The chiefs of Boriqen (Puerto Rico) met to discuss the treatment of the Taino people by the Spanish invaders. Agueybana, the principal Taino chief who was friendly with the Spanish, had just passed away. His nephew Guaybana had taken his place, and called the emergency meeting.
"Brothers, it is time to fight," said the Taino chief. "We received the white men as friends and they enslave us. It is time to recover our freedom."
Another chief, Mabodamaca, quickly replied: "I understand your concern, Guaybana, but you need to accept our destiny. We must respect the gods. We must accept what they want for us."
"Who says they are gods anyway," said Guaybana. "They themselves have not confirmed it. We say they are, and they do not deny it. It is true that we have not seen them die, but they have only been among us for three years"
The eldest chief Urayoan broke his silence: "There is something that I do not understand about this great priest they call Jesus. If they are all immortal gods, why do they admire another who is no better than they? Perhaps they admire this son of Yucaju because he is the only true immortal.
Diego Salcedo was exploring the land governed by chief Urayoan to the west of Boriquen. The chief had provided Salcedo with men to serve as guides and to carry his belongings. As they approached the shore of a river, they could not find shallow waters to cross. The guides decided to carry Salcedo across, as it was the proper thing to do for a god. As they approached the middle of the river, the indians turned him over and struggled to keep him underwater. He was drowning.
After Salcedo stopped struggling, the guides took him ashore, afraid for what they had done: certainly, the white god would punish them severely. They sat him up, and one of them began to apologize. The corpse did not respond. In case the god would come back to life in three days as they were told Jesus had, the guides waited by Salcedo's body. Three days later, the body showed no signs of life.
"They are mortal," one of the Tainos said. That night, bonfires in every mountain on the island proclaimed the news.