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Community Honors
Nancy Franco-Maldonado’s
Memory
January 13, 1970 - December 29, 2015
■ Roberto Maldonado:
HISTORIC EVENT: All Puerto Rico’s Gubernatorial
Candidates unite- call on Obama:
“Free Oscar López Rivera Now!” Back Page
#freeoscarlopez
Tweet Reaches
Unprecedented numbers!
Back Page
New Life’s Safety
in the Sanctuary
Initiative
“As the body of Christ I believe that we must pray
for our city and country. We must respond to the
violence by being the light of Christ wherever we
go – simply put, we love God and we love people.
This is what helps transform communities and cities
by spreading a message of reconciliation and hope.”
“Nancy was not one to shy
away from human rights
struggles that affected
her community – even the
most controversial. She
was deeply devoted to her
Puerto Rican heritage and
wanted future generations
to remember the historical
challenges the community
faced. Which is why she
proudly advocated for the
naming of the Hispanic
Housing Senior building
located at 3949 West
North Avenue after the
Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera,
formerly a decorated
Vietnam War veteran
and respected community
activist, and now the longest-held political prisoner
in Puerto Rico’s history by
the U.S. government.”
Senior Pastor Choco De Jesús. P.3
Join Us! 34 Women X Oscar- CHI
Sat, January 30, 2016 • 3pm • Intersection Milwaukee, Division & Ashland
P.7-9
2
Nota de duelo
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
JANUARY 2016
AFTER TWO YEAR ABSENCE
Three Kings Winter Festival & Parade Returns
By Eduardo Arocho, Division Street
Business Development Association
After having cancelled the Parade
for two consecutive years due to
extreme weather, the annual parade
picked up where it left off. The Annual Three Kings Parade took place
th
El compañero, Carlos Nieves Hernández ha falleci- on Wednesday, January 6 , beginning
at Roberto Clemente Community
do el día de ayer, 30 de diciembre de 2015. DeseaAcademy and wound up at the Hummos enviarle nuestras condolencias y nuestro más boldt Park Field House. This tradition
sentido pésame a sus familiares, amigos y allegados has been celebrated in Humboldt
cercanos de parte del Centro Cultural PuertorPark for over 20 years, which includes
riqueño Juan A. Corretjer. Expresamos nuestro
the parade and the giving of new toys
to thousands of needy children. This
más sincero apoyo a sus familiares y amigos en la
colorful parade features The Three
pérdida del nuestro querido amigo Carlos.
Kings on horse & carriage, trolleys and
busses, classic fire truck, motorcycles,
music and hundreds of children and
parents. This year, the Parade was
dedicated to the Memory of the late
Nancy Franco-Maldonado, wife of
Alderman Roberto Maldonado (26th
Ward), who passed away December
La Voz del Paseo Boricua reserves the right
29th, 2015.
to publish at its discretion. [email protected]
The Día de Los Reyes or Three Kings
Day is celebrated on January 6th (Day
STAFF: PRCC Volunteers
of the Epiphany), which marks the
SOBRE LA VOZ:
traditional day in Puerto Rico/Latin
La más reciente manifestación del periodismo puertorriqueño en Chicago, America when children receive their
La Voz del Paseo Boricua continúa orgullosa del legado de nuestros primer- Christmas Holiday gifts. Today, espeos periódicos. Fundado en 2004, La Voz del Paseo Boricua, o ‘La Voz’ según cially in Puerto Rico, it has become
se le conoce cariñosamente por nuestros lectores, es un periódico de pueb- a major (secular) holiday tradition
lo, publicado de manera bilingüe por el Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño Juan of music, gifts and song. In keeping
Antonio Corretjer. Mensualmente, divulga historias relevantes de nuestra
with this tradition, the Puerto Rican/
comunidad, diseminando noticias sobre acontecimientos, programas, recur- Latino community in Humboldt Park
sos, y progresos locales. Como fuente alternativa de medios, intentamos comes together to bring gifts and
reconocer los logros de la comunidad puertorriqueña al igual que abogar cheer to all the children for the first
por la preservación del corazón de nuestro barrio en el parquede Humboldt parade of the year in Chicago.
– nuestro “pedacito de patria” en Chicago.
The event was sponsored by Alderman Roberto Maldonado of the 26th
ABOUT LA VOZ:
Ward, Illinois State Representative
The most recent manifestation of Puerto Rican journalism in Chicago, La
Cynthia Soto, The Puerto Rican CulVoz del Paseo Boricua proudly continues in the legacy of our community’s
tural Center, the Latin American Moprevious newspapers. Founded in 2004, La Voz del Paseo Boricua, or simply
torcycle Association (LAMA), the Chi‘La Voz’ as affectionately called by our readers, is a grassroots bilingual
cago Park District (Humboldt Park),
periodical published by the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural
Chicago Land Toys For Tots, West
Center. We report on stories relevant to our community on a monthly
Town Bikes, La Voz del Paseo Boricbasis, disseminating news about local events, programs, resources, and
ua, Roberto Clemente Community
developments. As an alternative source of media, we seek to acknowledge
Academy, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos
the achievements of the Puerto Rican community at large and advocate for
Puerto Rican High School and the Dithe preservation of the heart of our barrio in Humboldt Park - our “pedacito
vision Street Business Development
de patria” in Chicago
Association.
La Voz del Paseo Boricua
Newspaper
WEST TOWN BIKES DONATES 75 BIKES FOR
THREE KINGS DAY
By Michael Kurshan-Emmer, PRCC
As part of the annual ‘El Día de los Reyes’/’Three Kings’ holiday celebration,
children of all ages received hundreds of donated gifts yesterday in the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse. As part of this grand gift give-away organized by the
DSBDA, PRCC, Alderman Maldonado’s office and Representative Cynthia Soto’s office among others, West Town Bikes provided 75 bikes and set them up
in a room in the Fieldhouse to distribute to kids of all ages, sizes and genders.
Dressed as Los Tres Reyes Magos, the workers from West Town Bikes helped fit
each child to the bicycle, which was best suited for them.
A few years ago, you may not have seen the youth from Clemente or other
schools in the community riding around on bicycles, but now you see many of
the neighborhood youth engaged in this healthy and fun community, building a form of transportation. Not only has West Town Bikes provided jobs
and opportunities for youth in the area, but has impacted positive change in
the culture of transportation for the youth of the Humboldt Park/West Town
community.
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
ENERO 2016
3
Safety in the Sanctuary
by Veronica Ocasio, New Life Covenant Church
New Life Covenant Church starts every year with a 21day Corporate Fast. In 2016, its Senior Pastor, Wilfredo
“Choco” De Jesús, felt a strong desire to broaden the
scope of the fast in effort to bring awareness and healing to our city. For the duration of the 21 days of the fast,
from January 4th– January 24th, the church has been
open for 24 hours a day; offering prayer and community
support.
In these last 2½ weeks the church has provided over
1,000 meals to the homeless, has helped individuals
with addictions go to detox, placed homeless families
in shelters, provided a warm sleeping environment from
the frigid cold weather and a safe place for families to
seek refuge, prayer, support and encourage healthy living. New Life Covenant has completely underwritten
these expenses as part of its mission, to be “A Church for
the Hurting.”
“As the body of Christ I believe that we must pray
for our city and country. We must respond to the violence by being the light of Christ wherever we go – simply put, we love God and we love people. This is what
helps transform communities and cities by spreading a
message of reconciliation and hope.” said Senior Pastor,
Choco De Jesús.
