El Ponceño

El Ponceño, founded in 1852, was the first newspaper published in Ponce, Puerto Rico.^[3] The paper was originally named "El Observador Ponceño" but it was shortened to "El Ponceño".^[4]

History

El Ponceño came to the light of day at a time of political repression of the press in Puerto Rico. Yet, "despite a late start in Puerto Rico, the press played a significant role in the literature and the cultural life of Puerto Rico. The Royal Decree of 1834 censured the printing of texts and this was also applied to the press. In 1836 there was a restoration of the freedom of the press for Spanish papers but not for papers published in the Spanish colonies. Despite this, in 1839 the Boletín Instructivo y Mercantil de Puerto Rico was established in San Juan. In 1848 El Imparcial was founded in Mayaguez; it lasted 50 days before being vanished by Governor Juan Prim. Likewise El Ponceño was also shut down, but "in its short life it managed to become part of the cultural life and the sustainment of economic development" of the area.^[5] The paper was founded in 1852 in the city of Ponce as "El Observador Ponceño"^[6] It was a weekly paper, published on Saturdays.^[7] The paper was located on Calle Cristina, in the same structure that Luis Munoz Rivera was later publish "La Democracia."^[8]

Coverage

The paper covered issues related to municipal (improvements, roads, bridges) and island affairs^[9] as well as political matters.^[10] Poetry was one method used in the paper to publish popular thought. Satire was another. One of the better known writers in this paper was Ramon Marin.^[11] Ramon Marin later became a well-known Ponce historian and one of his grandchildren became governor of Puerto Rico. According to Villagómez, one reason the paper evaded official censure was because it contained mostly articles that "were not a threat to the colonial political system but a criticism to the pro-slavery society in Ponce.^[12]

Closure

Enjoying two years of continuous weekly publishing, El Ponceño was shut down by the Spanish government in July 1854.^[13] The orders came from the Spanish governor in the Island, Fernando de Norzagaray, for offending the conservative views of his administration.^[14] Tensions had been building for some time, but the July 22, 1854 publishing of a poem by Daniel Rivera title "Agüeybaná El Bravo" proved too much for the conservative Spanish government to bear. The poem praised the 1511 Taino Indian revolt against the Spanish invaders.^[15] Daviel Rivera was sent into exile by Norzagaray.^[16]

Daniel Rivera's poem read, in part, as follows:^[17]

After the closing of El Ponceño, Vilardell founded "El Fénix", and performed as both reporter and editor. He also went into the insurance business.^[18]

Other Ponce-based papers

• El Fénix (1855)
• La Democracia (1890)
• El Dia (1909)
• La Perla del Sur (1982)

References