La Voz del Paseo Boricua

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Dec. 2015 • Vol. 12 No. 25
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG • [email protected] • FREE/GRATIS • BILINGUAL/BILINGÜE
In Historic Act in Washington DC, Dec. 1-3, 2015:
■ Hispanic Federation Mobilizes Nearly 1,000 for
Puerto Rican Political Action Day on Capitol Hill
■ Puerto Rican Diaspora Convenes National Summit in Philadelphia to
Coincide with Democratic National Convention July 2016 P.3
■ Gutiérrez defiende a Puerto Rico:
“Puerto Rico es una colonia de los Estados Unidos. Su soberanía reside aquí en el
Congreso de los Estados Unidos y no vamos a hacer nada para ayudarlos” P.5
NYC Council Speaker Mark-Viverito
Slams Congress For Not Giving
Debt Relief To Puerto Rico:
“Lack of action by Congress was ‘very disappointing.’”
P.7
Scan the QR Code with your
smart phone & visit our website.
Our Deepest Sympathy and
Unswerving Solidarity with
Ald. Roberto Maldonado’s
Family
On behalf of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center- its
Board of Directors and staff- I wish to take the moment to
express our deepest sympathy and our heartfelt, unswerving
solidarity with Ald. Roberto Maldonado and his family.
They have gone through one of the most difficult and
trying situations any family can go through. Roberto has
lost his dear and loving mother, Carmen, and Nancy, his
beloved wife, is facing a serious health crisis. Everyone that
knows Roberto knows of his deep and abiding love for his
mother, wife and children. P.2
Community Celebrates
UrbanTheater Company’s
10th Anniversary P.4
Renowned Puerto Rican
Literary Figure, Eduardo Lalo,
Visits Paseo Boricua P.13
¡Felicidades Navideñas! Joyous Christmas
Deseando un 2016 con Oscar en casa/Wishing for a 2016 Oscar homecoming
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
2
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY AND
UNSWERVING SOLIDARITY
WITH
ALD. MALDONADO’S FAMILY
(continued from front cover)
Roberto and Nancy have faced adversity
head-on. They, as a team, have confronted many
challenges at all levels, but their boundless love
for each other has guided them through those
perilous paths. Not only has Nancy been Roberto’s love, she has been his inspiration, his mentor,
and his anchor. We know that even in these dark
moments, she continues to light his way. We
urge our community to come together as one,
joining all of our ripples of energy, emanating
from depth of our very humanity—our true spirituality—to create a mighty collective current to
help Roberto and his family confront these Joblike tribulations with serenity.
With much love and affection,
José E. López
Executive Director
Puerto Rican Cultural Center
Please join the Maldonado family at the wake
for Carmen Maldonado:
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, 6-9pm
Alvarez Funeral Home
2500 N Cicero Ave
Funeral Service
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 9:30am
Maternity BVM
1537 N. Lawndale Ave. (corner of North Ave)
La Voz del Paseo Boricua
Newspaper
La Voz del Paseo Boricua reserves the right
to publish at its discretion. [email protected]
STAFF: PRCC Volunteers
SOBRE LA VOZ:
La más reciente manifestación del periodismo puertorriqueño en Chicago, La Voz
del Paseo Boricua continúa orgullosa del legado de nuestros primeros periódicos.
Fundado en 2004, La Voz del Paseo Boricua, o ‘La Voz’ según se le conoce
cariñosamente por nuestros lectores, es un periódico de pueblo, publicado de
manera bilingüe por el Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño Juan Antonio Corretjer.
Mensualmente, divulga historias relevantes de nuestra comunidad, diseminando
noticias sobre acontecimientos, programas, recursos, y progresos locales. Como
fuente alternativa de medios, intentamos reconocer los logros de la comunidad
puertorriqueña al igual que abogar por la preservación del corazón de nuestro
barrio en el parque de Humboldt – nuestro “pedacito de patria” en Chicago.
DECEMBER 2015
PASEO BORICUA PARRANDA 2015
La tradición sigue
By Juanita Garca, PRCC
The Christmas spirit was alive and
well in the Teresa Roldán Senior
Apartments where the annual Paseo
Boricua Parranda has commenced
in the last five years. Residents and
their families enjoyed Puerto Rican
favorites arroz con gandules, pasteles,
and lechón, during Hispanic Housing’s
yearly Christmas party, while listening to música jíbaro being played by
some of our community’s finest músicos.
Community residents and members of the Puerto Rican Cultural
Center gathered outside the Christmas party excited about this community tradition that brings together
different generations of people. This
year a cancionero of eleven pages was
produced and everyone was excited
about being able to participate and
sing along.
Delia Peña led the parranda (on the
bullhorn) and her son Carlos Agosto
(on the bongos), and Humboldt Park’s
saint Betí Guevara. Several participants also brought their own instruments which created a festive and
resounding sound between the flags.
We were greeted with much enthu-
siasm by business owners and their
employees and patrons: Papa’s Cache,
La Havana Café, Luquillo Barbershop,
La Plena, Chicago’s Finest Barbershop, Jayuya
Barbershop,
Lily’s Records,
Dance Academy of Salsa &
Modern Latin
Dance, LCC
Music Studio,
Latin American Restaurant,
Yauco
Liquors and
La Bruquena
Restaurant. All of the business contributed to the parranda in one way
or another. Participants enjoyed pollo
chón with tostones, coquito, ron caña,
delectable cookies with hot chocolate, an asopao made by Lugo, and
restaurant discount coupons.
The parranda, with over 75 participants, ended at La Casa de Don Oscar
y Doña Blanca, a storefront on Paseo
Boricua. It was a great opportunity
to be able to share with residents
Oscar’s story. Members of National
Boricua Human Rights Network were
ALDERMAN MALDONADO GAVE
AWAY 100S OF TURKEYS TO THE
NEEDIEST IN OUR COMMUNITY
present and were able to collect over
twenty new petition signatures advocating for the release of Oscar López
Rivera.
Nuestro Bello Barrio came together to put on this much anticipated
annual event known as the Paseo Boricua Parranda. Muchísimas gracias a
todos que ayudaron hacer la parranda
un éxito. An extra special thank you
to Delia Peña, Carlos Agosto, Felícita Ferrante, Ray Fernández and Betí
Guevara for blessing us with their
talents, to Hispanic Housing and Paul
and Ida Roldán, and to all the pleneras
y pleneros who play from their hearts
and sing from their souls to keep our
beautiful traditions alive.
