Puppet of Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances photograph (1996)
The puppet of Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances, displayed at the 1996 Festival Betances represents the namesake of the festival. Born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, Dr. Betances was a surgeon, poet, essayist, and politician. He studied in Paris, and upon returning to Puerto Rico to pursue medicine, he saw the injustices of the poor and turned his pursuits to the abolition of slavery. Betances is perhaps best revered for his struggle for Puerto Rican independence and his role in awakening a national consciousness of Puerto Rico. From the Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción records.

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