Manuel Rojas (independence leader)

Manuel Rojas
Drawing of Manuel Rojas
Born	1831 City of Obispos in the state of Barinas, Venezuela
Died	October 14, 1903 City of Boconó in the state of Trujillo, Venezuela
Allegiance	Puerto Rico
Service/branch	"Revolution Committee of Puerto Rico"
Rank	Commander
Commands held	Puerto Rican Liberation Army
Battles/wars	El Grito de Lares

Commander Manuel Rojas (1831 – October 14, 1903), Venezuelan commander of the Puerto Rican Liberation Army, was one of the main leaders of the Grito de Lares uprising against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.

Rojas (birth name: Manuel Rojas Luzardo ) was born in the city of Obispos in the state of Barinas, Venezuela, from a Puerto Rican father and a Venezuelan mother. There he received his primary and secondary education. Rojas was a dedicated agricultural worker and when he had saved enough money he moved to Valencia, Spain where he became a successful businessmen. In the early 19th century Venezuela's economy was in turmoil because of internal wars. Rojas decided to go to Puerto Rico where he met and married Obdulia de los Ríos.

The Rojas family moved close to the town of Lares where they settled down. The region was mountainous and its main income came from the coffee crop. Rojas and his brother, Miguel eventually bought and cultivated a 300-acre (1.2 km²) coffee plantation. The successful plantation was called "El Triunfo", and both men became wealthy merchants. His brother Miguel meet Mariana Bracetti while on a business trip to Añasco. Miguel and Mariana married and moved to "El Triunfo" where the Rojas lived.

Rojas admired Puerto Rican independence advocate Ramón Emeterio Betances and together with his brother Miguel, joined Betances in his quest for Puerto Rico's independence. A "Revolution Committee of Puerto Rico" was formed and directed by Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis, who were exiled, from the Dominican Republic. Several revolutionary cells were formed in the towns and cities in the western part of the island. They were to support the armed invasion that Betances had planned to bring from the Dominican Republic.

Two of the most important cells were that of Mayagüez, whose leader was Mathias Brugman and code named "Capa Prieto" and that of Lares, code named "Centro Bravo" and headed by Manuel Rojas. "Centro Bravo" was the main center of operations and was located in the Rojas plantation. Manuel Rojas was named "Commander of the Liberation Army" by Betances. Mariana Bracetti (wife of Miguel) was named "Leader of the Lares Revolutionary Council". Upon the request of Betances, Bracetti knitted the revolutionary Flag of Lares known as "La Bandera de Lares".