The Soul Between Two Fires

At the beginning of the XVII century, the island of Puerto Rico, known as the "key to the Indies," is a critical Spanish possession in the Caribbean. It is mired in backwardness, isolation, and poverty due to pirate attacks, hurricanes, disease outbreaks, and deteriorating military resources. In October 1625, a new governor, don Juan de Haro y Sanvítores, arrives on the island. The Thirty Years' War, which began seven years earlier, mainly affected Central Europe. But now, it has tremendous repercussions in the New World, where the territories conquered by Spain are in the crosshairs of its enemies. One morning, shortly after the governor's arrival, a Dutch fleet appears off the coast of San Juan, the capital city. The Dutch invade it in an audacious move, and the defending Spanish forces are trapped in the crumbling Castillo del Morro, the island's main fortress. Isolated inside the fort, the Spanish troops lack food and ammunition. That is when the natives, criollos, and free slaves establish a lifeline using their canoes and boats to smuggle in the needed provisions, mocking the vigilance of the Dutch and risking their own lives. During the following twenty-eight days, these same natives are recruited to participate in dangerous campaigns, assisting the Spanish troops where they demonstrate their courage and fighting spirit. This is a story not only of social and racial tensions between colonizers and colonized. It is also a tale of the courage, daring, resourcefulness, and sacrifice of a humble people trying to triumph against overwhelming odds.