Famous Puerto Ricans: C
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50 people
Florencio Cabán Hernández
Artisan, trovador, musician, and noted carver of santos de palo whose work was recognized by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in 1967.
Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo"
Beloved Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, folklorist, and cultural icon best known for composing "Verde Luz," one of Puerto Rico's most cherished patriotic songs.
Ernesto Cabrera
Political figure who represented his community in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and contributed to public life during the twentieth century.
Luis Germán Cajigas
Painter recognized for his contributions to Puerto Rican visual arts and for work inspired by the island's landscapes, culture, and everyday life.
Héctor "Macho" Camacho
World boxing champion known for his speed, charisma, and larger-than-life personality inside and outside the ring.
José Campeche
Puerto Rico's first great painter and one of the finest portrait and religious artists in the Americas during the colonial period. Son of a freed slave and a Canary Islander. This "Sanjuanero" became one of Puerto Rico's most eminent painters. Trained by Luis Paret, a court painter banished from Spain, Campeche produced approximately 400 paintings, thereby earning a reputation as "the most gifted of Latin American Rococo artist." Devoutly religious, he often painted for churches but was also a noted portrait painter of subjects ranging from leading politicians to the local landed gentry. Some of his most famous paintings are: the portraits of Raman de Castro and Miguel A. de Ustariz, The Virgin of Belen, The Virgin of the Rosary, Saint John the Baptist, The Sacred Family, The Bishop of San Francisco de la Cuerda, and The Vision of Saint Anthony.
Blanca Canales
Nationalist Leader • Activist Born in Jayuya, Blanca Canales became one of Puerto Rico's most influential political figures. She led the historic Jayuya Uprising of 1950, proclaiming the Republic of Puerto Rico during the Nationalist revolt. Today she remains a symbol of courage and one of the municipality's most recognized historical figures.
Nemesio Canales
Born December 18, 1878 in Jayuya. Died September 14, 1923 in New York. Born in Jayuya, Nemesio Canales was a celebrated writer, attorney, journalist, and legislator whose essays and plays challenged social norms and advocated for political reform. His literary legacy remains an important part of Puerto Rican culture.
He was a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives and he wrote a column called "Paliques" for the newspaper of which this article formed part. He published a selection of these articles in a book by the same name.
Juan Cancel Alegría
Public servant and community leader recognized for his contributions to the development and preservation of Maricao's cultural and civic heritage.
Juan Cancio Ortiz
Educator and community leader recognized for his dedication to public education and civic development in western Puerto Rico.
Luisa Capetillo
Labor organizer in Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S. Born on October 28, 1879 in Arecibo. A free thinker, a feminist, an anarchist and a workers' and women's rights activist, in the early 1900's. She believed that good wages were a worker's right and insisted that women should have the same right to vote as men. Although she is best known today for being the first woman to wear pants in public. In 1919, she challenged the mainstream society by wearing pants in public and sent to jail for what was then considered to be a "crime", but, the judge later dropped the charges against her. On April 10, 1922, Capetillo died of tuberculosis in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, at the age of 42.
Bobby Capó
Singer, songwriter, and composer known for classic Puerto Rican and Latin American songs.
Pedro Miguel Caratini
Musician and director associated with Puerto Rican popular and salsa music.
Medardo Carazo
Educator remembered among Trujillo Alto's important historical figures for his contributions to teaching and the municipality's educational heritage.
Victor A. Carreño
NASA aerospace engineer and technologist credited with inventing and developing the Single Frequency Multitransmitter Telemetry System in 1983, for which he holds a patent. He joined NASA Langley Research Center after earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico in 1979. He later earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Old Dominion University in 1985 and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Cambridge in 1997. His research has focused on the verification of safety-critical systems.
Milagros Carrillo
Known as "La Jibarita de Canóvanas," Milagros Carrillo was a singer of traditional Puerto Rican décimas and a dramatic actress who appeared in theater and television. Her work helped preserve and promote Puerto Rico's rural musical traditions.
Tomás Carrión Maduro
Attorney and public official who served as Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico and later as a Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. He remains one of Juana Díaz's most distinguished legal figures.
Pablo Casals
Born in El Vendrell, Spain. Internationally renowned cellist, conductor, and composer who developed deep ties to Puerto Rico and established the Festival Casals de Puerto Rico in 1957.
José Antonio Cedeño
Physician, educator, and public servant who contributed to the civic and political development of Arecibo while advocating for public health and education throughout Puerto Rico.
