Antonio Mattei Lluberas

Antonio Mattei Lluberas
Born	September 7, 1857 Yauco, Puerto Rico
Died	January 15, 1908 Yauco, Puerto Rico
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Occupation	Businessman, politician
Notes
Planned and led the "Intentona de Yauco" uprising.

Antonio Mattei Lluberas (September 7, 1857 – January 15, 1908), was a businessman and politician who in 1897 planned and led the second and last major uprising against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, known as the Intentona de Yauco.

Mattei Lluberas was born in the town of Yauco, Puerto Rico to Antonio Mattei Casanova and Mercedes Lluberas Torres de Figueroa. Mattei Lluberas' father's parents, who were of Corsican descent, sent him to France where he received his primary and secondary education.

He returned to Puerto Rico and became a wealthy businessman after he established a successful coffee plantation. He later married Ana María Rita Emmanuelli Negroni, the (daughter of Louis Henri Emanuelli Ciavaldini b 1824 Corsica and Ana Maria Negroni Rodriguez) and had three children: Rita María, Rita Monserrate and Luis Antonio.

Mattei Lluberas was among the many Puerto Ricans at the time who professed liberal ideals and believed that Puerto Rico should be an independent nation free from Spanish Colonial rule. As such, he became involved with the island's revolutionary movement and became one of their leaders. In 1896, Mattei Lluberas met with Mateo Mercado and a group of "Yaucanos" (as the natives of Yauco are known) who believed in full independence of Puerto Rico in Barrio Barinas of Yauco and made plans to overthrow the government. On December of that year, the local Civil Guard discovered their plans and proceeded to arrest all those involved who, besides Mercado and Mattei Lluberas, included Dario and Carlos Franchesi and Emiliano Lavergue, however they were soon released and returned to their respective homes.

In 1897, Mattei Lluberas visited the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee in New York City. There he met with Ramon Emeterio Betances, Juan de Mata Terreforte and Aurelio Méndez Martinez and together they proceeded to plan a major coup. The uprising was to be directed by Betances, organized by Mendez Mercado and the armed forces were to be commanded by General Rius Rivera. At the time Rius Rivera, who joined José Martí's struggle for Cuban independence as a member of the Cuban Liberation Army, was the Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Liberation Army of the West.

In accordance to the plan, Mattei Lluberas purchased 30,000 machetes which were to be distributed amongst the rebels. Mattei Lluberas returned to Puerto Rico with a Puerto Rican flag and began to proceed with the plans of the revolt with his group. The Budet Rivera brothers established an insurgent training camp in the farm of Gullermo Velazco. Fellow rebels, Gerardo Forest Velez and Agustin F. Morales (himself a general in the Army of the Dominican Republic), were in charge of propaganda and traveled throughout the island seeking public support for their cause. Cuban revolutionist Tomas Estrada Palma, offered a contribution of 500 rifles with half a million rounds of ammunition and his comrade offered a steamship with an invading force of 200 men under the command of General Agustin F. Morales. The revolution was set for the beginning of the month of December 1897.