In the 1860s, the government of Spain was involved in several conflicts across Latin America.
It became involved in a war with Peru and Chile, and had to address slave revolts in Cuba.
At the time, Puerto Rico and Cuba also suffered  a severe economic crisis, due to increasing tariffs and taxes imposed by the Spanish central government on most import and export goods—the Spanish crown needed these funds badly, to subsidize its troops in the Dominican Republic.

In mid-19th century Puerto Rico, many supporters of independence from Spain, as well as others who did not support independence from Spain, but who simply called for liberal reforms, were jailed or exiled.
However, in 1865, the central government in Madrid, finally attempted to appease the growing discontent in all its overseas provinces by setting up a "board of review" to receive complaints from provincial representatives.
This board, the Junta Informativa de Reformas de Ultramar (Informative Board on Overseas Reforms) would be formed by representatives of each overseas province, in proportion to their collective population.
The board would meet in Madrid, then report to the Minister of State (Ministro de Estado), Emilio Castelar.

The Puerto Rican delegation was freely elected by those eligible to vote (male Caucasian property owners), in what was one of the first exercises of political openness in Spain.
Separatist Segundo Ruiz Belvis was elected to the Junta representing Mayagüez, something that horrified the governor of Puerto Rico as well as most of residents of the island, since the majority of Puerto Ricans did not support independence from the rest of Spain.

To the frustration of the Puerto Rican delegates, including their leader José Julián Acosta, the Junta had a majority of mainland Spain-born delegates, which would vote down almost every measure they suggested, including the measure on the abolition of slavery.
However, Acosta could convince the Junta that abolition could be achieved in Puerto Rico without disrupting the local economy (including its Cuban members, who frowned upon implementing it in Cuba because of its much higher numbers of slave labor).
Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, once he became minister for foreign affairs in 1870, finally approved an abolition bill, praising the efforts of the Puerto Rican members, sincerely moved by Acosta's arguments.

Beyond abolition however, proposals for autonomy were voted down, as were other petitions to limit the governor general's power over virtually every aspect of life in Puerto Rico.
Once the Junta members returned to Puerto Rico, they met with local community leaders in a famed meeting at the Hacienda El Cacao in Carolina, in early 1865.

Ramón Emeterio Betances, who supported independence from Spain and had been exiled by the Spanish government twice by that time, was invited by Ruiz and did attend.
After listening to the Junta members' list of voted-down measures, Betances stood up and retorted: "Nadie puede dar lo que no tiene" (You can't give away what you don't own),  a phrase he used throughout his entire life, when referring to Spain's unwillingness to grant Puerto Rico or Cuba any reforms.

Betances then suggested an outright, island-wide rebellion, with a proclamation of independence as soon as possible.
To Acosta's horror, many of the meeting's attendees sided with Betances.

Frustrated by the lack of political and economic freedom, by the continuing repression on the island — all of this caused by the extreme centralism of the Spanish central government in Madrid — an armed rebellion was staged by the pro-independence movement soon after.
In the 1860s, the government of Spain was involved in several conflicts across Latin America. It became involved in a war with Peru and Chile, and had to address slave revolts in Cuba. At the time, Puerto Rico and Cuba also suffered  a severe economic crisis, due to increasing tariffs and taxes imposed by the Spanish central government on most import and export goods—the Spanish crown needed these funds badly, to subsidize its troops in the Dominican Republic.
In mid-19th century Puerto Rico, many supporters of independence from Spain, as well as others who did not support independence from Spain, but who simply called for liberal reforms, were jailed or exiled. However, in 1865, the central government in Madrid, finally attempted to appease the growing discontent in all its overseas provinces by setting up a "board of review" to receive complaints from provincial representatives. This board, the Junta Informativa de Reformas de Ultramar (Informative Board on Overseas Reforms) would be formed by representatives of each overseas province, in proportion to their collective population. The board would meet in Madrid, then report to the Minister of State (Ministro de Estado), Emilio Castelar.
The Puerto Rican delegation was freely elected by those eligible to vote (male Caucasian property owners), in what was one of the first exercises of political openness in Spain. Separatist Segundo Ruiz Belvis was elected to the Junta representing Mayagüez, something that horrified the governor of Puerto Rico as well as most of residents of the island, since the majority of Puerto Ricans did not support independence from the rest of Spain. 
To the frustration of the Puerto Rican delegates, including their leader José Julián Acosta, the Junta had a majority of mainland Spain-born delegates, which would vote down almost every measure they suggested, including the measure on the abolition of slavery. However, Acosta could convince the Junta that abolition could be achieved in Puerto Rico without disrupting the local economy (including its Cuban members, who frowned upon implementing it in Cuba because of its much higher numbers of slave labor). Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, once he became minister for foreign affairs in 1870, finally approved an abolition bill, praising the efforts of the Puerto Rican members, sincerely moved by Acosta's arguments.
Beyond abolition however, proposals for autonomy were voted down, as were other petitions to limit the governor general's power over virtually every aspect of life in Puerto Rico. Once the Junta members returned to Puerto Rico, they met with local community leaders in a famed meeting at the Hacienda El Cacao in Carolina, in early 1865.
Ramón Emeterio Betances, who supported independence from Spain and had been exiled by the Spanish government twice by that time, was invited by Ruiz and did attend. After listening to the Junta members' list of voted-down measures, Betances stood up and retorted: "Nadie puede dar lo que no tiene" (You can't give away what you don't own),  a phrase he used throughout his entire life, when referring to Spain's unwillingness to grant Puerto Rico or Cuba any reforms.
Betances then suggested an outright, island-wide rebellion, with a proclamation of independence as soon as possible. To Acosta's horror, many of the meeting's attendees sided with Betances.
Frustrated by the lack of political and economic freedom, by the continuing repression on the island — all of this caused by the extreme centralism of the Spanish central government in Madrid — an armed rebellion was staged by the pro-independence movement soon after.
Grito de Lares