We are very grateful to all the city agencies, community organizations and restaurants who have partnered
with us like the Chicago Police Department, City of Chicago Department of Family and Supportive Services, La
Palma Rest., Mexique Rest., National Museum of Puerto
Rican Arts & Culture, VIDA/SIDA, Norwegian American
Hospital, Catholic Charities and El Rincon to offer holistic services to all the homeless families and individuals
who have walked through our doors seeking refuge.
Salud y Bienestar en Puerto Rico como un Asunto de Derechos Humanos,
Somos Dign@s, Trayecto Dignidad 3
by Sandra Candelaria, Mujeres por Paseo
El pasado viernes, 15 de enero el Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño contó con la visita de los licenciados, Nylca
J Muñoz Sosa y Juan Francisco Correa Luna, integrantes
del colectivo Somos Dign@s. Los licenciados participaron de la Asamblea General del Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño donde tuvieron la oportunidad de presentar
“ Health and Wellness in Puerto Rico as a Human Rights
Issue”. La presentación mostraba los resultados de su
tercera muestra, Trayecto dignidad 3. Los licenciados
visitarían durante el fin de semana a Oscar López Rivera,
donde tendrían la oportunidad de discutir los proyectos de justicia social que se trabajan actualmente en
Puerto Rico por el colectivo.
El colectivo está compuesto de personas y organizaciones preocupad@s por la crisis de derechos hu-
manos y las libertades civiles que sufre el pueblo puertorriqueño. Los miembros del colectivo soportan la
justicia social y la equidad, promoviendo el respeto por
las personas, a través de su proclamación de que todos
y todas somos dign@s. El colectivo ha creado una campaña de educación y concienciación de los derechos
humanos y libertades civiles, que busca convocar a la
comunidad general a que se una a sus esfuerzos.
La licenciada Nylca Muñoz tiene una maestría en
Salud Pública de la Escuela de Salud Pública de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas y
actualmente está completando su doctorado en Salud
Pública especializándose en los Determinantes Sociales en Salud. Por los pasados nueves años Nylca ha sido
profesora adjunta y mentora en la Escuela de Derecho
de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. El licenciado Juan
Francisco Correa Luna es Catedrático Auxiliar y Coordinador de Clínicas Externas de Asistencia Legal en la
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
La presentación, “Salud y Bienestar en Puerto Rico
como un Asunto de Derechos Humanos”, tenía como
objetivos lo siguiente: Examinar la crisis en salud de
Puerto Rico desde una perspectiva económica, política,
social e historia; Presentar una iniciativa social, Trayecto Dignidad 3, como una herramienta de educación de
las masas, investigación y acción política; vindicando la
salud como un derecho humano; Por último, compartir
resultados relevantes de Trayecto Dignidad 3 y los futuros proyectos.
Los futuros proyectos podrían incluir una colabo-
ración en los Estados Unidos, preferiblemente Chicago
para la continuación de Trayecto Dignidad investigando
la perspectiva del puertorriqueño en Chicago con respecto a la salud. La primera iniciativa de Trayecto Dignidad se llevo a
cabo en 2011, seguido por la segunda edición en 2013.
Trayecto dignidad 3, se llevo a cabo en marzo de 2015.
El proyecto tenía como misión desarrollar un recorrido nacional investigavito para levanter datos sobre la
experiencia del pueblo con los servicios de salud en
Puerto Rico. Esta información fue complementada con
una campaña de divulgación sobre la importancia de
los derechos humanos en sus aspectos políticos, civiles,
económicos, sociales y culturales. Durante esta tercera
edición se repartieron 1,500 carpetas educacionales,
que contenían más de 5,000 documentos con material
educativo. Como parte de los esfuerzos educativos se
establecieron mesas redondas con la comunidad, eventos con arte y música, clínicas de salud y acción política.
En la presentación los licenciados expusieron brevemente la historia y desarrollo del sistema del salud
público en Puerto Rico, desde sus comienzos en el siglo
XX. Incluyendo la desarticulación del sistema de salud
publico en Puerto Rico en la década de los 90s. Actualmente, Puerto Rico cuenta con un sistema de salud que
trabaja con un modelo de Mercado, conceptualizado
en ganancias.
El Centro Cultural Puertorriqueño le agradece a los
licenciados Nylca Muños y Juan F. Correa por su visita
y presentación a la comunidad y empleados del centro.
4
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
Nonpayment
by Héctor L. Pesquera Sevillano / Co-presidente
of MINH
A lot has been said about the debt of more than
$70 billion Puerto Rico owes to investors, but how
much does Washington owe us for obligating us
to use the United States Merchant Marine for a
century, the most expensive and inefficient in the
world? The most conservative figures show an
annual additional cost of some $500 million for
using the Merchant Marine to transport our food.
And how much do they owe us for the systematic destruction of our agriculture and to obligate
us to buy and import 85% of what we consume?
How much do they owe us for using and contaminating the Toro Negro Forest and El Yunque
with agent orange and other poisons? What is
Washington’s debt for the massive sterilization
project to which thousands of Puerto Rican woman were subjected without their consent during
the decade of the 1940’s?
How much are the lives of the dead Puerto Rican soldiers used as cannon fodder in the United
States’ imperialist wars across the entire planet
worth?
How much do they owe us for the unauthorized
use of the waters of the Río Blanco as a water supply for their military base at Roosevelt Roads for
years? The commonwealth government, on learning of the theft, billed them millions of dollars and
the U.S. Federal Court in Puerto Rico ruled that
the Navy had “Immunity” and didn’t have to pay
the debt. They demonstrated the same behavior
of nonpayment with a “water thief”, that for years
supplied the precious liquid to the U.S. Post Office on Roosevelt Avenue in Hato Rey.
What is the value of their intervention in our
electoral, judicial and political process for their
advantage during the past decades? Now they are
talking about imposing a Financial Control Board
that would be over the Governor and the Legis-
lature, to determine acts, laws, taxes and governmental contracts. That is unprecedented.
How much does Washington owe us for the colonial exploitation we have been subjected to for
more than a century? What debt do they owe for
using our best agricultural lands to establish military bases all over the entire island, forcibly expropriating land from its rightful owners? They spent
more than 60 years in Vieques tossing shrapnel
and toxins right and left, contaminating the environment and adversely affecting the health and
development of the whole community. In Culebra
there are still undetonated bombs and military
waste that hasn’t been cleaned up.
They claim they have no money to carry out the
cleanup and decontamination that Culebra and
Vieques urgently need. Checkmate! If they can’t
pay us, there is no reason for us to pay them.
Next year must be the year of nonpayment to
the bondholders and the year to decolonize Puerto Rico. Senator María de Lourdes Santiago, the
Puerto Rican Independence Party’s gubernatorial
candidate, launched a proposal of Nonpayment
of the debt. We opt for and support it. First we
need to audit the debt to determine if there was
fraud and “parallel” benefit in granting the loans,
and if the money was used for the purpose for
which it was loaned. Ruling out illegal debt, we
have to go against those who benefitted from
the hustle and set off the remainder from what
Washington owes us for a system of colonial dependency that has brought us to ruins while they
have become even richer as a result.
For the US Congress, we “belong to but are not
part of the United States.” Well, one of their belongings is bankrupt, and they don’t want to allow
it to have the same option to use the Bankruptcy
Laws that are available to the rest of their jurisdictions, a prerogative of principles of the capitalist
system. So until they square the figures, there is
no room for promises of payment or anything of
the sort.