DR. PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOS
HS DESIGNATED A LEVEL ONE
SCHOOL
During two days right before Thanskgiving, Ald Maldona- Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School has
do distributed hundreds of turkeys to the community most been designated a Level 1 for the 2014-2015 academic
in need. Because of this, hundreds of families will be able to year by CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Forrest Claypool.
celebrate.
In an announcement shared on October 26th, CEO Claypool described the School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP)
as the most “equitable and comprehensive model for
measuring school performance”. The SQRP measured
growth in the STAR (Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading) assessment, credit attainment and
graduation success, and progress to graduation, which
includes average daily attendance and retention. Albizu
Campos High School scored highest with 100% graduation rate, 80.1% attendance for the year, 71.1% growth in
STAR Reading and 63.4% growth in STAR Math.
Looking for a successful and culturally relevant school
for youth? New students are welcome!
Interested in supporting a great school with a great
mission, donate at our Network for Good link:
http://bit.ly/pachs-campaign
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
DICIEMBRE 2015
3
UnidosPor
PuertoRico
Participating Cities:
Chicago
Cleveland
Hartford
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Orlando
Philadelphia
South Carolina
Texas
Virginia
Washington DC
To create a comprehensive National Puerto Rican Agenda
In Historic Act in Washington DC, Dec. 1-3, 2015:
• Hispanic Federation Mobilizes Nearly 1,000 for Puerto Rican Political Action Day on Capitol Hill
• Puerto Rican Diaspora Convenes National Summit in Philadelphia to Coincide with
Democratic National Convention July 2016
In a historic act, nearly 1,000 Puerto Ricans and
their allies in the United States recently descended
on Capitol Hill, demanding the federal government
assume greater responsibility for the current economic crisis on the island of Puerto Rico. Over three
days of action and debate, community, religious, and
political leaders from over 14 states breathed life
into a national Puerto Rican agenda.
The Puerto Rican agenda, still in its infancy, began
to gestate this past October in Orlando, Florida,
where over 300 people gathered to discuss matters
of concern on the island and in the diaspora. Whereas most Puerto Rican political gatherings are dominated by the issue of the status, primacy in Orlando
and Washington was given to the economy, health,
environment, civil, and human rights, particularly the
case of Oscar López Rivera. While controversial in
some sectors, organizers have insisted that engaging
the status question directly could weaken the unity
they hope to build. Indeed, the goal of these public
gatherings has been to address the lack of an organizational mechanism to generate and articulate a unified
political vision. Importantly, this effort has begun by
With over 1000 participants and 50 Congressional visits
We Stand Strong for the
People of Puerto Rico
By Deborah López, President,
Chicago NACOPRW
The Chicago Chapter of the National Conference of Puerto Rican
Women (NACOPRW) took part in a
National Day of Action for Puerto
Rico on December 2nd at the U.S.
Capitol, to demand that Congress
take immediate federal action to
grant Puerto Rico bankruptcy and
debt restructuring protection. This
was the largest advocacy day for
Puerto Rico on Capitol Hill in recent history. Close to 1000 people
from twelve states arrived in spite
of, in some cases, the difficulty and
the long distances of traveling to
Washington D.C. This expression
of unity for the people who live
in Puerto Rico, further motivated
the leadership to follow through
on creating a National Puerto Rican
Agenda Coalition based on discussions previously held at Unidos Por
Puerto Rico in Orlando, Florida.
The following day, December 3rd,
history was made when leaders of
various backgrounds and years of
activism formed a nonpartisan National Puerto Rican Agenda coalition. Several outreach committees
were created to be led by individuals representing different states.
Some of the committees are civil rights, veterans, environment,
health, education and women. As
president of the Chicago Chapter
of NACOPRW it was an honor to
be asked to lead the women’s outreach committee. This committee
will complement the work of the
coalition. It will be the vehicle for
women to unite and organize at
the local, state and federal level; to
affect policies, election results and
be advocates on specific issues that
impact the Puerto Rican diaspora
and the people of Puerto Rico. Can
you imagine this committee serving as a bridge to connect with the
women of Puerto Rico and joining
them in solidarity?
creating a space for dialogue and relationship building
across regional, ideological, and organizational divides.
Evidence of growing unity was evident throughout
the Washington gathering, which was spearheaded by
the New York-based Hispanic Federation. Its well-attended press conference, for instance, featured speakers from unions, social service agencies, advocacy
groups, and elected officials, etc. Brief but poignant
messages were made about the importance of immediate relief for Puerto Rico, support for President
Obama’s recommendations on the economic crisis,
and the role that Puerto Ricans will play in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. One of the highlights of
the press conference was Congressman Luis Gutiérrez’s
passionate declaration: “Puerto Rico is a colony of
the United States… We didn’t invent that. It is a fact…
If those in charge don’t carry out your responsibility…
We will go to the U.S. federal courts and demand it act
Continued on pg 6
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
4
Gutiérrez defiende
a Puerto Rico
Por Redacción de CLARIDAD
Publicado: jueves, 17 de diciembre de 2015
“Puerto Rico es una colonia de los Estados Unidos.
Su soberanía reside aquí en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos y no vamos a hacer nada para ayudarlos”.
Con esas palabras pronunciadas en el hemiciclo de la
Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos en la
mañana de este jueves, el congresista Luis Gutiérrez
dejó saber que votaría en contra del proyecto ómni-
bus presupuestario del gobierno estadounidense.
Gutiérrez, de origen puertorriqueño y representante Demócrata por el cuarto distrito de Illinois,
habló en el hemiciclo en inglés y en español y censuró que el ómnibus presupuestario no proporcionaba “un camino a seguir en medio de los recortes presupuestarios, los recortes en los servicios, el aumento
del desempleo y de los bancos codiciosos y los tenedores de bonos que exigen más y más aún cuando el
pueblo de Puerto Rico tienen cada vez menos”.
Hizo alusión a que votaría en contra del presupuesto porque si no hay escuelas en Puerto Rico, policías
para defender a la gente en la calle, doctores o enfermeras para curar a los enfermos, tampoco habría
un voto para el presupuesto “hasta que haya justicia
para el pueblo. Y le digo a todo Congresista que vota
a favor de este presupuesto, que le niega un futuro a
Puerto Rico y le traiciona al pueblo de Puerto Rico.
Gracias”.
Los esfuerzos del congresista Gutiérrez para que
se incluyese un alivio a Puerto Rico en el proyecto
de ómnibus presupuestario no dieron resultados. El
día antes, Gutiérrez se reunió con la líder Demócrata Nancy Pelosi, junto con miembros del Caucus
Hispano del Congreso (CHC), el Caucus Afro-Americano del Congreso (CBC), y el Caucus del Congreso
Asiático del Pacífico (CAPAC) para discutir el acuerdo
de financiación del gobierno que será votado en la
Cámara esta semana.
