciales but I’m around in Lares because I was looking for better working jornaleros when I confronted this madness at the plaza.” With much amaze I responded: “Wow, I am an hacendado right up North in Lares too.” Suddenly we connected and started to be like friends. I remember that he told me to leave the town, and if I could, the island later on for exile to St. Thomas. So I thought of an idea and asked him: “Since we are both hacendados we can take the money of the hacienda and the workers and use it to leave the country, what do you think?” He told me: “Good idea, I think we should go to your place and start planning what we are going to do about this situation” Both of us left the plaza and went directly to my house and started to figure out a possibility of leaving the country for a better and secure life for both of us in St. Thomas.