Pedro Betancourt Dávalos

Pedro Betancourt Dávalos (1858–1933) was a doctor, a major general and Cuban revolutionary in the Cuban War of Independence, a diplomat, a secretary of agriculture, a politician and a father.

Pedro Betancourt Dávalos was born on August 6, 1858, in La Palma near the town of Sabanilla del Encomendador, Matanzas Province. His parents were Juan Florencio Betancourt and Clotilde Davalos. His early studies took place at Las Normales in the city of Matanzas. He would return to the family farm in Sabanilla during the holidays. Later, his secondary school, La Empresa, was run by the Guitars brothers. At this time he was exposed to liberal and revolutionary ideas. The school was closed by order of the Spanish government at the beginning of the war in 1868. He graduated from high school in 1874, and went on to study medicine at the University of Havana. In 1878, he entered the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1881.

Early in his career, on September 20, 1881, Betancourt was admitted to practice medicine in the city of Matanzas for a term of six years. After that term he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, during which time he was painted in evening dress by Cuban portraitist Armando Menocal. He went to Madrid to validate his medical degree in Spain, and on May 30, 1888, he was validated by the Spanish Ministerio de Fomento, allowing him to practice medicine in Cuba permanently.

Shortly after his return to the island, Betancourt began actively organizing revolutionary activities under direct orders from José Martí, the president of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, who was in exile. He coordinated an uprising of the revolutionary forces at the town of Ibarra on February 24, 1895. The uprising failed, resulting in the capture and death of the many revolutionaries. Betancourt was captured returning to the city of Matanzas and was held at the castle of San Severino. He was then transferred to Havana and later exiled to Spain. On June 10, 1895, with the help of Major General Calixto García, he escaped and traveled to Paris. There he met the Cuban delegate Dr. Betances and received orders to travel to the United States.

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