Definition of the Ponce Massacre

On March 21, 1937, coinciding with Palm Sunday, one of the bloodiest episodes in the history of Puerto Rico took place. In this tragic event, the police forces that were under the command of the government Americans opened fire on a group of unarmed people in the city of Ponce. The deceased were demonstrating peacefully expressing their rejection of the US occupation of the island.

The event has gone down in history as the Ponce Massacre. As a result of it, a total of 19 people died and there were almost 200 injured. At present, this episode can be seen by visiting the Museum of the Ponce Massacre.

Background to the Massacre

The colonial regime that the United States imposed on Puerto Rico dates back to 1898, when the island was occupied after the war between the Spanish and the Americans and which ended with the defeat of the Spanish people. After the invasion, a colonial government controlled by the United States government followed, and in subsequent years Puerto Ricans were forced to accept the citizenship American.

For the United States government, the island of Puerto Rico had a high strategic value, both in the military and commercial aspects. At the beginning of the 1930s, there were four North American multinationals that controlled the production of sugar in large areas of land.

The economic power of these corporations was accompanied by great influence politics. The profits of the industry ended up in the hands of the shareholders, but not in the pockets of the popular classes. This situation generated high unemployment rates in the population and, logically, a deep general malaise. The economic crisis worsened as a result of a series of devastating hurricanes.

Between 1930 and 1933, the per capita income of Puerto Ricans fell significantly

At the same time, some sectors of society expressed their rejection of the racism of the Americans. In this context, the Nationalist Party began an intense campaign against North American interests on the island.

Popular discontent was led by university students and sugar harvesting workers, who staged strikes and violent clashes starting in 1934. The Leader One of the nationalists, the politician Pedro Albizu Campos, was tried as responsible for the riots and finally imprisoned.

The governor of Puerto Rico was considered the most responsible for the Ponce Massacre

The group of protesters consisted mainly of cadets from the Nationalist Party, a group of nurses and some citizens. Members of the police had surrounded them and without attempting to dissolve the manifestation they began shooting indiscriminately.

The head of the Ponce Massacre was the governor of Puerto Rico, General Blanton Windhip. Despite the investigations carried out, he continued his mandate with normal and there was no punishment for the police officers involved.

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