William Cepeda
Internationally recognized jazz trombonist, composer, and educator known for blending Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms with Latin jazz and contemporary music.
Francisco Cervoni Gely
Poet, playwright, journalist, and political figure whose writings appeared in Puerto Rican newspapers and magazines. His dramatic works include Los suegros and La cruz roja.
Ángel Luis Chardón
A distinguished botanist, educator, and university leader recognized for his pioneering research in tropical agriculture and plant sciences.
Arístides Chavier
Attorney, politician, and civic leader remembered for his contributions to public service and Yauco's political history during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Chayanne
Born Elmer Figueroa Arce and raised in San Lorenzo, Chayanne became one of Puerto Rico's most internationally recognized Latin pop performers, with a career spanning music, television, and film.
Roberto Clemente
Born August 18, 1934 in Carolina. Although born in Carolina, Clemente is deeply tied to Bayamón through his humanitarian work and connection to the greater metro area. He was a baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972), he compiled a lifetime batting average of .317, hit 240 home runs and was considered baseball's premier defensive outfielder. Clemente won four National League batting titles (1961, 1964, 1965, 1966). He was the league's Most Valuable Player in 1966 and was selected to the All-Star team 12 times. He also won 12 Gold Glove awards as the NL's premier right fielder, and he was frequently cited by experts as having the best outfielder's throwing arm they had ever seen. After he obtained his 3,000th hit in the last game of the 1972 season. He became the first Latin American player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he remains a symbol of Puerto Rican pride. On December 31, 1972, Clemente's life was tragically cut short when an airplane loaded with supplies for earthquake victims in Managua, Nicaragua, crashed off the Puerto Rican coast. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973.
Antonio Coll Vidal
Poet, novelist, playwright, and journalist whose literary contributions earned recognition from the Puerto Rican Institute of Literature and enriched the island's cultural heritage.
Cayetano Coll y Toste
Died November 19, 1930 in Madrid, Spain. Born on November, 30 1850 in Arecibo. Among his many written works are: "El Boletin Historico de Puerto Rico" (Historical Boletin of Puerto Rico), "Cronicas de Arecibo" (Cronicals of Arecibo) and "Legendas y Tradiciones Puertorriqueñas" (Puerto Rican Legends and Traditions). In 1913, Toste was named Official Historian of Puerto Rico. His research into the history of Puerto Rico gave people an insight into the island from the times of the Tainos up until 1927. One of his works "The Indo-Antillano Vocabulary" is valuable in understanding the way of live of the Tainos. His works are required reading in Puerto Rican high schools and Universities. He died on November 19, 1930 in Madrid, Spain.
Pablo Colón Berdecía
Attorney, legislator, and public servant who served in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and made important contributions to public policy and government.
Jesús E. Colón Berlingeri
Municipal leader who succeeded Jesús M. Colón Collazo as mayor in 2000 and became one of the longest-serving mayors in Orocovis' modern history.
Ileana Colón Carlo
Ileana Colón Carlo was a certified public accountant, attorney, and respected public official who became the first woman to serve as Comptroller of Puerto Rico. She held the position from 1987 to 1997 and was also the first woman to preside over the Puerto Rico Society of Certified Public Accountants, establishing a distinguished legacy in financial oversight and public accountability.
Jesús M. Colón Collazo
Long-serving mayor who led Orocovis from 1980 to 2000 and played an important role in the municipality's development during the closing decades of the twentieth century.
Oscar Colón Delgado
A self-taught painter and educator known for his depictions of Puerto Rican landscapes and rural life. He founded art schools in Arecibo, Caguas, Utuado, and Hatillo, helping make art education more accessible beyond San Juan.
Efraín Colón Torres
A distinguished educator and musician who dedicated his career to music education and the development of Puerto Rican cultural programs. His contributions have influenced generations of students and performers.
Jesús Colón
Known as the "Father of Puerto Rican Literature in the United States," Jesús Colón was a pioneering writer, labor organizer, and civil rights advocate whose essays documented the experiences of Puerto Ricans living in New York City. His work became foundational to the Nuyorican literary movement.
José Colón
A respected Puerto Rican musician and composer who contributed to the preservation and promotion of traditional Puerto Rican music. His work helped keep the island's musical heritage alive for future generations.
Juana Colón
Known as the "Joan of Arc of Comerío," Juana Colón was a labor organizer, suffragist, and advocate for workers' rights who became one of Puerto Rico's most influential social activists.