Once we have clarified the numbers, and Washington has recognized what it owes us, we will be
in a position to negotiate the form of payment
of said colonial debt, if there is any. And it’s not
the vulture funds that we’ll be working with. The
Republic of Puerto Rico will have access to Mercosur and the International Monetary Fund to finance the payment, if any, to the U.S. investors.
We will see at the end of the road that they are
the ones who owe us, and they are the ones who
aren’t paying. Originally published in Claridad. English translation by Jan Susler.
JANUARY 2016
Support for
Puerto
Rico
Grows
Puerto Rico on the Agenda of
Democratic Presidential Candidate
Martin O’Malley
Asked about his decision to make Puerto Rico a campaign stop, O’Malley joked
it was “probably due to my Irish background” and “having ties to an island that
has also been treated unfairly.”
“Puerto Rico does send delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and
there is a significant number of Puerto Ricans that live in and across the country,
not just Florida,” O’Malley said. “[Puerto Rico’s] people have been part of the
United States for more than 100 years. We have an obligation to help.”
“For the good of the country and for the sake of our credibility in the hemisphere, we have the obligation to act and help our fellow citizens, whose sons
and daughters have fought on the battlefield to defend our country,” he said.
“We can’t let Puerto Rico fail.”
Borough of Fountain Hill Supports Puerto Rico
Please read message below from friend and fellow Puerto Rican, Mayor Jose Rosado:
“As the Mayor of the Borough of Fountain Hill, PA., I am very
proud and honored to inform you that Borough Council voted
to support the “Resolution” in support of Puerto Rico during
our meeting this evening.
Fortunately, members of council overwhelmingly recognized
this resolution and the people of Puerto Rico as worthy of our
support. Several members of council spoke openly in support of
Puerto Rico and the Latino community here in Fountain Hill. It
was a very proud moment for me as the mayor.
I look forward to signing the official resolution this week and
forwarding a copy to you.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent and stand in support of our motherland and the honorable people of Puerto
Rico.”
Jose Rosado, Mayor
Borough of Fountain Hill, PA.
Delaware for Puerto Rico is formed
Under the leadership of Wilmington City Councilwoman Maria D. Cabrera and Entrepreneur Edwin Segarra, Delaware for
Puerto Rico was formed (#DEforPR | #DE4PR) to work closely
with Pennsylvania for Puerto Rico and the national coalition in
our collective efforts to help Puerto Rico and its 3.5 million US
citizens during this American Humanitarian and Fiscal Crisis.
Councilwoman Cabrera is scheduled to introduce the Humanitarian and Fiscal Crisis in Puerto Rico Resolution to the City
Council of Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday, February 4 during
their legislative session.
Our support and gratitude to Councilwoman Cabrera and Edwin Segarra.
ENERO 2016
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
Comunicado del CDHPR sobre la pérdida
de la esposa y compañera del
Lcdo. Fermín Arraíza (Fermo).
Esta mañana nos enteramos con dolor y sorpresa d ela muerte de la Lcda. Francelis Ortiz, esposa
del Lcdo. y compañero de luchas, Lcdo. Fermín Arraíza. La perdida de cualquier vida de un ciudadano
decente y productivo es muy dolorosa. Más aun si se
trata de una servidora pública y un ser humano excepcional como informan los que la conocieron, que era la
Lcda. Francelis Ortiz. El compañero Fermín Arraíza(Fermo) ha sido un colaborador de nuestro Comité y mío
propio, en varias luchas como la de Vieques, los derechos humanos, la excarcelación de nuestros prisioneros
políticos, la defensa del Colegio de Abogados, investigaciones sobre brutalidad policiaca y en especial, la defensa de la independencia y autodeterminación de los
puertorriqueños(as). En momentos como estos, ninguna palabra humana es suficiente consuelo para la pérdida de un ser humano noble, bueno y amado, pero conforta saber que se tiene la solidaridad de nuestro
pueblo para ayudar a cargar la cruz del dolor incurable y trágico que azota el alma, ante lo absurdo de
esta pérdida. Solo podemos decir: Fermo; cuenta con nuestra humilde oración y el ruego de paz para
tu espíritu y el de tu amada compañera.
Eduardo Villanueva Munoz, Portavoz CDHPR.
A 19 de enero de 2016
5
CONDOLENCES TO THE
CRESPO- RICH FAMILY
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos
Puerto Rican High School and the National Boricua Human Rights
Network extend their most profound condolences to compañera
Veronica Crespo-Rich, Seth Rich and their family on the loss of
Vanessa Rich. Below, we publish a note from Veronica.
It is with great sadness and a
heavy heart that the Hudson-Rich
family would formally like to inform everyone of the passing of
Vanessa Rich. Vanessa passed away
Tuesday, Dec. 29th, 2015 in her
home. We have lost our matriarch,
mother, sister, grandmother, aunt,
cousin, friend and unrelenting advocate of family and children.
This powerhouse will be missed by so many and we are beyond
grateful to have been touched by her love, light, and joy. We are
thankful for all of the beautiful messages and calls we have received thus far. We would like to extend our regrets to those we
were unable to contact and for those who found out via other
avenues. As you know, Vanessa touched many, many lives.
Thank you for all of the positive thoughts and we would greatly appreciate continued prayers.
Jose Antonio Acevedo: Priest, Father, Uncle,
Educator and Advocate for Latinos in Education
Jose A Acevedo passed away on December 14th, 2015.
Devoted husband of Ana Figueroa for 44 years. Loving
father of Antonio (Denise) and Tanyia. Cherished grandfather of Elise and Alec. Loving uncle of many nieces and
nephews. He was a wonderful father and loving husband,
grandfather, uncle, mentor, colleague and friend. He will
be missed.
Jose A Acevedo was born in a hospital in the Santurce
area of San Juan on July 20th, 1938. He grew up in the
Puerta de Tierra neighborhood of San Juan. In 1950, he moved to Chicago at first settling in the
Taylor St. area and then moving to West Town near the
“Polish Triangle” area. He came to Chicago not knowing English and was enrolled in Catholic School for
8th grade where he had classes in Polish in addition to
English. Acevedo attended Holy Trinity on Division St. He
eventually discerned a call to the priesthood. During
his time in the seminary, he spent time in a mission in
San Miguelito, Panamá. When he graduated from St.
Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, he became recognized
as the first Puerto Rican Archdiocesan priest in Chicago.
Padre Acevedo baptized and married many Puerto Ricans in Chicago while he was at St. Aloysius on Western
Ave. However, his calling ended after a combination of
frustration with how the Church was serving the Latino community and his falling in love with a nun, Sister
Providence, led to his leaving the Church. After Acevedo
officially left the priesthood and Ana Figueroa left the
order, they got married in May of 1971 and left Chicago
for Boston to escape the controversy. They returned
a few years later with two children and reestablished
their lives in Chicago. Arguably one of his greatest accomplishments was
in 1975 when he founded El Centro of Northeastern Illinois University and served as its director for about 20
years. As a satellite extension of Northeastern Illinois
University, its mission was to make college accessible to
the Latino population by offering the first two years of
college at this facility in a Latino neighborhood at more
convenient hours and in a bilingual setting as well. Towards the latter part of his tenure, El Centro provided
coursework at higher levels and even served as a place
for Latino educators to obtain coursework towards an
administrative certificate. Acevedo always believed that
through education we could level the playing field for
minorities in this country. He was committed to that. His also had a dream that El Centro would have its own
campus and not be housed in a leased facility as it was
during his time there. And now not too far from here
along the Kennedy you can see that brand new El Centro location.
