Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano , better known as El Pirata Cofresí, was a pirate from Puerto Rico. Despite his birth into a noble family, the political and economic difficulties faced by the island as a colony of the Spanish Empire during the late 18th and early 19th centuries meant that his household was poor. Cofresí worked at sea from an early age; although this familiarized him with the region's geography, it provided only a modest salary. He eventually decided to abandon a sailor's life, becoming a pirate. Despite previous links to land-based criminal activities, the reason for Cofresí's change of vocation is unknown; historians speculate that he may have worked as a privateer aboard El Scipión, a ship owned by one of his cousins. At the height of his career, he evaded capture by vessels from Spain, Gran Colombia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Denmark, France, and the United States. Cofresí commanded several small-draft vessels, the best known a fast six-gun sloop named Anne, and demonstrated a preference for speed and maneuverability over firepower. He manned them with small, rotating crews, which most contemporary documents and accounts numbered at 10 to 20 in size. Cofresí preferred to outrun his pursuers but his flotilla engaged the West Indies Squadron twice, attacking the schooners USS Grampus and USS Beagle. Although most crew members were recruited locally, men from the other Antilles, Central America and expatriate Europeans occasionally joined the pirates. Despite never confessing to a murder, he reportedly boasted about his crimes; the number of people who died as a result of his pillaging ranged from 300 to 400, mostly foreigners. Cofresí proved too much for local authorities who, unable to contain him themselves, accepted international help to capture the pirate; Spain created an alliance with the West Indies Squadron and the Danish government of Saint Thomas. On March 5, 1825, the alliance set a trap which forced Anne into a naval battle. After 45 minutes, Cofresí abandoned his ship and escaped overland; he was recognized by a local resident, who ambushed and injured him. Cofresí was captured and imprisoned, making a last unsuccessful attempt to escape by trying to bribe an official with part of a hidden stash. The pirates were sent to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where a brief military tribunal found them guilty and sentenced them to death. On March 29, 1825, Cofresí and most of his crew were executed by firing squad. The pirate inspired stories and myths after his death, most emphasizing a Robin Hood-like steal from the rich, give to the poor philosophy which became associated with him. In poetry and oral tradition this portrayal has evolved into legend, commonly accepted as fact in Puerto Rico and throughout the West Indies. A subset of these claims that Cofresí became part of the Puerto Rican independence movement and other secessionist initiatives, including Simón Bolívar's campaign against Spain. Historic and mythical accounts of his life have inspired songs, poems, plays, books and films. In Puerto Rico caves, beaches and other alleged hideouts or locations of buried treasure have been named after Cofresí, and a resort town near Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic is named for him.
Continue reading...From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.