Christopher Columbus
Born in Genoa, Italy. Navigator whose second voyage reached Puerto Rico in 1493, beginning sustained European contact with the island and the Spanish colonial period.
César Concepción
Composer, pianist, and orchestra leader César Concepción was born in Ciales. His orchestra helped popularize Puerto Rican dance music throughout Latin America during the mid-twentieth century.
Alex Cora
Former Major League infielder, World Series champion, and current manager of the Boston Red Sox. Widely respected as one of Puerto Rico's most successful baseball managers and ambassadors for the sport.
Ángel Tomás Cordero, Jr.
Champion jockey who won 7,057 races during a 22-year career before retiring in 1992. Born November 8, 1942, in Santurce, he won six Triple Crown races, including three Kentucky Derbies.
Rafael Cordero
Born October 24, 1790 in San Juan. Died July 5, 1868 in San Juan. Educator and abolitionist who provided free schooling to children of all backgrounds, becoming a symbol of educational equality.
His great interest and love for reading prepared and helped him to develop the skills and the capabilities to perform as a primary teacher. Since the beginning of XIX century he dedicated himself to the children teaching in his own house, without payment. For 58 years he maintained this educational center, at Luna Street in San Juan. He taught them to read, calligraphy, arithmetic and christian (catholic) instruction. Among the students were: Román Baldorioty de Castro, Alejandro Tapia y Rivera, José Julian Acosta, Francisco del Valle Atiles and others.
Rafael de Jesús Cordero
An economist and educator, Rafael de Jesús Cordero became Puerto Rico's first Comptroller after serving as a professor of economics at the University of Puerto Rico. His work helped establish modern standards of fiscal oversight and public accountability on the island.
Isaac Córdova Chávez
A respected journalist, columnist, and writer, Isaac Córdova Chávez devoted much of his career to documenting Puerto Rico's culture, politics, and society. His thoughtful commentary and literary work earned him recognition as one of Aguas Buenas' most distinguished intellectuals.
Carlos Correa
Major League Baseball shortstop and one of Puerto Rico's most prominent contemporary baseball players. Born in Santa Isabel, Correa was selected first overall in the 2012 MLB Draft and was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2015.
Juan Antonio Corretjer
Born March 3, 1908 in Ciales, Juan Antonio Corretjer was a poet, essayist, journalist, and political activist whose literary and political work became closely associated with Puerto Rican identity and the independence movement.
In 1920, when he was only 12 years old, Corretjer wrote his first poem "Canto a Ciales" (My song to Ciales). In 1924, he published his first booklet of poems. In 1927, he worked as a journalist for several newspapers and publications in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the U.S. He travelled to New York, Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic to endorse other political groups opposed to U.S. dominion and look for support for Puerto Rico's independance movement. In 1929, he returns to Puerto Rico and soon after, in 1930 he met Pedro Albizu Campos and joins him to work with the Nationalist Party. He was named the Administrative Secretary of the Nationalist Party. Since then, he became a faithfull figther for nationalism. Corretjer was jailed several times because of his political views and activities.
During his reclusion he authored several publications: "Amor de Puerto Rico" and "Cántico de Guerra" (Song of War), both published in 1937.
During his long carrier he published several books of poems: "Agüeybana" (1932), "Versos al Mar de un Hombre de Tierra Adentro" (1933), "El Leñero" (Timberman; 1944), "Imagen de Borinquen: Los Primeros Años" (1950), "Tierra Nativa" (Native Land; 1951), "Alabanza en la Torre de Ciales" (1953), "Yerba Bruja" (Bewitched Grass; 1957) and many more.
In 1978, the Institute of Culture published "Obras Completas", Volume I. He died on January 19, 1985 in San Juan.
José Antonio Cotto
Former professional boxer who competed in multiple world title fights and represented Puerto Rico internationally.
Enrique "Quique" Cruz
Well-known television and radio personality recognized throughout Puerto Rico for his journalism, political commentary, and decades of work in broadcast media.
Nicky Cruz
Internationally known Christian evangelist and bestselling author of Run Baby Run. His remarkable life story of transformation has inspired millions worldwide.
Javier Culson
Track & Field Olympic bronze medalist Javier Culson was born in Ponce but raised in Ciales. Specializing in the 400-meter hurdles, he became one of Puerto Rico's most accomplished track and field athletes, winning medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games.
Tite Curet Alonso
Prolific salsa composer who wrote classics for Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, and Ismael Rivera. One of the most important figures in Latin popular music.