Según informó su Oficial de Prensa, en particular el representante
discutió lo que hay - y
no hay - en el paquete de
ómnibus presupuestario
con relación a la crisis financiera de Puerto Rico.
Gutiérrez agradeció al
Caucus Hispano del Congreso por su defensa de
Puerto Rico.
“No puedo mirarle en
los ojos al pueblo puertorriqueño y haber votado por este proyecto de
ley, ya que debería haber
incluido un alivio para
Puerto Rico para mantener al día las escuelas,
hospitales y seguridad
pública - las funciones básicas de gobierno - abiertas
y funcionando durante estas navidades y el año que
viene,” dijo el representante Gutiérrez. “El Congreso
no está tomando la situación en Puerto Rico lo suficientemente en serio y cualquier persona que vote por
el ómnibus es cómplice de la tragedia económica y
social dirigida hacia Puerto Rico.”
“A los Republicanos no les importa si Puerto Rico
flota o se hunde, siempre y cuando a los tenedores
de bonos se les pague”, dijo el congresista. “Pero estoy decepcionado de que el tema no se ha elevado
hasta el nivel donde los Demócratas estén dispuestos a pelear. Así que Puerto Rico sigue hundiéndose
y necesita ya sea que este Congreso disfuncional o la
administración pasiva de Obama tome medidas”.
El representante Gutiérrez es miembro del Comité
Permanente Selecto de la Cámara sobre Inteligencia,
del Comité Judicial y el Subcomité de Inmigración y
Seguridad Fronteriza, y el Subcomité de Crimen, Terrorismo, Seguridad Interna e Investigaciones.
DECEMBER 2015
National Council of La Raza:
Refusal to Provide Bankruptcy
Protection to Puerto Rico Is a
Profound Failure of
Congressional
Republican Leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Showing both a failure to take
responsibility and a failure to lead, congressional Republicans today refused to include provisions in an omnibus
spending bill that would have provided critically needed
bankruptcy protection for Puerto Rico and helped to avert
a looming humanitarian crisis on the
island where 3.5 million American citizens reside.
“For nearly a century, when America
asked hundreds of
thousands of Puerto
Ricans to serve their
country, they answered the call. Yet,
when the island sent
out a distress signal,
Republican leaders
in Congress chose to ignore it. In a display of staggering
irresponsibility, these leaders frittered away a golden opportunity to use the budget agreement to solve this issue,”
said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National
Council of La Raza).
“Whatever short-term advantage Republican lawmakers believe their misguided decision gives them pales in
comparison to the long-term consequences of their failure to act. This issue is not going away. Choosing not to
fully address the problems that Puerto Rico is facing will
directly harm the millions of Americans who live on the island,” added Murguía. “The responsibility for a permanent
solution still lies at Congress’s feet. While some health
care provisions in the bill are helpful, the people of Puerto
Rico deserve better from the federal government than this
piecemeal approach. Congress knows that without bankruptcy provisions there is no real legislative solution to this
crisis and we are now looking to the administration and
others to provide much-needed relief.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve
opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information
on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
DICIEMBRE 2015
Mark-Viverito Slams Congress For Not Giving
Debt Relief To Puerto Rico
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito criticized Congress Wednesday for not supplying any debt relief for struggling Puerto Rico.
Mark-Viverito, who is one of the nation’s leading Puerto Rican elected officials, said Wednesday that the lack of action by Congress was “very disappointing.”
She said she feared that basic services on the island would be reduced as it battles to pay
down its debt.
Mark-Viverito, who was born in
Puerto Rico, grew emotional at City
Hall when she called it a “humanitarian crisis.”
On Sunday, Mark-Viverito had been
urging Congress to pass a spending bill
allowing for Puetro Rico to restructure
its debt – along with U.S. Sen. Charles
Schumer (D-N.Y.), state Sen. Gustavo
Rivera (D-The Bronx).
But a spending bill without any such
provisions was issued on Wednesday.
Territorial bankruptcy protection laws would have helped the territory restructure their
debt in a way that would also help stimulate economic growth, the politicians said in a statement Sunday.
Republicans have opposed allowing Puerto Rico to declare bankruptcy as a way to help mitigate their $72 billion government debt.
The unincorporated U.S. territory is struggling to make payments on $72 billion of debt.
The island may default on January 1st of next year if it can’t make a payment of more than
$900 million. It only narrowly managed to make a $350 million payment on Dec. 1st.
Community Celebrates
UrbanTheater Company’s
10th Anniversary
by Ivan Vega, Executive Director
UrbanTheater Company’s Urban Décima
(10th) Anniversary
Celebration this past
Thursday, December 10th at El Cid,
was amazing! We
are thrilled to have
been able to make
professional theater
accessible to the
Humboldt Park community for the last
decade. We recognize the importance
of this moment and
the relevance of having reached this milestone as a Latino theater
company. Throughout the evening the room
was with filled with community, culture, love,
inspiration, mentorship and excitement. A
special thanks to El Cid, our UTC ensemble,
our performers: Armando Quintero,
Soli Santos, Jaime
De Leon, Mary Alduen and José Natal from The Last of
the MoRicans and
everyone who was
present to share this
moment and make
our event a huge
success. Congrats
to our Urban Legacy Award honorees:
Mike Oquendo, José
E. López and Idali R. Vega for their ongoing
support and leadership in the development
of UrbanTheater. Here’s to the next 10 years!
Renowned Puerto Rican
Literary Figure, Eduardo Lalo,
Visits Paseo Boricua
bySandra Candelaria, Mujeres Boricuas, PRCC
On December 2nd, 2015, the Humboldt Park community had the privilege of meeting Eduardo Lalo, the recipient of the prestigious Latin
American Rómulo Gallegos Prize for his novel, Simone, thanks to Agnes
Lugo Ortiz, Associate Professor in Latin American Studies at University
of Chicago. Professor Lalo, whose work traverses different themes of
identity, sat down with Sandra C. Candelaria, Director of the Integrated
Paseo Program, a project of The Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Although
his work is well recognized in Latin America, it has not been until now that
the University of Chicago has translated one of his books, “Simone”, into
English. Some of his previous works include: “En el Burger King de la calle
San Francisco”, “Ciudades e islas”, and “Los pies de San Juan”, among others.
During Romulo Gallegos’
acceptance
speech, the “hermoso
hoy”, Lalo beautifully
describes his feelings
and thoughts about
his journey towards a
conscious Puerto Rican
identity. His discourse
also touches on various aspects of modern
Puerto Rican society.
