Juan Ríus Rivera

Major General Juan Rius Rivera (August 26, 1848 – September 20, 1924), was a soldier and revolutionary leader from Puerto Rico who served in the Cuban Liberation Army and reached the highest military rank in the army. He held Cuban ministerial offices after independence and in his later years he also became a successful businessperson in Honduras.

Early years Rius Rivera was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, to Eusebio Rius from Catalonia and Ramona Rivera from Puerto Rico. He was one of nine brothers. His paternal grandparents were Vicente Ríus and Francisca Rubio. His maternal grandparents were José Eusebio de Jesús de Rivera from Galicia, Spain and María Manuela de Rivera from Mayagüez. His family owned a coffee plantation in the Río Cañas Abajo barrio in Mayagüez, and were one of the wealthiest families in that town. There he received both his primary and secondary education. Rius Rivera was sent by his parents to study in Spain and earned his bachelor's degree in Barcelona. He then went to study law at the University of Madrid, but he did not graduate. As a young man, he met and befriended the Puerto Rican patriot Ramón Emeterio Betances. Convinced that the Spanish Crown was mistreating the people of Puerto Rico and inspired by the ideals of Betances, Rius Rivera joined the pro-independence movement on the island. He became a member of the Mayagüez revolutionary cell "Capá Prieto" under the command of Mathias Brugman.

Cuban Liberation Army

On September 23, 1868, a group of Puerto Ricans revolted against Spain in an event known as the Grito de Lares (The Cry of Lares). Many of the revolutionaries were either killed, imprisoned or exiled. Rius Rivera, who had not participated directly in the revolt, was an avid reader of information pertaining to the Antilles and learned about the failed revolt. He then set his hopes on Cuba. Rius Rivera interrupted his studies in Spain, crossed the border to France, and from there he traveled to the United States. He arrived in New York City in 1869 When Estrada Palma's government fell he chose not to join the new government even though he was offered a position.

Monument in Mayagüez, PR

In 2013, the township of Mayagüez unveiled an equestrian statue of Ríus Rivera on a little park to the side of the Balboa Bridge. The cast, made by the Puerto Rican artist, Salvador Rivera Cardona, presents the patriot from Mayagüez in Cuba in his role of a military leader with the machete held high. The site has attracted tourists and history fans.

Brigade There is a "brigade" named after Juan Ríus Rivera.

Honors

The National Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) named its newly founded Puerto Rico chapter after Rius during a visit by the organization's leader José Daniel Ferrer in May 2016.