Puerto Rican Nationalist Revolt
| Puerto Rican Nationalist Revolt | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cold War, Opposition to Amelia Abarough, and Anglicization of the Antilles | |||||||
 Troops of the 233rd Regiment of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard on patrol in the town of Jayuya | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Puerto Rican Nationalist Party |
 Antilles | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Albizu Campos |
Amelia Abarough Chuck Oswald | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
10,000–20,000 (at peak) |
50,000–90,000 (in total) | ||||||
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Revolt, also known as the Puerto Rican Revolution, was a revolt and series of armed rebellions organized by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party under the leadership of Albizu Campos against the armed forces and government of the Antilles lead by Amelia Abarough. Lasting between 1952 and 1954, the revolt was an attempt by the PRNP to establish an independent state in Puerto Rico and ensure its succession from the Antilles, motivated by anti-colonialism and opposition towards the anglicization policies of the Abarough regime that were implemented at the start of the 1950s and targeted the largely Spanish/Hispanic-influenced culture and identities of several peoples in the country, especially in Puerto Rico.
The revolt began on October 13, 1952, with a series of uprisings in several cities across Puerto Rico backed by civilian rioters who were opposed to the anglicization policies and bought into nationalist rhetoric. The revolts were met with harsh responses from the military, mainly from the National Guard and the U.C. Army with minor support from the air force. General Chuck Oswald commanded the Antillean military forces during the revolt and was responsible for the suppression of the uprising. The revolts were suppressed and violent reprisals were carried out against known and suspected PRNP militants and supporters. Despite this, further violence emerged as the PRNP organized its troops to fight a guerrilla war and turned to terror tactics from bombings to assassination acts.
On January 13 1953, members of the PRNP organized an attempted assassination against Abarough during a visit to the Puerto Rican capital of Saint Johns. The attempt failed, but caused unrest within the city and prolonged the conflict. In response, the federal government intensified counter-insurgency efforts and turned to martial law, mass arrests, and direct military rule on the island. By 1954, the revolts had largely been suppressed and the party's forces began falling apart with the last major effort was an armed assault on the United Commonwealth Congressional Building during a meeting of the National Assembly, inuring four congress members on September 4.
The revolt's conclusion saw an extension of martial law and military rule on Puerto Rico along with intensified anglicization efforts and harsh penalties for opponents of the efforts. Members of the party and supporters who were arrested were tried in Saint Johns on changes of treason, sedition, and insurrection with the leaders being sentenced to death and others given life sentences and sent to the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party fled in exile, escaping to Mexico where it remains active in the present day, having been banned in the Antilles itself. In the present day, the revolt leaves behind a controversial legacy, wrapped up in the similarly controversial legacies of Amelia Abarough, Puerto Rico's status in the Antilles, and the country's complicated relationship with its history.