[2] Employing a systematic approach, Enríquez was able to become the most successful and influential Puerto Rican of his time and one of the most powerful men in the New World, converting San Juan into one of the best supplied and important ports in the Caribbean.

[4] For this, the Crown granted him a Royal Auxiliary Identification Document (Spanish: Real Cédula Auxiliar), which allowed him to directly seek help from the Council of the Indies regardless of how insignificant a conflict was.

[9][10] His success also led to resentment and constant clashes with the white caste of San Juan, placing him at odds with most of the colonial governors assigned to Puerto Rico.

[28] Gutiérrez proposed the construction of a new boat for the sole purpose of plundering enemy ships, with half of the loot destined to the Crown and the remainder being distributed among the crew.

[29] Gutiérrez needed a front man for this operation and Enríquez was eventually selected, his race allowing for a safe scapegoat if the privateering resulted in conflicts between the local government and Spain.

[30] Multiple invasion attempts by enemy countries further fueled privateering operations, the Spanish West Indies were constantly being besieged by England, Denmark and the Netherlands.

[33] However, these foreign vessels were being used to import contraband, which combined with a general animosity due to previous conflicts between these nations, further fueled the need to stabilize the economy by supporting local privateers.

[55] The king consulted the Council of the Indies, which proposed that Enríquez should receive the Medal of the Royal Effigy (Spanish: "Medalla de la Real Efigie") which knighted him as a Caballero of Spain.

Enríquez was confident that with his previous actions he had gained the governor's favor, but noticing that his ship arrived fully loaded likely offered an early warning that the functionary actually intended to compete with him.

[64] Having spent the two years after being appointed in the adjacent Cumaná and Margarita, the governor had observed the models used in the Americas and established connections, also becoming familiar with Enríquez's own modus operandi.

Having just learned how governor don Juan de Ribera has stripped you violently, taking away the corsair vessels and other effects, I have ordered a prosecution against him, by law, due to this and other charges and the entire restitution [of your wealth] so you can carry on as you were with your loyal privateering, zeal and disinterest, which would be of my royal satisfaction."

On one occasion the governor asked him to certify (on behalf of the Royal Guinea Company) that a ship had not returned, after it arrived from Saint Thomas loaded with an illegal haul, but Enríquez refused to commit fraud.

[75] Throughout Ribera's term, the elite class of San Juan launched a disparaging campaign, offended by the fact that a mulato had essentially become the most influential figure in Puerto Rico.

[90] The first was sent to the governor of Cumaná, José Carreño, and requested that he travel to Puerto Rico and execute the confiscation of Rivera's property and interests with the help of local authorities which was done on May 3, 1716.

[96] The interim governor sent an official proposal and noted his belief that the privateer and 500 militiamen would suffice and that no royal investment would be needed, but ultimately desisted of the idea after the project failed to gain approval.

[101] The proprietary restrictions brought forth by the War of the Quadruple Alliance led to Pozo and dean Martín Calderón requesting an ecclesiastical investigation into the privateer's assets that ended with the Bishop of San Juan siding with Enríquez.

[129] In 1722, Enríquez alleged in a letter to the Spanish Crown that since his return Danío had only pursued the appropriation of his fortune and done corrupt actions that led to losses in his privateering ventures.

[130] Furthermore, both could never agree on the amount of money that was owed due to their previous arrangement, with the governor claiming that it was 42,261 pieces of eight, but the privateer rebuffing that it was a shared debt and that the fortune was spent in critical investments.

[153] With his vessels playing a key role to secure Spain's dominance over Great Britain during the Anglo-Spanish War, Enríquez made a bold request for a mulato, asking Patiño to help him reach the rank of Royal Admiral.

[165] Following his intervention, the cases of Danío and Álvarez were suddenly re-evaluated by the Council of the Indies and Enríquez was forced to pay 4,000 pieces of eight to the former governor, despite the fact that the investigation had already been closed.

An example was published in 1940 by historian Jean O. McLachlan who lived in British India, who after revising the declarations of the South Sea Company's factors concluded that Enríquez "[should have been] the most famous of the guarda costas" and that he "may have been a desperado".

[1] The process of rediscovering the privateer's past took several years of research, during which his life's work was slowly retrieved from the contemporary documents that survive in the General Archive of the Indies.

[187] Among the issues explored were the circumstances of Enríquez's downfall, which are discussed within the framework set by López Cantós and Brau, leading to the author's conclusion that the backlash of the higher classes "represents a clear example of how the [18th century] Puerto Rican society was not ready to accept this kind of individual.

"[187] In her doctoral dissertation in psychology, Miriam Biascoechea Pereda argues that Enríquez is the first recorded instance of an "incipient national identity" among locals, emphasizing that he acted on behalf of "his people [so they] could survive in lieu of Spain's blatant neglect of this forlorn colony.

"[188] This author states that the "Puerto Rican nation was born with a Mulatto and Caribbean flair" due to his "powerful and influential personality" which "was feared by all, even by the Spanish Monarch, for his bravery and might.

Teacher, journalist and writer Enrique A. Laguerre wrote a novel dedicated to his memory, titled Miguel Enríquez: Proa libre sobre mar gruesa (lit.

In 2016, Raúl Ríos Díaz published the eponymous short documentary Miguel Enríquez, which combined his own research with Cantós' previous work, later winning a Gold Peer Award for best direction and the public preference vote at the San Juan Fine Arts Film Festival.

[193] As part of the Ibero-American branch of promotion for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Ubisoft published an "affinity test" that allowed players to gauge their relation to certain historical figures, among whom was Enríquez, who was listed under both variants of his name.

In 2021, painter Antonio Martorell unveiled an acrylic piece titled Don Miguel Enríquez (Corsario del rey) as part of his "Entretelas Familiares" series, depicting the corsair in full military uniform while a scene involving a sloop and schooner sailing at sea develops in the background.

[195] This exhibit illustrated seventy-six portraits dealing with family, friendship and societal dynamics at large and was featured at the Museo de las Américas in Old San Juan until September 2022.