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History of Jayuya


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The town of Jayuya was founded in 1911, but history traces people living in the region as far back as 1878. At that time, a small community was established there, separated from the larger cities of the coasts with little to no communication. Near the end of the 19th century, the town focused on the production of coffee, which greatly boosted the local economy.

In 1911, the town was officially declared a municipality with a population of more than 9,000. In 1950, the town was the setting of what was known as the Jayuya Uprising, where nationalists started a revolt against the Government of the United States led by Blanca Canales, a social worker, and her cousins, Elio and Doris Torresola. Canales led the group into the town square and gave a speech, declaring Puerto Rico an independent republic. The police station was later attacked, telephone lines cut, and the post office burned to the ground. One police officer was killed and three others wounded in these attacks. The group held the town for three days, until it was bombed by U. S. planes supporting a ground attack by the Puerto Rican National Guard. Even though an extensive part of the town was destroyed, news of the bombing was not reported outside of Puerto Rico. It was called an incident between Puerto Ricans by the media on the mainland. Because of the event, the town continues to be a source of nationalist pride to many Puerto Ricans both on the island and on the mainland
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