Editing Segundo Ruiz Belvis (section)

==Abolitionist==
In 1859, Ruiz Belvis returned to Puerto Rico and befriended [[Ramón Emeterio Betances]], joining "The Secret Abolitionist Society" founded by Betances. The society baptized and emancipated thousands of enslaved African children. The event, which was known as "aguas de libertad" (waters of liberty), was carried out at the [[Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria|Cathedral of Mayagüez]].<ref name="ND"/> Later, he moved to the city of [[Mayagüez, Puerto Rico|Mayagüez]] where he established his law practice. Ruiz Belvis was named [[Justice of the Peace]] by the city's citizens. He was later appointed to the Mayagüez city council as a representative. His responsibilities included watching over the well being of the slaves in his district and the management of public funds. Ruiz Belvis became involved in politics and took up the cause of abolitionism in the island.<ref name="BSRB"/>

When Ruiz Belvis returned to Madrid in 1865, he represented the abolitionist cause to the [[Cortes Generales]]. Although his ideas were considered dangerous by the Spanish rulers for their threat to the existing order, he helped begin the movement that would eventually lead to the liberation of the slaves in the remaining [[Spanish Empire|Spanish Colonies]] in Latin America. In 1866 after his father's death, Ruiz Belvis inherited his family's hacienda ''Josefa''; the first thing he did was free the slaves.<ref name="BSRB"/>