In 1995 Acevedo defended his dissertation titled: A
descriptive and exploratory case study of El Centro 1975-
1991: A Hispanic Educational Outreach Center at Northeastern Illinois University. He was awarded an Ed.D., a
doctorate in education, from Loyola University
Jose Acevedo’s Eulogy was written by Antonio Acevedo. Excerpts of the eulogy were used for this work. {LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
6
JANUARY 2016
Centro Infantil’s Teacher Strives to
Accomplish Her Dreams
By La Voz staff
Maria Almanza is the teacher of the Flamboyan group toddler classroom at the Centro Infantil Consuelo Lee Corretjer. She’s
been at Centro Infantil since 2011 and also
a full time student at St. Augustine College.
She never thought she would be where she
is today. Maria says, “it has been a blessing
and a great opportunity to strive and accomplish dreams of continuing her education.” At times it has been difficult to play
multiple roles: full time wife, mother, worker, and student. However, her motivation
to keep on moving forward has been the support from her wonderful husband and
daughters. They have been her rock and the reason to continue her education.
Maria wants to demonstrate to her daughters what is possible if you set your
mind to it. This is a way to open doors for better opportunities and educate herself
in Early Childhood Development, as well as to encourage her daughters to continue
their education and empower themselves. Maria’s education, trainings and classes
with Centro Infantil helped enhance her skills to implement strategies and guide
the children and the families she works with. The Child Care emphasizes helping
children feel proud of who they are and where they come from. Maria is confident
to be able to prepare our children for a better future. Thanks to hard work, in December Maria received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education and will
be continuing with classes to obtain a Bachelor’s degree.
Acknowledging El Día de los Reyes
by Spanish AP Class, Roberto Clemente Community
Academy
Often we stop to celebrate or participate in traditions and holidays, but… sometimes without knowing
exactly why. “What is El Día de los Reyes?” “Why is
it celebrated?” “And … how?” These are all questions
asked by Clemente´s AP Spanish Language and Culture
students.
Exploring the history and culture of “Three Kings’
Day,” students learned that, in addition to the many
people who celebrate Christmas, there are also people
who celebrate the day when three kings (or wise men)
named Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gas-
par of India - after learning of the birth of a new King
- arrived to his manger where he was born, to bring him
gifts.
In recognition of this special day and as in the case
with many holidays, there is often more than one way
to celebrate. It was learned that children leave a treat
for the 3 Wise Men and hay for their camels (kind of
like leaving cookies for Santa) for their long journey. In
return, small gifts may be left for the children. Adults
spend time with friends and family and share a Rosca
de Reyes, similar to a large fruitcake but in the shape
of a crown. Baked inside this Rosca are anywhere from
one to four baby dolls, symbolic of the baby Jesus. Tradition says that whoever gets the piece with the baby
inside has to host a party on February 2nd. Both quite
confused and fascinated by this tradition, Clemente
students wanted to experience this custom first hand…
and that’s exactly what they did.
Students were provided the opportunity to partake
in a Rosca de Reyes, gathering around it first to simply
get a good look at what it looks like…and it looked just
as described … a crown fit for a king! Anxious to cut
the slices, afterward each student received a piece of
bread…one by one…with anticipation and excitement
for seeing if the baby was baked into their piece! “I ate
rosca when I was younger, traditionally. It’s been
years and so it reminded
me of my childhood,”
shared senior Armanni
Varela.
Students enjoyed having this opportunity to
learn about this special
day, taste a new pastry
in class, and most importantly to learn that two
of their classmates now
have to - instead of hosting a party - bring a treat for the class on February 2nd!
Senior Jocelyn Ramirez-Arreola expressed, “I had tried
rosca before, but I didn’t know what it was for until now.
My piece had the baby in it and so now I have to think
about what treat I want to bring!”
“We used to eat rosca in elementary school and
they’d also give us some candy in a shoe. So it brought
back memories. Even though we celebrated, I wasn’t really sure what the baby meant, especially since I never
got it in my piece of bread.” Kyle Rodriguez. Sorry you
never got the baby, Kyle! Better luck, next year!
ENERO 2016
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7
Chicago’s Mayor and City Council Honor
Nancy Franco-Maldonado’s Memory
By L. Alejandro Molina, Puerto Rican Cultural Center
The City Council Chambers was filled to capacity Wednesday, January 13th, 2016 as Mayor Rahm Emanuel and
the Chicago City Council paid tribute to Nancy Franco-Maldonado, the recently deceased wife of Alderman
Roberto Maldonado. Close to one dozen Aldermen/women asked to be recognized in support of a resolution
honoring her life.
Alderman and Chairman of the Committee on Finance Ed Burke suspended the Rules of Order and Procedure of the City Chicago in order to
introduce the resolution. He read and introduced a touching and respectful tribute to Nancy after which Mayor Emanuel recognized various Aldermen, Ald. Joe Moreno, Ald. Danny Solis, Ald. Ariel Reboyras, Ald. Milagros
“Millie” Santiago, and Ald. Carrie Austin, Ald. Walter Burnett and Ald. Joe
Moore, who all made moving statements uniting with the resolution and
sharing painful moments of their own, while supporting Ald. Maldonado
and his children, Rene, Roberto II and Raquel. City Clerk Susana Mendoza,
also addressed the council.
Fittingly, Mayor Emanuel spoke at the end, recalling the Jewish tradition
during marriage of breaking a glass at the end of the ceremony, referencing the fragility of life and reminding all those present of the incredible
strength of Roberto and the children in the face of tragedy. He then asked
for a minute of silence and then, Ald. Maldonado closed the circle, remembering Nancy as his inspiration and behind the scenes political advisor for
his two successful campaigns for Alderman. Hers was the idea to name
the Humboldt Park Library after Cong. Luis Gutiérrez and the North and
Pulaski senior housing complex after Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar
López Rivera, who is serving his 34th year of imprisonment for seditious
conspiracy making him as Roberto said, “the longest held political prisoner
in Puerto Rico’s history.”
Among the myriad of organizations and leaders present from Humboldt
Park were Puerto Rican Cultural Center Executive Director José E. López
and Chief Organizational Officer, Juan Calderón, member Juanita Garcia
and Board Secretary L. Alejandro Molina. Division Street Business Development Association (DSBDA) Executive Director Eduardo Arocho also attended the tribute.
The week before, more than 1500 poeple gathered during the wake and
funderal service to pay homage to Nancy’s memory. From the highest ranks
of the city’s most important officials, including Mayor Rahm Emmanuel,
Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez, and dozens of Alderman, County and State
officials, as well as hundreds of community residents, who created a steady
stream of more than 1000 mourners who solemnly passed her casket at
Alvarez Funeral Home.
