Antillean Confederation
The Antillean Confederation was the vehement idea of Ramón Emeterio Betances about the need for natives of the Caribbean to unite into a regional entity that would seek to preserve the sovereignty and well-being of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Supporters of the idea wanted to free Cuba and Puerto Rico, later uniting them with the Dominican Republic, creating a united Spanish Caribbean nation, an idea that had a significant level of support in these islands during the mid-late 1800s. Some supporters even wanted to include Haiti or Colombia into this union, however this was not supported by all.
Antillean Confederation Confederación de las Antillas | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 Orthographic Projection of Antillean Confederation. Original proposed members in dark green and additional proposed members in light green. | |
| Largest city | Santo Domingo |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Area | |
• Total | 167,429.78 km2 (64,645.00 sq mi) (89) |
| Today part of | Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico |
Many of the generals who fought in Dominican War of Independence and against later Haitian invasions, the Dominican Restoration War against Spain, the Cuban War of Independence, Ten Years' War, the Little War, and the Puerto Rican Grito de Lares uprising, supported this idea. Support was strongest from the 1850s up until the Spanish-American War, which transferred the colonies of Cuba (briefly) and Puerto Rico (until Present day) from Spain to the United States, since then the support for the idea largely faded away.
Its main idea was to subsequently end European colonialism in the Americas as well as a response to the Monroe doctrine phrase America for the Americans, which Ramón Emeterio Betances changed into Antilles for the Antilleans. The main gathering point of the idealists was San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Strong supporters of this idea:
- Eugenio María de Hostos[1] also known as The Citizen of the Americas
- Gregorio Luperón hero of the Dominican Restoration War.
- José Martí often referred to as The Apostle of Cuban Independence.
- José de Diego
- Ramón Emeterio Betances
- Anténor Firmin