Famous Puerto Ricans: L
Browse by last name.
18 people
Tiburcio de la Espada
Artist and cultural promoter recognized for preserving the artistic traditions and heritage of Sabana Grande.
Naldo de la Loma
Born Fernando Milán, Naldo de la Loma became a beloved Puerto Rican singer and songwriter known for his romantic ballads and traditional music. His career helped popularize Puerto Rican music throughout Latin America.
Enrique Laguerre
One of Puerto Rico's most celebrated novelists, essayists, and educators. Laguerre authored more than twenty books, including La Llamarada, considered a classic of Puerto Rican literature. Laguerre Velez, Enrique A. (1905--2005), writer, poet, teacher and critic, was born on July 15, 1905 in Moca. He is the best-known novelist of the 20th century. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in Arts (BA in 1938 and MA in 1941) and a doctoral degree in Arts from the University of Columbia (1949) in New York. His first and best known novel, "La Llamarada" (1935) is considered the most important novel of the Generation of the '30s, it describes the political, economic and social conditions that prevailded in the island. Laguerre was also known as an advocate for environmental conservation. Laguerre is considered the most important Puerto Rican novelist, among his many novels are: "Solar Montoya" (1941), "La Resaca" (1949), "Los Amos Benévolos" (1976) (The Benevolent Masters), and "Los Gemelos" (1992). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999. He died on June 16, 2005.
Tulio Larrínaga
Civil engineer and statesman born in Trujillo Alto who served as Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1905 to 1911 and contributed to major infrastructure projects on the island.
Bartolomé de las Casas
Born in Seville, Spain. Dominican friar and chronicler whose writings document the early Spanish colonial period and who became an outspoken critic of the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.
Community Leader
Recognized locally for preserving Hormigueros' cultural traditions and supporting community initiatives that celebrate the municipality's religious heritage and local identity.
Ramón Lebrón Rodríguez
Writer whose works include Esbozo histórico del Derecho Penal and La vida de un prócer, contributing to Puerto Rico's legal and historical literature.
Juan Manuel Lebrón
Popular Puerto Rican comedian, actor, and television personality whose career has entertained audiences for decades through comedy and variety programs.
Angelita Lind
Olympic middle-distance runner known as "El Ángel de Puerto Rico." Lind won multiple medals in Central American, Caribbean, and Pan American competitions and represented Puerto Rico at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Samuel Lind
Internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor whose colorful works celebrate the African, Taíno, and Puerto Rican heritage of Loíza. His studio is one of the municipality's most popular cultural attractions.
Luis Lloréns Torres
Born May 14, 1876 in Juana Díaz. Died June 16, 1944 in Santurce. One of Puerto Rico's greatest poets and playwrights, Luis Lloréns Torres helped define Puerto Rican literary identity through his poetry, essays, and nationalist writings. San Juan's famous public housing community bears his name.
He was a lawyer by profession, having studied in Spain. His work is known for its "criollismo", a kind of nationalism, and usually writing about the idiosincracy of the island. His books include Al Pie de la Alhambre, Sonetos Sinfónicos, Voces de la Campana Mayor, and Alturas de America. His "decimas" are works not only of art but of love. Among his most famous poems are Valle de Collores and Canción de las Antillas.
Francisco "Paquito" López Cruz
Musician, composer, educator, and folklorist who played an important role in preserving Puerto Rico's traditional jíbaro music and promoting the cuatro.
Ramón López Irizarry
Inventor of the original Coco López cream of coconut, born in 1910 in San Juan. López Irizarry was an agricultural professor at the University of Puerto Rico. In the early 1950s, using grant funds awarded to the university by the government, he worked on developing a practical way to extract cream from coconut pulp, which at the time was a difficult process. By blending coconut cream with a precise proportion of natural cane sugar, he created the original Coco López. The product soon became a key ingredient in the famous piña colada, which made its first appearance in 1954. López Irizarry became a millionaire, and Coco López expanded internationally, with distribution in approximately 50 countries, including markets in Europe, Japan, Central America, and the United States.
Benjamín López
Benjamín López was a respected Puerto Rican writer, journalist, and educator whose literary works explored Puerto Rican society and culture. A native of Cidra, he became an important voice in the island's intellectual community.
Ernie López
One of Puerto Rico's accomplished professional boxers, Ernie López competed internationally during the 1970s. His determination and success inside the ring helped inspire future generations of Puerto Rican athletes and boxing fans.
Julio César López
Educator and public administrator associated with Hormigueros.
Antonio Lucchetti
Civil engineer, educator, and public works pioneer who helped modernize Puerto Rico's infrastructure. Lucchetti played a key role in developing roads, bridges, irrigation systems, and engineering education during the island's early twentieth century.
Guillermo Ángel Luciano
A civil rights activist, educator, and community leader who became one of the first Puerto Ricans elected to public office in New York State, helping advance Latino political representation.