On Thursday, January 7th, more than 500 people attended a Catholic
service at Maternity BVM Church honoring Nancy’s memory. Impassioned
eulogies, which captivated the overflowing church, were delivered by Ald,
Maldonado and son, Rene. Ald. Maldonado announced that Nancy’s presence will be felt in this community
for generations, as her name will be inscribed in the following community initiatives; 1) a foundation to fund
research into early detection of Pancreatic Cancer, 2) in the batting cages at Humboldt Park and, 3) in the new
proposed arts building on Paseo Boricua, which will provide living and work spaces for community artists. All
Mourners receiving the body of Nancy Franco-Maldonado at Maternity BVM
for the service
The multitude of mourners included city, state and county elected officials as
well as hundreds of community members
René Maldonado reads the eulogy at BVM. This moving and powerful tribute to
Nancy [INSERT WORD] Nancy was born 46 years ago.
pictures for this section by Charlie Billups.
#lovewins #freeoscarlopez
The Maldonado family at the City Council tribute to Nancy
8
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JANUARY 2016
ENERO 2016
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9
10
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Eulogy for mom
“She showed me that it’s something that truly
exists in all of us -- She was a strong woman.
The strongest I will ever know… “
We are gathered here today in the memory of my mother, so that together we
may acknowledge and share both our joy in the gift that her life was to us, and
the pain that her passing brings. In sharing the joy and the pain together today,
may we lessen the pain and remember more clearly the joy.
My mother is such an extraordinary figure in my life. She taught me the importance of family, faith, hard work, kindness, tolerance, generosity, forgiveness
and love. My mother taught me that greatness is not this wonderful, esoteric, illusive, God-like feature that only the special among us will ever taste. She
showed me that it’s something that truly exists in
all of us -- She was a strong woman. The strongest I
will ever know…
She never gave up. She always kept her promises
and fulfilled them to the best of her abilities. When
she got sick, it was only her body that gave up, not
her fighting spirit.
After unsuccessfully putting pen to paper several
times, I realized that there really are no words to
describe the closeness I had with my mother.
There are only feelings, indescribable feelings.
Feelings that i’m sure you all felt with your own
mother, because she was there to praise me when I
did well, and the first to lift me back up when I fell.
She taught me My guts. My confidence. My bravery
and my strength. She taught me My sensitivity, my
compassion, my loyalty and even my laughter.
I see now that looking back at the past shows the
small connections that lead to the grandest moments. You have to trust that somehow everything
will make sense in the future, because everything is
jumbled up now. God is a loving father trying to show the way. He wants what’s
best for us, but for now, you just have to trust and believe in his heavenly plan.
God needed her for a greater purpose, He needed an angel that had all the
qualities that define a true hero. I don’t blame him, for she is my hero and yours
as well.. And I know that once she completes her mission with god, she will not
only be in our hearts, but at rest in paradise.
I feel as though she never truly left us. She is there guiding my hand. She is
there beside me, and she is there showing me the right path; as in life she taught
me the values and lessons that she has learned from her parents, and has passed
them to me, so that I may pass them down to the next generations. I miss her
each and every passing day. You have done a great Significance in this world…
Mom I promise you I will continue my life, accomplish many things, become successful.. Because I know that your warmth is with me, your smile is by me, your
laughter is replaying over on my mind, your soft hands are always with mine,
your strength is with me, and most of all, your unconditional love is going to be
there in the good, the bad, the happy, and the sad.. I can’t wait to see you again
Mami… but first I am needed here to complete my mission that God has given
me, and I know he will reward me with you. Gracias por todo que has hecho para
mi y nuestra familia. I love you Mami.
Your son, Rene Maldonado
JANUARY 2016
ENERO 2016
34 Women for Oscar-CHI
Chicago Women Rally
for Oscar’s Release
by Juanita Garcia, NBHRN
For the past five months, women from different
backgrounds have come together the last Saturday
of each month for 34 minutes to bring Chicagoans’
attention to the campaign to free Oscar López Rivera. The women rally one minute for every year
Oscar has been incarcerated. On Saturday, December 26th, 34 Women for Oscar gathered on the
corner of Division and Ashland. With much fervor,
the women waved flags emblazoned with Oscar’s
image as they chanted for his freedom. Groups
of 34 Women have also organized themselves in
Puerto Rico, New York, and Boston.
Alyssa Villegas is a
Chicago native and
was a member of the
Network before moving to New York City to
study film at Brooklyn
College. Alyssa arrived
a few minutes late, but
as she walked down Division Street and without seeing the group
of women, she could
hear the women loud
and clear a block away
which heightened her
level of enthusiasm. Alyssa is excited to see women in Chicago coming together for Oscar’s freedom
and believes it is “important for women to be seen
at the forefront of the campaign as women have
always played a major role throughout the years in
the campaign to free Oscar.”
The next rally will take place on January
30th, 2016 at 3pm on the corner of Division
and Ashland. Let’s make this the last year we organize these rallies. More info: [email protected]
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11
OSCAR LÓPEZ RIVERA
AND THE CABANILLAS
by Samir Chopra
FOR ALMOST four years now, I have worn a shirt
bearing the legend “Libertad Oscar López Rivera Ahora”.
This portable messenger was a parting gift from a Puerto Rican family whose vacation cabin abutted ours on a
beach on the island of Culebra; my wife befriended them
one night, and we were, much to our delight, taken in as
honorary family members. It was the first I had heard
of Oscar López Rivera. On rare occasions, someone - a
Puerto Rican student in a political philosophy seminar,
a graduate student in a university library, a Puerto Rican family in Brooklyn - recognizes and acknowledges
the man on the shirt and offers me congratulations. Perhaps the Spanish inscription - an epiphany of otherness
- places him in a greater anonymity than the one he already suffers.
Oscar López Rivera is undeservedly the most obscure
of American political prisoners. A former member of
the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (FALN),
a clandestine paramilitary organization that advocated
political independence for Puerto Rico, López Rivera is
serving the 34th year of a compounded 70-year sentence for seditious conspiracy plus conspiracy to escape.
He was offered clemency by President Bill Clinton in
1999, but rejected it. Now 72 years old, he remains in a
federal prison. López Rivera’s imprisonment, just as his
homeland’s political status, remains a mystery to most
Americans. But they, and his refusal to accept clemency,
entail a political and moral crisis that cannot be looked
away; his case and the history that backgrounds it force
a searching reexamination of what it means to be American. López Rivera reminds Americans of a colonial and
imperial past whose contours are still visible. Despite a
stingy record for commutations and pardons, President
Barack Obama could and should use his constitutional
powers to commute Oscar’s punitive sentence and grant
his immediate release.
For the past few years, the Cabanillas of Houston, a
successful middle-class immigrant family, proudly Puerto Rican, have made López Rivera’s release their enduring
cause. The Cabanillas’ campaign joins the tireless work of
Puerto Ricans on behalf of their political prisoners, for
every decade since 1898 has seen independentistas in
prison. Those on the “outside” have persisted in fighting
for their rights and their freedom. These struggles have
led to US presidents commuting sentences of Puerto
Rican political prisoners: Harry Truman commuted the
death sentence of Oscar Collazo in 1952; Jimmy Carter
commuted the sentences of Nationalist Party prisoners
in 1977 and 1979; and Bill Clinton did the same with
the sentences of López Rivera’s codefendants in 1999.
Some of the activists who worked on those campaigns
still work to free López Rivera. They include the human
rights group Comité Pro Derechos Humanos and the
People’s Law Office; they helped create the environment
into which the Cabanillas family entered. Their combined efforts and commitment to free López Rivera have
elevated his struggle to American consciousness; they
have compelled me to write this essay.
