Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón

Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón (April 22, 1855 – December 13, 1913) was a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when Puerto Rico was a Spanish possession. After the Spanish–American War, when the archipelago and island was ceded to the United States, he advocated statehood for Puerto Rico. In later years, Matienzo Cintrón supported Puerto Rico's independence.

Early years Matienzo Cintrón was born in the town of Luquillo, Puerto Rico where he received his primary and secondary education. He moved to Spain to continue his education at the University of Barcelona, and earned his law degree there in 1875. His daughter, Carlota Matienzo Román, was born in 1881 in Barcelona.

Upon his return to Puerto Rico with his wife and new daughter, he moved to the city of Mayagüez and established his law practice.

Political career In November 1885 Matienzo Cintrón was accused by the colonial government of being a Freemason, which was illegal as it was opposed by the state Catholic Church. He was briefly imprisoned. After his release, he ran for the position of provisional representative for the district of Mayagüez and was elected.

In 1887, Matienzo Cintrón assisted the Assembly of Autonomists in Teatro La Perla in the city of Ponce. During the assembly, Luis Muñoz Rivera proposed founding the Puerto Rican Autonomist Party. Matienzo Cintrón supported the proposal, and became one of the party's most prominent figures.

Later years In 1904, Matienzo Cintrón was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the district of Humacao. In 1906 and 1908, he was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez. He served as Presidente de la Camara (President of the Chamber) from 1905 to 1906.

In 1912, Matienzo Cintrón became convinced the party was not doing enough to promote Puerto Rico's independence. He left to organize another party, the Partido de la Independencia. On February 8, 1912, together with Luis Lloréns Torres, Manuel Zeno Gandía and others, he wrote a manifesto demanding the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States.

The Independence Party, which also included Eugenio Benítez Castaño and Pedro Franceschi as founding members, was the first party in the history of Puerto Rico to establish an absolute and non-negotiable demand for Puerto Rican independence. In this manner, the Independence Party established a precedent for future organizations with similar ideologies.

Legacy

Matienzo Cintrón died on December 13, 1913, in his hometown of Luquillo and was buried at Old Luquillo Municipal Cemetery. The government of Puerto Rico honored his memory by naming an elementary school in the town of Sabana Grande, and a plaza in Luquillo, after him.