As a part of what we
have become as Puerto
Ricans, it was important
for Lalo to voice his indignation about Oscar López Rivera’s 34 years of
continued incarceration.
Lalo was introduced to the history and struggle of the Puerto Rican
community in Chicago as well as how this made the creation of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center possible. The author visited El Rescate, the Transitional Living House for the LGBTQ youth, where he met the Senior Case
Manager, Zenaida López, who is also the sister of Oscar López Rivera.
They spoke about obstacles, specifically the one’s the youth living at El
Rescate faced, as well as the one’s that her brother, Oscar López Rivera,
has overcome for the past 34 years in prison.
Elias Carmona, school operations assistant at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos
Puerto Rican High School, gave Eduardo Lalo a tour of the alternative
high school. The author was introduced to a Spanish class at Albizu Campos, followed by a visit to the rooftop greenhouse. Mr. Lalo was very impressed by the work done by the youth in the greenhouse.
At the end of the visit, Professor Lalo expressed his desire to develop a
relationship with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, especially when pertaining to the youth of Humboldt Park and the PRCC’s commitment to
education.
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center staff and community would like to
thank author and Professor Eduardo Lalo, for his visit to Paseo Boricua
in Chicago and for his time and commitment to the freedom of Oscar
López Rivera.
5
6
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
Integrated PASEO: Promoting Actions that
Support Recovery through Services and Outreach
The purpose of Integrated PASEO, a new program of the Puerto
Rican Cultural Center, is to pilot co-location of HIV/STI and hepatitis C screening, testing, and treatment within a behavioral health
setting in order to provide seamless prevention, education and
care services to the population of focus.
The team creates personalized health plans for each client to
insure proper level of care and treatment including specialized service referrals. These needs will be met through culturally relevant
interventions, such as the HIV evidence based intervention in Counseling, Testing and Referral (CTR). Integrated PASEO
offers free harm reduction kits for drug injected users, the kits includes: a tourniquet, cooker, filters, and single use
syringe; also free female and male condoms and free packages of lubrication.
Integrated PASEO provides linkages to care for people that reacted positive for HIV/ STIs and Hepatitis C, through
referrals for treatment and follow-up appointments. Any clients that screen positive for substance abuse or required
detox services and clients with mental health issues, will be referred for treatment and follow-up.
The program runs a clinic located in the first floor of the Norwegian American Hospital, where clients receive counseling and testing services Monday through Friday between 9am to 5pm. We also have an office at Garfield Center,
Community Services Centers for the City of Chicago (10 S. Kedzie Ave., 312-746-5400). We provide services there
Monday through Friday with hours of operation from 9am to 12pm. At this second location, clients can have access to
services such as: crisis intervention services, veterans services assistance, casework, shelter and housing assistance, job
training/placement services, public benefits eligibility assessments, among many other important services.
Continued from pg 3
in defense of its 3.5 million citizens.” Following the press
conference, the lobbying began and these messages were
communicated to Democrat and Republic senators and
representatives. In the evening, an intimate reception was
held at the headquarters of the National Council of La
Raza, the largest Latino civil rights advocacy organization,
where its president, Janet Murguia expressed that Puerto
Rico’s issues were of importance to the entire Latino/a
community.
In the concluding session, a group of about 40 leaders
discussed how to give continuity and shape to the Puerto
Rican agenda. This conversation, facilitated by Dr. Edwin
Melendez, the Director of the Center for Puerto Rican
Studies, pivoted around two new entities. The first is the
“National Caucus of Puerto Rican Elected Officials”—an
organization founded in the Orlando gathering. Its interim leadership includes the three Puerto Rican congresspersons—Nydia Velazquez (NY), José Serrano
(NY), and Luis Gutiérrez (IL)—and New York Council
Speak, Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York Assembly
man Marcos A. Crespo, Illinois State Senator, Iris Martinez, and Pennsylvania State Representative, Angel
Cruz. The second entity is the coalition, tentatively called, the National Puerto Rican Agenda, which
is composed of non-partisan organizations. At the
meeting, an interim steering committee was selected
and charged with developing a detailed action-plan
for the upcoming year. Participants emphasized the
need for Puerto Ricans throughout the U.S., but especially in the “swing states” of Florida, Pennsylvania,
and Ohio, to demonstrate their electoral power in
the next election. Several, including Congressman
Gutiérrez and Melissa Mark-Viverito, also stressed
the importance of advancing the campaign to free
Oscar López Rivera.
As in the Orlando gathering, Chicago’s Puerto Rican
Agenda made its presence felt in Washington, D.C. Its
contingent included: José López, Pablo Medina, Deborah
López, Fernando Grillo, Roberto Sanbaria, Michael Rodríguez, Charlie Billups, and Madeline Figueroa.
DECEMBER 2015
ACA sponsored Informational
Forums at City Colleges!
By Geniz Hernández, Program Director, PRCC
For the past month,
the Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s Affordable Care Act has been
visiting two of the City
Colleges of Chicago:
Wilbur Wright College
and Richard J. Daley
College. Our In-Person
Counselors were able to
answer questions about
the Affordable Care Act and to assist dozens of
students who were currently uninsured and not
enrolled in affordable health insurance.
Remember, that young adults can stay on
their parents private health insurance plan until
age 26, even if they get married, have or adopt
a child, start or leave school, live in or out of
their parents’ home, aren’t claimed as a tax dependent or turned down an offer of job-based
coverage. However, if they are eligible for Medicaid, they must complete their own application
once they turn 19.
January 31st, 2016 is the last day to apply
through the Health Insurance Marketplace,
don’t leave it to the last minute!
Providing life skills and acceptance
Welcome El Rescate Basic Center:
We are happy to announce a new initiative, El
Rescate Basic Center. El Rescate Basic Center is
a LGBTQ shelter focused on family reunification,
life skills development, continuing education
and job placement serving youth 12 to 18 years
of age while providing enriching and rewarding
experiences in a safe zone to call home while
practicing acceptance and tolerance of all identities. ERBC strives to develop self-sufficiency
and adaptability for successful future outcomes
of the youths we serve. El Rescate Basic Center
is an initiative of The Puerto Rican Cultural Center and is dedicated to helping displaced youth
explore options and take action in their lives.
As we proceed to establish our neighborhood
relationships, we look forward to learning more
about all other initiatives and hope to be of
service as we collaborate to provide quality services to our communities. We are very excited
and looking forward to working with youth in
need. If you would like to learn more about El
Rescate Basic Center, please contact Ray Arroyo,
program coordinator at [email protected].
DICIEMBRE 2015
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
Congratulations Miguel Morales and Stacey Erenberg
and on the birth of your child, Xiorro Oscar!
