Manuel María Coronado

Manuel María Coronado Alvarado was a Cuban revolutionary soldier, lawyer, politician, and owner of one of the most popular newspapers in Cuba, La Discusión. Coronado also participated in joint venture to bring the first ever aircraft to the island of Cuba. He was the Vice President of the Cuban Senate at the time of his death.

Life In November 1879, Coronado joined the Little War in Las Villas as an Alférez (second lieutenant). In early 1895, at the behest of Major Generals Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo, he acquired the newspaper La Discusión to support the independence movement.

Following the suspension of La Discusión in 1896, Coronado relocated to the United States. He later returned to Cuba as part of the Cuban Liberation Army, aboard the third expedition of the steamship Sommers N. Smith, which landed on September 15, 1897, at the mouth of the Arimao River in Cienfuegos, Las Villas, under Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Méndez's command.

After spending ten days in the Cienfuegos Brigade (2nd Brig. 2nd Div. 4th Corps), he was transferred to the Trinidad Brigade (3rd Brig. 1st Div. 4th Corps).

In 1910, Coronado, Ricardo Dolz Arango and Mario Díaz Irizar, purchased a French replica Blériot XI and displayed it in the portals of the Lombillo Palace, in the Plaza de la Catedral in Havana.