History of the Puerto Rican Flag

"Que bonita bandera. La Bandera Puertorriqueña." Definitely beautiful but where did that flag come from? Who designed it? And what does it mean?

When asked, many can identify it: Red, white and blue with five horizontal red and white strips and a white star centered in a blue triangular field on the top corner of the hoist side.

The red stripes represent the brave warriors' blood while the white are symbolic of the victory and peace of gaining independence. The star represents the island, the triangle indicates three branches of government, and the blue field signifies the sky and coastal waters.

The Puerto Rican flag is the inverse of the Cuban flag, reflecting the comradery of 19th century Cuban and Puerto Rican patriots in exile.

Created by the Puerto Rican portion of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, to advocate independence from Spanish rule, the flag's actual author remains controversial and uncertain. Some possible creators include Gonzalo (Pachín) Marín, Antonio Vélez Alvarado or Manuel Besosa.

Marín was said to have presented a flag prototype to the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee in New York City since then he has received primary credit.

Another rumor is that Vélez Alvarado was said to have stared at the Cuban flag for several minutes before seeing it inverted as an optical illusion against the white wall of his Manhattan apartment.

And finally, Manuel Besosa's daughter wrote a letter stating she sewed the flag creating a belief that he could have been its designer.

The original, created in 1895, contained a light blue hue in its design, yet a darker blue tone was later chosen for today's official flag. Adopted in 1952, the very day Puerto Rico became a commonwealth or a "free associated state", the darker blue represented a severance from the flag's original revolutionary ties.

In 1898 when Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States, the Puerto Rican flag became the mark of resistance to the invasion and it was considered a felony to display it in public. Anyone caught doing so was arrested on charges of insubordination against the United States. During that time the only flag permitted to be flown on the island was the U.S. stars and stripes.

Then in 1948, when Luis Muñoz Marin was elected governor of Puerto Rico, his administration adopted the dark blue version making it the official Island flag. To date it has only flown along side the United States flag.

The shade of blue used on the flags tends to correspond with political views. Pro-independence groups prefer the original lighter blue, while those who favor statehood use the darker shade, more closely representing the American flag.

Regardless of the hue, the flag remains a symbol of pride for Puerto Ricans everywhere.