Esta ley encarga al Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña y a la Junta de Planificación estudiar la posibilidad de declarar como monumentos históricos las estructuras de las Haciendas Los Torres y El Triunfo en Lares, reconociendo su importancia en el Grito de Lares. La ley también asigna al Instituto la custodia, conservación y mantenimiento de estas haciendas, permitiéndole establecer acuerdos con el municipio de Lares u organizaciones culturales sin fines de lucro para su administración y operación, y buscar contribuciones para su conservación.
(Approved December 25, 2002)
To charge the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and the Planning Board to study the possibility of declaring as Historical Monuments the structures of "Hacienda Los Torres" and "Hacienda El Triunfo," owned by Don Manuel Rojas, in the Municipality of Lares.
Don Alfredo González-Ruiz narrates that the ruins of "Hacienda El Triunfo" are located in Barrio Pezuela of Lares. In said Hacienda, the "Junta Revolucionaria Centro Bravo de Lares" would meet, and from there the army of patriots marched in courageous defiance of Spain, in what came to be known as the heroic exploit of "El Grito de Lares." Don Manuel Rojas, owner of the Hacienda, was the commander of that brave army that, raising the Bandera de Lares, made his triumphant entrance to Lares on September 23, 1968. Undoubtedly, this is a site of great historic background and interest that should be preserved. The remains of don Manuel Rojas shall soon be transferred to Puerto Rico from Venezuela.
Hacienda Los Torres was built in the years prior to the Grito de Lares. Its location at the entrance of the town invites us to visit it and learn about the historic wealth of Lares. Don José María Torres, owner of the Hacienda, and an active participant of the patriotic exploit of Spetember 23 1868, was married to doña María Isidora Pol y Segarra. Two of her brothers: don
Bernabé and don Andrés Pol, heroes of the Grito de Lares, upon the failure of the revolution and the beginning of the persecution against the patriots, hid in the surrounding mountains and slept in the attic of Hacienda Los Torres.
If the men and women who shaped the identity of Puerto Ricans with their example and courage on that $23^{ ext {rd }}$ day of September of 1868 , are heroes and heroines no lesser heroes, are the people of Lares who, for decades have made it their apostolate to defend the architectural and historic treasures of Lares. They are citizens with social awareness that deserve our recognition. The time has come to crown the efforts of a lifetime of these distinguished citizens through the successful acquisition of these historic monuments, to preserve the Haciendas: "El Triunfo and Los Torres."
Section 1.- The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and the Planning Board are hereby commissioned to study the possibility of declaring as monuments of historic interest and value for the People of Puerto Rico the land and the ruins of the structures of the old "Hacienda Los Torres" and "Hacienda El Triunfo" located in Barrio Pezuela of the Municipality of Lares.
Section 2.- The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture shall be responsible for the custody, conservation and maintenance of Hacienda Los Torres" and "El Triunfo." However, pursuant to the powers conferred to it in its Organic Act and other applicable laws and regulations, it may enter into any agreement with the Municipal Government of Lares or any nonprofit cultural organization for the administration and operation thereof.
Section 3.- The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture shall establish a selfsufficiency plan for the conservation and administration of both monuments.
For these purposes, it shall be empowered to request and receive any contribution or donation in cash, kind or goods from any department, agency, administration, office, public corporation or dependency of the Government of Puerto Rico or from the Municipal Governments or private enterprises to achieve the purposes of this Act.
Section 4.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 291 (S.B. 1465) of the $4^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to charge the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and the Planning Board to study the possibility of declaring as Historical of Monuments the structures of "Hacienda Los Torres" and "Hacienda El Triunfo," owned Don Manuel Rojas, in the Municipality of Lares, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $13^{ ext {th }}$ of August of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director