La Isla Bonita
Puerto Rico has been a US possession since it was “acquired” — in the usual colonial fashion, through armed
disputation — from Spain in 1898. Puerto Ricans became US citizens in 1917, just in time for 20,000 “Boricuas” to be drafted to serve in World War I. Almost a
century later, Puerto Ricans living on their island are
not allowed to vote in presidential elections; Puerto Ricans have attained neither statehood nor independence.
Along the way, they have suffered the indignity of a ban
— imposed in 1948 — on owning a Puerto Rican flag,
singing a “patriotic song,” or advocating for independence. Their curious political status, a “United States
territory,” which is not a state, but whose residents are
given automatic US citizenship, ensures economic and
political exploitation by the “mainland.” Today, Puerto
Rican demands for full political and legal rights resurrect
a debate whose most radical form is a fading memory.
During the 1960s and ’70s, young Puerto Ricans in
the US — inspired by the global anticolonial and national liberation movements that gave those decades their
most distinctive political imprint — railed against the
terrible triad of colonialism, racism, and exploitation
embodied in American sovereignty over Puerto Rico.
Even as young Americans — including López Rivera,
who had moved to Chicago as a teenager — were drafted for the war in Vietnam, the discourses and actions of
Puerto Rican independentistas continued in the US. On
returning from Vietnam — where he earned a Bronze
Star for his service — López Rivera plunged into the
political activism and community actions then underway in his Chicago Latino neighborhoods; he founded
cultural centers and high schools, and, as a community
organizer, helped establish rehabilitation programs for
drug addicts and prisoners.
Armed clandestine political organizations — like
FALN, one among many that had sprung up in Puerto
Rico — represented one pole of Puerto Rican political
movements; its tactics — which did not eschew violent
direct action — placed it a rung higher in the ladder
of political escalation. Between 1974 and 1983, FALN
claimed responsibility for over a hundred bombings
of military, government, and economic targets in and
Continued on page 13
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12
JANUARY 2016
ON OSCAR'S 73RD:
SE SIENTE PRESENCIA DE EL PATRIOTA EN ACTOS
CELEBRANDO SUS 73 AÑOS DE VIDA
EN RÍO PIEDRAS, PR
Natalicio de Oscar
Celebrado
Por Cristian Roldán, PRCC
El natalicio del prisionero político Oscar López Rivera
fue celebrado el miércoles, 6 de enero de 2016, día de
los Tres Reyes Magos frente al Bufete Nazario & Santiago en Río Piedras. Los 73 años de López Rivera se celebraron junto a un tributo póstumo al licenciado Juan
Rivera. La presencia de las familias López, Rivera y
Méndez se hizo sentir. Entre ellos se incluyeron dos
hermanos de su madre Andrea Rivera, Ernesto y Rosita
Rivera. Más de 50 primos y primas, sobrinos y sobrinas, tres de sus hermanos: Mercedes, Mariselis y José
Elías; y su hija Clarisa López. También asistieron cuatro
de los expresos políticos: Alicia y Lucy Rodríguez, Luis
Rosa y Adolfo Matos. El Lic. Mark Anthony Bimbela,
presidente del colegio de abogados, Lic. Alejandro Torres Rivera, Lic. Eduardo Villanueva (quien encabeza el
Comité Pro-Derechos humanos de Puerto Rico), Lic.
cena que incluyó Arroz con gandules, preparado en una
olla al fogón. Dicha olla fue utilizada en el comedor de la
escuela Guerrero de Aibonito cuando Oscar era estudiante en la misma.
IN CHICAGO
La Capilla del Barrio
dedicates Sunday Service
to Oscar’s 73rd
by L. Alejandro Molina, NBHRN
La Capilla del Barrio celebrated Oscar’s birthday Sunday, Jan. 5th, 2016, in spite of the sparse lead time.
Pastor Windsor once again invited the National Boricua Human Rights Network to celebrate Oscar López
Rivera’s birthday and Three Kings Mass for the eighth
Annual Year. Nina Escobar, age 13, welcomed all present with the following reading:
“Good morning and welcome to La Capilla, The
Santiago Nieves, abogado constitucionalista que abrazó
la causa por la libertad del preso político. Este fue el
cuarto año consecutivo en que se realizó esta actividad
por parte de un grupo de activistas puertorriqueños
que llevan una lucha constante por la excarcelación
de López Rivera mediante un indulto del presidente
de Estados Unidos, Barack Obama. La actividad contó
con la participación de la reverenda Yamina Apolinaris,
quien tuvo a cargo la reflexión del día. El licenciado
Pedro Saadé Lloréns, quien el año pasado visitó al prisionero político, fue el orador. El profesor José E. López,
hermano del prisionero, también dirigió un saludo a los
asistentes, mientras que la música navideña estuvo a
cargo de Las Atípicas.
EN SAN SEBASTIÁN, PUERTO RICO
Cong. Gutiérrez dice presente:
Familiares y simpatizantes
regocijan cumpleaños
por Cristian Roldán, NBHRN
El domingo 3 de enero 2016 casi 150 personas se
dieron cita en la casa de Herminio “Millo” Méndez para
celebrar el 73 cumpleaños del patriota Oscar López
José Hernández Colón y su esposa, la escritora Georgina Lázaro, Lic. Jose Pantoja y el Lic. Pedro Sadeé. A esta
impresionante lista se le añadió la presencia del congresista Luis Gutiérrez y su esposa Soraida Arocho.
Se le dio inicio al acto con el rosario de los Reyes Magos cantado. El hijo mayor de Millo, Pedro Méndez, encabezó el grupo de Aibonito que interpretó este rosario
con sus ritmos pepinianos. Seguido, hubo una breve
bienvenida por su hermano José Elías López quien enfatizó el significado de dicha celebración en el barrio que
vio nacer a su hermano Oscar López Rivera y en donde
muchos todavía tienen gratas memorias de la niñez de
Oscar. José López presentó al congresista Luis Gutiérrez, agradeciéndole el apoyo incondicional que ha brindado a todos los presos políticos desde los tiempos de
los nacionalistas. El congresista se dirigió al público con
un mensaje de optimismo, pidiéndole a todos que redoblarán sus esfuerzos para excarcelar a Oscar López.
El programa continuó con una presentación por parte de Clarisa con dos obras pintadas por su padre para
los licenciados José Ayoroa Santali, y César Hernández
Colón. En forma emotiva, el Lic. Cesar recibió las obras
y prosiguió a darle las gracias a Clarisa y a Oscar.
Culminó el evento con unas interpretaciones musicales por parte del reconocido Antonio “Mapeye” Rivera. Los asistentes fueron invitados a participar de una
Neighborhood Chapel’s Epiphany/Three King’s Day
Service” My name is Nina Escobar. As we all know, the
term “Epiphany” means “to show “ or “make known” or
even “to reveal.” Today we commemorate the coming
of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child,
who by doing so, reveal Jesus to the world as Lord and
King. In this same spirit of revelation, let us with much
hope, prayer and anticipation, await the release of our
Nelson Mandela, Oscar López Rivera.”
Pastor Windsor then called Ricardo Jiménez to
speak. Ricardo spoke emotively about how his involvement with the community work at a very early age, and
the Lopez family, first with José as his first professor,
and then Oscar. L. Alejandro Molina urged all present
to redouble efforts to bring Oscar home this year, the
final year of Pres. Obama’s term.
