Francisco Vicente Aguilera
[2] Aguilera had inherited a fortune from his father, and in 1867 he was the richest landowner in the eastern region of Cuba, owning extensive properties, sugar refineries, livestock, and slaves.
In 1851 he participated in the conspiracy of Joaquín de Agüero, nevertheless, shortly after due to lack of coordination and his mother's illness momentarily he backed off from such activities.
Aguilera headed the first Cuban Revolutionary Committee, founded in Bayamo, with the participation of Pedro Figueredo (Perucho) and Francisco Maceo Osorio.
Until the beginning of 1870 he held that responsibility and on February 24 of that year the House of Representatives created the position of Vice President of the Republic designating him for the same.
Céspedes knowing the difficulties that existed abroad to seek help for the Republic of Cuba in Arms and sure of the sympathy that Aguilera enjoyed everywhere, he thought that he could influence the Cuban emigration and political figures from the United States and other countries in order to make future expeditions to Cuba with war material urged by the Cuban forces.
On the 28th he was in Jamaica and from there he left, as soon as he could, for New York, to take care of the General Agency, the body that directed foreign support for the war.
Aguilera responded to the President of the Chamber that yes, he would come to Cuba, but when he could lead a strong expedition to the West: "Orient and Camagüey, cradle and guarantee of the Revolution," Aguilera told Cisneros, "are the base of our operations, now the victory is in the West (...) we can kill Spanish soldiers in the East, but the way to conclude the war is to dry up the source from which they spring and we know where that source is."
This was mostly due to the efforts of Simón Bolívar, who is credited with leading the fight for independence in what are now the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia.
The pros being that the controlling country helped to improve the standard of living in the territory by building out infrastructure, introducing new technologies and implementing systems of governance and organization.
In 1851, at the age of 30, Aguilera began to conspire against Spanish colonial rule, and joined himself with a movement begun by proto-independence patriot Joaquín de Agüero in Camagüey, Cuba.
He led an anti-Spanish outbreak that occurred in Bayamo in 1867 and was selected as leader of a General Committee that had been designated to carry out plans for the insurrectionists.
Aguilera actively participated in the creation of conspiratorial groups in diverse regions of the country, including the planning of preliminary reunions that culminated in the declaration of independence of October 10, 1868 at Yara, led by planter and lawyer Carlos Manuel de Cespedes.
Aguilera's support of Cespedes stemmed from both his disinterest in political power, and his desire to improve the lot of his fellow countrymen.
At one of the conspiracy meetings he famously announced that he was ready and willing to sell all his private property at market value to raise funds for arming the new Cuban Army of Independence.
The following day, he published an ad in Bayamo's major newspaper offering all his properties, buildings, and livestock, which included 35,000 head of cattle and 4,000 horses, for sale.
Aguilera held many positions in the Cuban Army, including Major General, Minister of War, Vice President of the Republic, and Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern District.
Aguilera died completely destitute after a brief bout with throat cancer in his apartment at 223 West 30th Street in New York on February 22, 1877.