Thanksgiving Dinner at El Rescate
by Jackie González, El Rescate Program Director
Regardless of the origin of Thanksgiving and its original purpose, the
day was officially set aside to give solemn thanksgiving and praise. On
Wednesday November 25th, 2015, El Rescate staff and residents came
together to give solemn thanksgiving and praise for the past year by
preparing a wonderful dinner for all to share. With one heart and one
voice, all came together to
express the grateful feelings of Thanksgiving. On
Wednesday in preparation
of the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner three turkeys and
a myriad of side dishes, were
prepared by the resident’s
and staff, dinner was finally served. All the residents,
invited guests, and staff
circled the table and held
hands to express individual
gratitude not only for the
dinner, but for El Rescate as
a program, and the staff for
assisting them during challenging times throughout the past year.
El Rescate residents and staff want to thanks to Ms. Lugo for offering
her wonderful space located on Division St. where our Thanksgiving
Dinner took place; We also want to thank you Alderman Maldonado for
the three turkeys that he donated, as well to other community partners
and community residents that kindly contributed to the Thanksgiving
Dinner by donating all sources of food for preparation.
Monologo “Esperando tu regreso” cuenta con
apoyo Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño
por Cristian Roldan, PRCC
El viernes 13 de noviembre se llevó a
cabo el monólogo “Esperando tu regreso”
actuado por la destacada actriz puertorriqueña Marian Pabón. El mismo se llevó a
cabo en la sala de teatro del Instituto Cervantes, contando con la presencia de una
decena de empleados del Centro Cultural
Puertorriqueño Juan A. Corretjer y residentes de la comunidad Puertorriqueña.
El encuentro se dió por casualidad a pesar de expresar el mismo interes.
La obra explora la psiquis de Margarita, quien ya en la tercera edad, rememora el “amor de su vida”. A pesar de su carrera exitosa, no logra consolidar su vida amorosa con su pianista, del cual se enamora e idealiza hasta el
final de su vida. La pieza teatral muestra el gran apego que vive la cantante
de blues, el cual transciende el tiempo, el espacio y el fenecimiento de su
enamorado.
7
LAS CALAVERAS EN
HAUNTED PASEO BORICUA
por Cristian Roldan, PRCC
Como parte de la ambientación
de Paseo Boricua en concordancia
con Haunted Paseo, se llevo a cabo
el diseño en las ventanas de los edificios donde operan los programas
del Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Los
mismos consistían en el diseño de
calaveras representando el rostro de
nuestros próceres puertorriqueños.
Entre ellos se podían distinguir los
personajes de Pedro Albizu Campos,
Juan Antonio Corretjer, Lolita Lebrón, Ramón E. Betances, Eugenio M.
Hostos y Julia de Burgos. El diseño
tuvo como objetivo celebrar el paso
por la vida de nuestros procures, su
paso por la existencia y su aporte a
nuestra patria; a la vez que se concordaba con el principal evento del
mes de octubre.
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
8
• us navy out of vieques
• freedom for all puerto rican political prisoners
• defend civil liberties and stop political repression
• build a national latino agenda
• fuera la marina de vieques
• libertad para los presos políticos boricuas
• a defender los derechos civiles y alto a la represión
política
• a construir una agenda nacional latina
DECEMBER 2015
MISSION/MISIÓN: The National Boricua
Human Rights Network is an organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of
the Puerto Rican community in the US.
La Red Nacional Boricua Pro-Derechos
Humanos es una organización dedicada
a defender los derechos humanos de la
comunidad puertorriqueña en los EEUU.
National Boricua Human Rights Network (NBHRN) 2739-41 W. Division Street, Chicago IL 60622
December 2015/diciembre de 2015 • [email protected] • www.boricuahumanrights.org • #free_olr • facebook.com/chi.nbhrn
NBHRN CHICAGO
ANNUAL PASTELES FUNDRAISER GROSSES $2500.00
¡GRACIAS!
By Chicago Chapter, NBHRN
The National Boricua Human Rights Network thanks all who once again
this year, purchased delicious pasteles to benefit the Oscar López Rivera
Commissary Fund. Thanks also go out to the individuals and programs
of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center
who came out in
the winter weather
to help make these
pasteles. Programs
represented
in
force were: Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos
Puerto Rican High
School, Puerto Rican Cultural Center,
Mujeres por Paseo and Centro Infantil Corretjer. Lourdes Lugo, Oscar’s
niece and long-time member of the Network, coordinated the extraordinary effort. Specifically, Madeline and María Bezares, Maritza and Xochitl
Ramírez, Alma Moreno and Maria Almazán from the childcare. From the
high school Principal Danette Sokacich and Business Operations Manager Juanita García and sister Janette, teachers and staff included Carlos
Ruiz, Brenda Torres Figueroa and Roberto Pérez, Gustavo Colón Braña,
Gusiman Suárez, and Jason Castro. The Puerto Rican Cultural Center was
represented by Executive Director José E. López, Viola Salgado, Carlos
Muñoz, Mujeres Director Sandra Candelaria, Felicia Hernández, Maria
Trujillo and Sylvia Correa. The Network members were ex-political prisoners Luis Rosa and son, Luisito Jr. and Ricardo Jiménez, Erika Abad, Michelle Morales, Scott Greene, Xavier Morales-Greene, Timothy Greene,
Diana Castillo, Michael Rodríguez and Laura Ruth Johnson.
As we enter the next year- hopefully our last year- of struggling to free
Oscar López Rivera, let’s proceed knowing that WE WILL make a difference through our work and actions.
We sold almost 130 dozen delicious pasteles and grossed nearly
$2500.00.
IN NYC
AVANT-GARDE THEATER TROUPE
PREMIERES PERFORMANCE ON OSCAR:
"SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY"
By Matt Meyer, War Resisters International
December seems always to be a joyous time for me in NYC, in part because
the wonderful Bread and Puppet Theater comes to town to do a week or two
of holiday shows and circuses. 2015,
however, marks a very special occasion: B&P decided to make this year’s
show all about building “a monument
to Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Oscar
López Rivera.” But Bread and Puppet
Theater, formed in 1963, is an unusual
kind of troupe. Its politically oriented shows have routinely considered issues like affordable
housing, rats and police conduct.
The December 16th Opening Night festivities, where over 125 people were present, included
a large contingent from the campaign to free Oscar, including folks from all over New York,
New Jersey, and Chicago. It was the birthday of National Boricua Human Rights Network leader L. Alejandro Molina; War Resisters International activist Matt Meyer opened the evening by
introducing NYC Oscar Campaign Coordinator Ana M. López, who read a specially-prepared
greeting to Bread and Puppet from Oscar himself (excerpt below). Lots of information about
the campaign was passed out to all who were assembled, and the excitement at the artistry and
camaraderie was palpable, as B&P founder Peter Schumann joined the Puerto Rican comrades
with their puppet named “Outcry!” Now is the time for all of us to cry out, reach out, pray out,
and work out to FREE OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA! It is time to bring him home.
“I would like to thank the members of the Bread and Puppet theater for its solidarity with the campaign for my excarceration. I’m extremely grateful for the support you’re giving me and for all the
support you have given to just and noble causes. You exemplify what we need most in this world - a
profound sense of compassion and solidarity in action.
I believe no one should accept colonialism no matter where it exists or who practices it, because it’s
a crime against humanity. And no one should accept human rights violations anywhere in the world.
We must always remember that the violations of the human rights or the others are also violations of
ours. Every single one of us is affected.
Hopefully someday I’ll be able to thank you in person not only for the support you have given me but
also for all the great work you have done and continue doing. Big hugs to all with short Puerto Rican
arms.”
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
DICIEMBRE 2015
IN BOSTON
OSCAR’S PRESENCE FELT AT
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
By Luis Rosa, NBHRN
Puerto Rico’s longest held Political Prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera
presence was felt in an event commemorating International Human
Right Day in Boston, Mass.
Held on Saturday, December 12th
at the Roxbury Community College,
the event saw over 200 participants
from the college and community
where the speakers were former
political prisoners from various
movements and family of those still
incarcerated.
Russell Maroon Shoatz Jr. represented his father Russell Maroon
Shoatz, who has been incarcerated
for over four decades, has been under torturous conditions of isolation.
Lana Habash, Palestinian activist, raised awareness around her
comrade Amer Jubran, who is presently being held in Jordian prison
and has been tortured repeatedly.
Marquetta Peltier, daughter of legendary Native American political
prisoner, Leonard Peltier, spoke
of the continuous medical neglect
and torture her father has endured
in federal prisons. And Ray Luc Levasseur concluded the first group
of panelists call for greater participation of the “left,” challenging all
progressive organizations to make
the issue of political prisoners a priority in their agenda and daily work.
The second group of panelists featured Kazi Toure, former political
prisoner who illustrated the case
of his brother, who celebrated a
birthday that Saturday but who remained incarcerated after 40 years.
Luis Rosa, former Puerto Rican
political prisoner spoke of the island/nation’s longest held political
prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera, who
in May 2016 will have completed
35 years incarcerated. Luis alluded
to the petition campaign for Oscar
with a goal of 100,000 petitions, the
wide range support from all sectors
of society and the will of Oscar to
endure and transcend his imprisonment.
The panel discussion concluded
with the Chairman Fred Hampton
of the Black Panther Party. Chairman Hampton spoke on creating
strategy and unity with those that
shared the vision and struggle. Alluding to historical episodes and
quoting his father and other leaders
from movements around the world,
Hampton ended with the chant
“Free Them All.”
MORE THAN 200 PARTICIPANTS
ANNUAL NBHRN PANCAKE WAFFLE BREAKFAST
RAISES NEARLY $2,000
By Erika Abad, National Boricua Human Rights Network
Sunday December 6th, the National Boricua Human
Rights Network and allies held the 21st Annual Pancake
breakfast organized to raise funds for Oscar Lopez Rivera’s commissary.
Artisans
from
our community
sold hand made
items. Long-time
supporters of the
campaign, solidarity activists
and their friends
as well as new
faces invited by
organizers shared
memories, made
connections and
received an update on Oscar’s
campaign.
Members
of
the network, including Jan Susler, Oscar’s lawyer of 32
years, gave updates regarding organizations who have
come out in support of Oscar’s release. As well, in-
formation on how to get involved with 34 women for
Oscar was also distributed. Oscar’s brother, PRCC Executive Director, Jose E. López, gave an update on DC
National Action days, citing support gained for Puerto
Rico’s needs as well as greater attention to our community’s demand for Oscar’s release.
At the conclusion of the event, Network member
Juanita Garcia read a statement Oscar had written:
...the great achievements of the campaign should serve to
give impetus to continue the work and find solutions to other
urgent issues. Although the momentum has not diminished
there is the need to seize the moment and inject it with more
energies in order to get us to the last leg of the journey...
After the first activity of 5/29/11, commemorating the
30th year of my imprisonment, the response of the people
in Puerto Rico and in the diaspora has been amazing. Since
then all political parties, different religious institutions, and
people from different social classes, ideologies, sexual identities and preferences have joined to make the campaign a
success. The international response in support of the campaign has been the strongest ever and also very effective.
The creativity of the people involved has been awesome. The
way the public’s response all the activities has been great.
The different artistic events, the two Caminatas and the activities of the 34 MUJERES X OSCAR, the 2014 National
9
JOIN 34 WOMEN FOR OSCAR
FOR LAST VIGIL OF YEAR, SAT. DEC. 26
After a day or
two with family,
34 Women for
Oscar gathered
on
November
28th to bring attention to Oscar’s campaign.
The holiday season sends a message about the
importance of
sharing it with loved ones.
Hopefully, as many share the rest of the holiday
with loved ones, Oscar’s struggle remains with you.
We also hope that one day soon, he can share pasteles, arroz con gandules and arroz dulce with his family.
In ongoing effort to bridge the women in Puerto
Rico and here, please join us Saturday, December 26th,
starting at 2:30, at the Ashland, Division and Milwaukee triangle to continue to educate the greater public
on our campaign to bring Oscar home.
LAST VIGIL OF 2016
SATURDAY, Dec. 26
Milwaukee, Division & Ashand Triangle
3:00-3:34pm
PR Parade and
the 30th of May
march in NY, just
to mention a few,
give us an idea
of the beautiful
work that have
been done and
how much it has
accomplished.
The enthusiasm
and hope the people are experiencing should give us reasons
to celebrate.
Attendees celebrated his words of encouragement
and determination, especially his call to let the work
towards his excarceration be just the beginning of what
Puerto Ricans, como un pueblo unido can accomplish.
During the event, Oscar called in, being able to speak
to a community and Network members present. They
were able to speak to Oscar about La Escuelita, the success of the event and their continued work to address
the continued struggles Puerto Ricans and Latinos face.
By the end of Sunday afternoon, the Network had
raised $1847 to send Oscar commissary and continue
the campaign for his freedom.
10
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
DECEMBER 2015
EX-PRISIONERO POLÍTICO RICARDO JIMÉNEZ VISITA A
MÉXICO A PROMOVER CAMPAÑA PARA LIBERAR OSCAR
Por Carlos Rivera, Nezahualcóyotl, Edo. de México, a 5 de
diciembre de 2015.
El pasado 3 de diciembre del año en curso el ex prisionero
político puertorriqueño Ricardo Jiménez –nacido en el
municipio de San Sebastián ubicado al oeste de Puerto Rico
y criado desde los 6 años en la ciudad de Chicago– ofreció
una conferencia en la Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad
de México, recinto del Valle, auspiciada por los profesores
Rubén García Clark, Eduardo Correa, Padre y Antonio
Rabasa González de la Vega a solicitud del Dr. Enrique
González Ruiz.
Ante un auditorio, que sobrepasaba 100 estudiantes
del Diplomado en Derechos Humanos, Jiménez comenzó
explicando la ubicación cultural, histórica y geográfica de
Puerto Rico como parte de América Latina y el Caribe.
Explicó cómo Estados Unidos se apoderó de la isla a través
de una invasión armada el 25 de julio de 1898 imponiendo
desde esa fecha un sistema colonial. A consecuencia de esto,
se desarrolló el concepto de “Estado Libre Asociado”, que es
algo absurdo ya que Puerto Rico ni es un estado, ni es libre
y por lo tanto no puede ser asociado a los Estados Unidos
de América (Estados Unidos). Esto convirtió a Puerto Rico
en algo como una colonia de los gringos ya que estos son los
que usurpan ilegalmente los poderes soberanos de Puerto
Rico.
Discutió, en su exposición, como Estados Unidos se
apoderó de todas las riquezas de Puerto Rico, como destruyó
el Gobierno Autonómico existente previo a la invasión
armada de ellos y como establecieron un gobierno militar
por 6 años consecutivos negándole derechos humanos
básicos a los puertorriqueños. Entonces, en el 1917, les
impusieron la ciudadanía americana a los puertorriqueños
para con ella obligarlos a pelear a favor de Estados Unidos,
como carne de cañón en la Primera Guerra Mundial, y de
ahí en adelante en todas sus guerras imperiales.
Y por más de 117 años consecutivos Estados Unidos ha
intentado destruir la nacionalidad puertorriqueña violando
el derecho internacional y desacatando las múltiples
resoluciones de organismos internacionales, como las del
Comité de Descolonización de la ONU, que le ha ordenado
terminar con el coloniaje en Puerto Rico y a liberar a sus
prisioneros políticos. Ricardo contundentemente calificó a
Puerto Rico como la colonia más grande, económicamente
y también por su expansión territorial. Acentuó que el
coloniaje está prohibido y que sostenerlo es un delito.
En su momento, tocó el caso del prisionero político
puertorriqueño Oscar López Rivera, vinculándolo con la
lucha por la independencia de Puerto Rico. Expresó que lo
conocía desde niño, pues había nacido en San Sebastián al
igual que él, y se habían criado juntos en Chicago. Habló de
como Oscar fue reclutado obligatoriamente por las fuerzas
armadas de Estados Unidos para ir a combatir en la Guerra
de Vietnam y que allí le salvó la vida a varios compañeros,
por lo cual recibió una condecoración por valentía. Pero, a
la vez, allá tomó conciencia del discrimen que existía contra
los negros y los latinos en general ya que los ponían como
carne de cañón. Fue así, que Oscar regresó a Chicago con
otra mentalidad.
Ya en Chicago, López Rivera confrontó el discrimen en
contra de los latinos, en especial los puertorriqueños y
los mexicanos. Se convirtió en un combatiente social que
fundó centros de educación, de salud y de vivienda. Ésto
lo llevó a entender que la situación de explotación de los
puertorriqueños, tanto los que viven en Estados Unidos
como los que viven en Puerto Rico, era consecuencia
directa del coloniaje impuesto por el imperio gringo. Lo
que lo llevó, junto con otros en Estados Unidos y en Puerto
Rico, a luchar en contra de la persecución y la represión que
sufrieron por parte de las fuerzas autoritarias y a reclamar
la independencia de la isla. Entre 1980 y 1981, fueron
arrestados alrededor de 20 de ellos y acusados de sedición
política y de querer derrocar por las armas al gobierno de
Estados Unidos en Puerto Rico. Algo totalmente ilógico
porque según el propio Gobierno de Estados Unidos,
Puerto Rico pertenece a Estados Unidos pero no es parte de
Estados Unidos. La única defensa que levantaron durante el
enjuiciamiento criminal fue demandar que los reconocieran
como prisioneros políticos y de guerra y que los trataran
como tal de acuerdo a los tratados internacionales. Cosa
que no reconoció el sistema judicial gringo. No obstante,
en los hechos los trataban como tal mientras estuvieron
presos por casi 20 años en diferentes cárceles de máxima
seguridad en Estados Unidos.
Luego, Ricardo pasó a contestar preguntas del público
que atentamente lo habían escuchado en la primera media
hora sin que nadie abandonara el auditorio. ¡¡Estaban como
clavados a sus asientos!! Expresó que nunca se arrepintió ni
se arrepentiría en su vida por lo que hizo, porque combatir
por la libertad de la patria es una obligación de todo
patriota. También expresó que las circunstancias políticas
de la actualidad son muy diferentes a las existentes en las
décadas de los setenta y ochenta, décadas en las que se
combatía en todo Centro América y Sur América.
Además, cubrió el tema de la intención que hay
por parte de un sector del Gobierno de Estados Unidos de
dejar morir en la cárcel a Oscar López Rivera, que ya había
cumplido 34 años de cárcel, los primeros 12 en máxima
seguridad, aislado de la población penal y civil. Y que
había que trabajar para que el actual presidente de Estados
Unidos lo libere antes de que termine su mandato.
De los ojos de varias damas presente brotaron lágrimas
cuando Ricardo pasó a narrar los atropellos y abusos que
sufrieron él y otros por parte de los custodios carcelarios.
Narró cómo su madre de despidió de él sin poder tocarle las
manos ni darle un último beso previo a su muerte y cómo su
hermana le dijo que no volvería a visitarlo porque la habían
violado en la inspección de las visitas. Estas barbaridades
y violaciones de los derechos humanos lo hacía y lo hace
–acentuó – el Gobierno del país que se autoproclama
defensor número uno de los derechos humanos en nuestro
planeta.
Por otra parte, el compañero Ramón O’Neill, que estaba
presente, tomó la palabra para contestar una pregunta
que tenía que ver con la fundación del Estado Nacional
Soberano de Borikén y su Gobierno Provisional, y abundó
sobre el caso de Puerto Rico en los foros internacionales.