ENERO 2016
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13
CABANILLAS continued from page 11
around Chicago and New York, which caused the death
of six and injuries to dozens (there were no deaths or
injuries in Chicago-area bombings). FALN’s bombings
— accompanied by demands for the release of fellow
independentistas serving sentences in US prisons for
their activism in the 1950s — starkly highlighted Puerto Rico’s colonial status; they informed the US it was
viewed as a malignant occupier in zones it might have
imagined national territory. These bombings did not
lack justification as self-defense: the infamous 1975
bombing of the Fraunces Tavern in New York, for instance, was a direct and explicitly identified response
to the January 11, 1975 bombing in Mayagüez, Puerto
Rico, where a CIA-trained operator detonated a bomb
causing the death of two independentistas and a child
and severely injuring ten others. In modern parlance,
FALN was a “terrorist” group. They were treated accordingly.
In 1980, 11 men and women, allegedly members
and leaders of FALN, were arrested and charged with
seditious conspiracy — to oppose US authority over
Puerto Rico by force — and related charges of weapon
possession and transporting stolen cars across state
lines. López Rivera was named codefendant in the indictment. The accused — after being tried in a Federal
District Court — were given prison sentences ranging
from 55 to 90 years. Judge Thomas McMillen regretted
not being able to give them the death penalty.
In 1981, López Rivera was arrested after a traffic
stop, and after being tried, was sentenced — again by
McMillen — to a prison term of 55 years. Like his other codefendants, he was not charged with participating
in FALN bombings that caused loss of life (though one
prosecution witness testified that López Rivera had
taught him how to make bombs). In 1987, López Rivera
was sentenced to an additional 15 years for conspiracy
to escape; in shades of the modern FBI entrapment of
young Muslims in the US, this was a plot conceived and
carried out by government agents and provocateurs.
In 1981, the average federal sentence for murder was
10 years; in 1987, the average sentence for an actual escape from prison was less than two years.
The Dangers of Sedition
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 remain a blot
on American democracy; John Adams deeply regretted
— till the day of his death — being their prime mover.
The crimes they charge citizens with — and the notion
of a political dissident imprisoned for holding political
beliefs supposedly dangerous — are an embarrassment
for democracies. The very idea of sedition induces puzzlement in a student of politics: how can a liberal democracy punish the entertainment of beliefs? The contemporary illegitimate child of those Acts, the charge of
seditious conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 2384), which indicts
American citizens for planning to revolt in concert with
others, was conceived during the Civil War but, in actual application between the 1930s and 1980s, only
found one target: Puerto Rican nationalists.
The accusation of seditious conspiracy is political:
nothing enrages the patriot like the seditionist. He is a
fifth columnist, a cancer on the body politic. The seditionist assaults the idea of the nation and offends our
sensibilities by proclaiming that our idols have feet of
clay. Sedition incites rebellions by encouraging citizens
to rise up against their state; the existence of the seditionist is a threat to the public and psychic order underwritten by nationalist sentiment. In the old days, those
who spoke against dominant paradigms, who placed
the earth at the center of the universe and the like, were
tortured, torn apart by mobs, burnt at the stake.
Unsurprisingly, we find religious fervor in the prosecution of this variant of political heresy. Nietzsche
described the punishment felt suitable for this kind of
citizen as:
A declaration of war and a war measure against an
enemy of peace, law, order, authority, who is fought as
dangerous to the life of the community, in breach of the
contract on which the community is founded, as a rebel,
a traitor and breaker of the peace, with all the means
war can provide.
The seditionist is a preacher too; he seeks to convert,
to include others in his cult. These are made more sinister by the application of the term “conspiracy”: concerted planning with those of like minds. Ideally, a seditionist would be exiled or killed; the next best option is
removal from public sight.
At his trial, López Rivera — invoking international
law — asserted that the US colonization of Puerto Rico
was a crime against humanity. This language hearkened
uncomfortably to the 20th century’s worst excesses.
López Rivera thus declared himself a combatant in an
anticolonial war to liberate Puerto Rico and invoked
prisoner of war status. He noted that courts of colonial
powers are prohibited from criminalizing anticolonial
struggle. He also asserted that US courts had no jurisdiction to try him as a criminal; by rejecting their legitimacy, he placed himself in fundamental opposition to
the United States, a nation of laws. Most insultingly, he
demanded remandment to an international court and
turned away from the blessings of the American republic, preferring the justice of the unexceptional world to
the injustice of the exceptional nation. He presented
no defense — he did not disavow his activities — and
pursued no appeal. Like other Puerto Rican independentistas in US prisons, López Rivera became a political
prisoner, punished for political beliefs and associations.
Political prisoners are inviting targets for rhetorical
and physical abuse. This process began when López Rivera received the scorn and the open dislike of the trial judge. Then, over the years, he was described — by
the US law enforcement agencies, the FBI, the Bureau
of Prisons, and the Parole Commission — as a “notorious and incorrigible criminal,” “a predator,” and “the
worst of the worst.” This rhetoric served as precursor
to, and accompanied, torture. López Rivera was transferred to maximum security prisons where for 12 years
he was subjected to solitary confinement and sporadic
sleep deprivation. “Torture” is a term that should make
Americans uncomfortable, but in these post-9/11 days
it does not; we have been instructed it is necessary to
preserve the nation state, a village that needs burning
to protect it.
All torture is refined by its perpetrators; López Rivera’s captors are no exception. In 1998, after a dozen
years in isolation, he was required to report every two
hours to prison guards. This situation was to last 18
months. It has lasted 17 years. His cell was constantly
searched, his reading and art materials confiscated and
destroyed, and visits from family stopped. López Rivera’s speech was placed under totalitarian control: for almost 20 years, the Federal Bureau of Prisons — unsurprisingly claiming “security” concerns — denied media
requests for interviews before relenting in 2013 to allow telephone interviews. The censorship still applies to
in-person and on-camera interviews. These bans reek
of governmental insecurity; they speak of a state afraid
to hear its prisoner’s voice.
In 2011, at his parole hearing, a chained and handcuffed López Rivera heard live testimony from a wounded survivor and family members of the victims of the
Fraunces Tavern bombing. Their cascade of vitriolic
testimony ensured that he was not released. But López
Rivera was never accused or convicted of actions related to the Tavern bombing; the testimony’s service as a
basis for the parole commission’s denial of parole was
a legal atrocity. His parole is due for reconsideration in
2026, when he will be 83 years old. The United States’s
tactics worked: they “disappeared” López Rivera.
In 1999, Bill Clinton commuted the sentences of
some of López Rivera’s codefendants and offered a conditional release to López Rivera: that he serve an additional 10 years in prison. López Rivera turned it down;
he would not abandon his codefendants, Carlos Alberto
Torres and Marie Haydée Beltrán Torres, not included
in the clemency offer. López Rivera’s refusal to accept
commutation not extended to his partners was a defiant act of political solidarity and a protest against the illegality of his sentence. With these gestures, he ensured
a continuance of the struggle that brought him to jail in
the first place; the symbolic weight of his incarceration
pressed down heavier on American consciousness.
The Cabanillas
By 2011, Fernando Cabanillas was enjoying the fruits
of a long and successful career as a clinical and academic oncologist specializing in the treatment of lymphomas at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. After
Continued on next page
14
CABANILLAS continued from page 13
moving back to Puerto Rico, his work as director of the
Auxilio Mutuo Cancer Center in San Juan left him little time for politics. His daughters Maru and Marian
had found successful careers in Houston; his teenage
grandson Raul gave him ample joy. His wife Myrta and
he looked forward to their mellow golden years, to be
spent enjoying the company of their tightly knit family.
