Mariana Bracetti Cuevas was a patriot and leader of the Puerto Rico independence movement. In 1868, she knitted the Grito de Lares flag that was intended to be used as the national emblem of Puerto Rico in its first of two attempts to overthrow Spanish rule, and to establish the island as a sovereign republic. As the flag of the Grito de Lares revolt, Bracetti's creation became known as the Bandera del Grito de Lares , most commonly known as the Bandera de Lares . Today, the flag is the official flag of the municipality of Lares, Puerto Rico.

The Grito Lares flag, most commonly known as La Bandera de Lares , represents the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) revolt of 1868, the first of two short-lived rebellions against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. It consists of a large white Greek cross in the center that extends to all four sides of the flag, dividing it into four equal rectangles, two red and two blue, the upper left of which bears a centered, five-pointed white star. The white star stands for liberty and freedom, the red rectangles for the blood poured by the heroes of the revolt, and the white cross for the yearning of homeland redemption. Established in Lares 27 years before revolutionaries adopted the current flag of Puerto Rico in New York, the flag is recognized as the first flag of the island.