Sobre el Estado Nacional Soberano de Borikén, él le
informó al público que el mismo había sido fundado 3
años atrás por un sector de los patriotas puertorriqueños
que ejercieron su derecho inalienable a la libertad,
independencia y autodeterminación sin pedirle permiso
al gobierno imperial de Estados Unidos y sin ningún tipo
de tutelaje de país alguno. El Gobierno Provisional está
trabajando en su crecimiento y en su reconocimiento
Sigue en la próxima página
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
DICIEMBRE 2015
Clemente Food Drive
by Isabella Garcia-Ding, 9th grade student
With the holidays coming in a flash we think about how
we come together as a family and have a huge dinner.
However think about those who aren’t able to afford the
food for their family or think about people who are trying their best to get everything they can for their family
but can’t because of the income they are getting at that
time. This is the foundation for the Give 3k organization
created by three freshmen at Clemente High School.
We are trying to collect 3,000 pounds of food to help
our fellow wildcat families as well as our community. To
help, you can donate canned foods, jars, non-perishables,
boxed items, bagged items, and monetary donations to
our food drive through January 6th, 2016 - Three Kings
Day. When you donate you will be giving a meal to a fellow family in the community and making a difference.
Viene de la página 10
dentro de Puerto Rico y a nivel internacional.
Su nombre Borikén es una reivindicación del
nombre original de Puerto Rico, que en lengua
taina significa “La Tierra del Altivo Señor” y
que ahora se reclama la soberanía originaria
de los ancestro tainos, que eran los originales
propietarios de Borikén y que ejercían su
soberanía en la isla 5,000 años atrás
Sobre el aspecto internacional, expresó que
Estados Unidos ha intentado siempre excluir el
caso colonial de Puerto Rico de los foros de los
organismos internacionales. Puso de ejemplo el
caso de la ciudadanía americana impuesta a los
puertorriqueños con la que le impusieron ser
carne de cañón en sus guerras imperiales, como
muy bien había explicado Ricardo Jiménez de
la Liga de las Naciones. Abundó que con ello,
también, Estados Unidos le cerró la posibilidad
a la nación puertorriqueña de ir a la Liga de las
Naciones a reclamar sus derechos. Posibilidad
que ha sido contemplada en varios de sus
artículos para todos los territorios coloniales.
Además, mencionó las 34 resoluciones del
Comité de Descolonización de la ONU que
le demanda a Estados Unidos que termine
el coloniaje en Puerto Rico y que libere a los
prisioneros políticos puertorriqueños.
O’Neill no dejó pasar la oportunidad para
mencionar a la prisionera puertorriqueña Ana
Belén Montes que ya cumplió 13 de los 25
años en máxima seguridad que le impuso como
sentencia los tribunales de Estados Unidos
por haber informado por 17 años al servicio
de inteligencia cubano de los planes terrorista
de Estados Unidos y sus aliados en contra del
Estado de Cuba y del pueblo cubano. Acentuó
que Ana fue la verdadera fuente informativa
que impidió los ataques terroristas a Cuba,
y que si ya están libre los 5 patriotas cubanos
vinculados a la misma causa que ella, si ya se
habían restablecido las relaciones políticas y
diplomáticas entre Estados Unidos y Cuba, por
lógica simple se le debía liberar.
Finalmente Ricardo solicitó a los presentes
que firmaran solicitudes de libertad para Oscar
López Rivera, distribuyó el periódico que
publican en Chicago y pidió que pensaran en
integrarse en un comité de apoyo a la libertad
de Oscar López Rivera.
El acto que iba a tener una duración de una
hora se extendió a dos horas. Fueron muchas
las preguntas que le hicieron a Ricardo una vez
terminada la conferencia y una de las damas
presentes le regaló un dulce de guayaba de donde
era originaria como forma de agradecimiento
por haber ido a impartir la conferencia.
Es mandatorio mencionar que el Dr.
Enrique González Ruiz hizo acto de presencia
acompañado por su hijo de 5 años. Además,
la mesa de presídium fue adornada con el
lábaro patrio de Puerto Rico y a su lado, en un
atril, estuvo una manta con el rostro de Oscar
López Rivera en donde se demanda su libertad
inmediata.
Más de 100 estudiantes del Diplomado de
Derechos Humanos ya conocen con lujo de
detalle la vileza y atropellos del imperio contra
los patriotas boricuas y de la verticalidad de
los mismos, incluso Oscar, que nunca doblaron
rodillas, porque son como el guayacán y el
ausubo, ni se doblan ni se rajan.
11
OSCAR LÓPEZ RIVERA LE HABLA
A LOS UNIVERSITARIOS…
por WIPR
Oscar López Rivera, el prisionero político puertorriqueño que más tiempo
ha estado encarcelado, a través de su hija Clarisa López Ramos, ofreció ayer
martes una Lección Magistral en la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey donde
le abordó el tema de la educación versus el adoctrinamiento.
López Ramos fue la encargada de darle voz al líder independentista cuando
leyó la carta de once páginas que su padre escribió desde la cárcel.
“Es mucho más que un honor poder compartir este escrito con ustedes. Con
mucha humildad, respeto y amor en mi corazón y que sea mi querida hija la que
lo lea. Soy y seré un humilde servidor de mi patria que vive con la esperanza de
algún día poder saludarlos (as) a todos (as) en persona con un cariñoso abrazo”,
mencionó agradecido López en su carta.
La UPR Cayey lleva realizando lecciones magistrales por más de 30 años
consecutivos. En las mismas, han participado figuras de renombre mundial
como Isabel Allende, escritora y premio Nobel de la Paz en 1987, y expresidente
de Costa Rica, el doctor Oscar Arias.
Lea el documento completo: http://bit.ly/leccion-magistral-olr
Ald. Maldonado’s 26th Ward
Senior Christmas Party- Fri. Dec. 18
¡A Celebrar
Los Reyes Magos con Sabor Boricua!
Desfile/
Festival
ORDEN DEL DÍA
Miércoles 6
de enero
3-3:45pm:
Inscripción de
niños (edades
0-12)
Gimnasio
secundaria
Roberto
Clemente.
• Entrega de
bolsas de
comestibles para
las primeras 50
familias inscritas.
• Se servira galletas y chocolate.
3:45pm:
Se inicia
desfile de los
Reyes
4:30pm:
Entrega de
regalos en
Humboldt
Park Field
House
Dale un Regalo de Navidad a CLARIDAD
http://claridadpuertorico.com/
(Enlace Colecta Nacional)
(niños inscritos
recibirán regalos
primero)