José N. Gándara
Encyclopedia
Dr. José Narciso Gándara Cartagena (1907–1954) was a Puerto Rican
physician
. He is best remembered for having led teams of doctors in the medical care necessary to threat the hundreds of wounded of the infamous Ponce Massacre
that occurred on Palm Sunday
, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico
, at the hands of the Insular Police
. Dr. Gandara was also instrumental in providing expert witness
testimony, grounded on his medical training and experience to the effect that wounded Nationalists
running away were shot in the back, and that many were again wounded by the clubs and bare fists of the police.
Dr. Gandara held over a dozen different public servant positions in Puerto Rico, not only in health but also in public housing and other areas. He was also Deputy Commissioner of Health of the Commonwealth from 1943 to 1945. He was also one of the founders of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
.
developments in Ponce
and Moca
named after Dr. Gandara. There is a high school in Aibonito, Puerto Rico
named in his memory.In Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, there is a public school named him also. He is recognized as one of Ponce's greatest physicians at the Park of the Illustrious Ponce Citizens.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. He is best remembered for having led teams of doctors in the medical care necessary to threat the hundreds of wounded of the infamous Ponce Massacre
Ponce massacre
The Ponce massacre occurred on 21 March 1937 when a peaceful march in Ponce, Puerto Rico, by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party commemorating the ending of slavery in Puerto Rico by the governing Spanish National Assembly in 1873, and coinciding with a protest against the incarceration by the...
that occurred on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, at the hands of the Insular Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. Dr. Gandara was also instrumental in providing expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
testimony, grounded on his medical training and experience to the effect that wounded Nationalists
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded on September 17, 1922. Its main objective is to work for Puerto Rican Independence.In 1919, José Coll y Cuchí, a member of the Union Party of Puerto Rico, felt that the Union Party was not doing enough for the cause of Puerto Rican independence and he...
running away were shot in the back, and that many were again wounded by the clubs and bare fists of the police.
Dr. Gandara held over a dozen different public servant positions in Puerto Rico, not only in health but also in public housing and other areas. He was also Deputy Commissioner of Health of the Commonwealth from 1943 to 1945. He was also one of the founders of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
.
Legacy
There are public housingPublic housing in Puerto Rico
Public housing in Puerto Rico is a subsidized system of housing units, mostly consisting of housing projects , which are provided for low-income families in Puerto Rico...
developments in Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
and Moca
Moca, Puerto Rico
Moca is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the north-western region of the island, north of Añasco; southeast of Aguadilla; east of Aguada; and west of Isabela and San Sebastián. Moca is spread over 12 wards and Moca Pueblo...
named after Dr. Gandara. There is a high school in Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerio; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo...
named in his memory.In Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, there is a public school named him also. He is recognized as one of Ponce's greatest physicians at the Park of the Illustrious Ponce Citizens.
See also
- Ponce, Puerto RicoPonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans