Jayuya, Puerto Rico: History
The town of Jayuya was founded in 1911, but history traces non-indigenous settlers living in the region as far back as 1878. At that time, a small community was established there, separated from the larger cities of the coasts with little to no communication. Near the end of the 19th century, the town focused on the production of coffee, which greatly boosted the local economy.
In 1911, the town was officially declared a municipality with a population of more than 9,000.
In 1950, the town was the setting of the Jayuya Uprising, in which Nationalists started a revolt against the Government of the United States led by Blanca Canales, a social worker, and her cousins, Elio and Doris Torresola. Canales led the group into the main town square and gave a speech, declaring Puerto Rico an independent republic. The police station was later attacked, telephone lines cut, and the post office burned to the ground. One police officer was killed and three others wounded in these attacks. The group held the town for three days, until it was bombed by U.S. planes supporting a ground attack by the Puerto Rico National Guard. Even though an extensive part of the town was destroyed, the news of the American bombing was not reported outside of Puerto Rico. Instead, it was reported by the American media stateside as an incident between Puerto Ricans.
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, the people of Jayuya resorted to collecting water from mountain springs. Immediately following the hurricane, rescue and restoration efforts began by community members who gathered at the local high school. Most wooden structures were destroyed. Given that Jayuya is one of the most isolated places in Puerto Rico, volunteer doctors had to be flown in by helicopter to aid victims of the hurricane.