 Puello was former colonel in the Haitian Army; when the Independence was proclaimed on 27 February 1844 he was made part of the Central Independent Government (CIG) since he was very popular among mulattoes and blacks in order to allay fears and rumours regarding an alleged restoration of slavery by the independence plotters; he was suggested by General Pedro Santana, and then, appointed by the CIG, as Military Commander of Santo Domingo.On 16 July 1844, General Pedro Santana led a coup d’etat and assumed the CIG’s Presidency.Puello’s refusal to face the coup against President Francisco del Rosario Sánchez favored the victory of the coup.