El “Ligao” de Ponce: Discursos, críticas y prácticas políticas entre republicanos, socialistas y unionistas en la campaña electoral de 1920

Abstract

In the electoral campaign of 1920, the Republican Party and the Socialist Party agreed to a coalition in the municipality of Ponce under the name of Partido Popular. The new independent party, better known as the Ligao, sought to overthrow the political hegemony presented by the Union Party. This essay presents the development and the political campaign of the Ligao. The community was involved in continuous political and ideological discussions that reveal the concerns and interests, not only of the municipality of Ponce, but also of the entire Island. During the course of the campaign, questions were raised about the compatibility of the coalition, there were progressive social justice proposals, women had an active participation, illegal electoral practices were exercised and incidents of violence occurred. Under this scenario, the Popular Party stands victorious, so this essay argues that the independent party manifests a period of transition towards a new Puerto Rican political reality.