But their peace had been disturbed by news of López
Rivera’s continuing imprisonment, then entering its
fourth decade.
The Cabanillas first read López Rivera’s story in a local
newspaper article about a political prisoner in jail for
three decades. By then, the fervor of the ’70s’s struggles had died down; following the 1999 clemencies,
supporters of the independentistas had focused on
welcoming López Rivera’s codefendants home, ensuring their housing, employment, and medical care. The
campaign for their release and the efforts to welcome
them had been embraced by civil society beyond the
independence movement. But rhetorical barrages from
the mainland against statehood and independence —
and political inaction — meant Puerto Rico’s ambiguous positioning in the American republic was increasingly cemented. Puerto Rico’s fate was a fait accompli;
its younger generations knew little of the struggles that
animated López Rivera.
López Rivera’s cause, and the length of his sentence,
galvanized the Cabanillas into an escalating series of
actions. Fernando and Myrta had brought up their
children and grandchildren with their inclusive antiracist politics. It was easy to enlist them as allies. The
Cabanillas — father, mother, daughters, and grandson
— began in the simplest of ways: telling others, family and friends included, about the tale of López Rivera,
and later, designing, wearing, and distributing T-shirts
and wristbands with slogans (and gifting them to new
friends like me). These forms of consciousness raising
were, as they well knew, of only limited efficacy. Early
in 2013, as the 32nd year of López Rivera’s imprisonment rolled around, Fernando enlisted a cousin, Sonia
Cabanillas, a professor of humanities at Universidad
Metropolitana, and her husband Nick Quijano, an artist of considerable standing in Puerto Rico’s art world,
and invited them for a brainstorming weekend meeting
in Ponce. Myrta suggested a symbolic imprisonment
where supporters of López Rivera’s excarceration would
take turns being locked into a mock cell — one possessing the measurements of his actual holding location.
Quijano, also an architect, volunteered to design and
build two cells to scale.
The Cabanillas now moved from informal support
to a formally organized stance. The group “32 x Oscar”
was founded: it represented 32 people, one for each
year Oscar had spent in jail. Their first action — on the
32nd anniversary of Oscar’s imprisonment — was to
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
symbolically imprison themselves for 24 hours in the
Puerto Rican capital, San Juan. Comité Pro Derechos
Humanos suggested islandwide actions in five cities, a
suggestion adopted with alacrity. Word of the symbolic
imprisonment spread; the 45 minute shifts per protester — including ones at late night and the earliest hours
of the morning — were quickly claimed. The vigil began at midnight on May 29, 2013; the first prisoner in
San Juan was Mayra Montero, a journalist with Puerto
Rico’s largest newspaper, El Nuevo Día. By noon, the
Plaza de Armas was packed. The enthusiasm was visible and palpable. Incredibly enough, Fernando received
a call from the Puerto Rico Senate asking if the president, Eduardo Bhatia, could take a shift. Soon, a call
came from the personal assistant of popular artist and
composer of hip hop and urban-style Latin-American
music René Pérez Joglar — better known as Residente
of Calle 13 — informing Cabanillas of his desire to “imprison” himself with his wife and family. Pérez Joglar, a
creator of socially and politically conscious music, and
winner of 22 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy
Awards, was an ideal ally. Soon, the best of all problems
posed itself; thanks to increasing demand, “32 x Oscar”
could not allot 45-minute shifts per prisoner. It began
assigning five minute blocks and allowed group occupancy of the cells. The decades-long campaign to free
López Rivera had been reinvigorated.
As president of “32 x Oscar,” Fernando also organized
a march in San Juan in which 50,000 people — including US members of Congress Luis Gutiérrez and Nydia
Velázquez, who flew down from Washington — participated. The group’s next event — in keeping with its flair
for political rhetoric — was termed “Al Mar x Oscar”:
dozens of kayaks and boats welcomed a cabezudo (large
papier-mâché head) of López Rivera landing in Puerto
Rico in a boat. This symbolic homecoming was a masterpiece of political theater. “32 x Oscar” also directed
pleas to Pope Francis, asking him to raise López Rivera’s case in his meeting with President Obama; it organized presentations at the international congresses of
the Parlamento Centroamericano (PARLACEN) where
Clarisa, López Rivera’s daughter, presented his case and
received a standing ovation and a unanimous resolution in support.
The Cabanillas’ struggle also includes traditional
letter writing. In a letter to Barack Obama, Fernando
noted that Nelson Mandela, much admired by the president, spent 27 years in jail for seditious conspiracy. He
also noted that Obama’s own father, Barack, and paternal grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, were guilty
of clandestine political activity when they participated
in Kenya’s anticolonial struggle for independence from
the British Empire. These acute parallels and analogies should induce discomfort in those who could, and
should, care.
JANUARY 2016
Today, Puerto Ricans remain torn over which alternative — independence from the United States or
integration into it via statehood — would be a more
desirable political objective. But Oscar López Rivera’s
release unites these viewpoints. When Fernando recently asked Puerto Rican youngsters if they knew who
Oscar López Rivera was, back came the quick answer:
“the guy imprisoned in the US.” For Fernando, López
Rivera’s story speaks of a “pathetic and dreadful injustice” to a “fellow Puerto Rican” and engenders a “duty”
to “redress” it. The values that animated the Cabanillas’
raising of their children suffuse their present struggle,
in support of a man they have never met or personally
known. For the Cabanillas, López Rivera’s death in jail
would be a tragedy, one they will not “allow to happen.”
Their fellow Americans should not either.
Puerto Rico Today
The US, ever eager to proclaim political prisoners are
incompatible with democracy, shows little inclination
to act in a case that cuts dangerously close to its political jugular. It continues to deny it has political prisoners; those it detains are just criminals. As López Rivera
notes, this denial performs several functions: it serves
to “cover up the nefarious, barbaric and even criminal acts and practices it carries out against [them]”;
it serves as “license to violate […] basic human rights
by subjecting us to isolation and sensory deprivation
regimens”; it serves to “hoodwink its own citizens to
believe that it doesn’t criminalize dissenters”; it serves
to “perpetuate the lie that it is the ultimate defender
of freedom, justice, democracy and human rights”; and
it serves to “criminalize the political prisoners […] and
to disconnect us from our families, communities, supporters and the just and noble causes we served and try
to continue serving.”
The blindness this denial creates need not be ours.
Americans should not look away from this moral and
political atrocity perpetrated in their name. We should
not be collaborators. Like Fernando Cabanillas and
his family, we should look closer. ¡Libertad para Oscar
López Rivera Ahora! should not be chanted only by
Puerto Ricans; it should be on the lips of all those who
believe in justice.
Author’s Note: I would like to thank Fernando Cabanillas
and Jan Susler (Oscar’s lawyer, from the People’s Law Office) for their assistance in writing this essay.
Samir Chopra is professor of philosophy at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New
York. He blogs at samirchopra.com and at The Cordon at
ESPNcricinfo, and is on Twitter @eyeonthepitch.
ENERO 2016
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15
Albizu Campos High School
Accepting Applications Now!
Since 1972, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School has provided students from the Humboldt
Park, Logan Square, West Town, Hermosa, and Belmont-Cragin communities an alternative educational setting like no other. Here at Albizu Campos we work with students that have not had the best experience in
education and we work with them to change their perspective on education. We also work with some of the
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to know that they deserve a high school diploma. We want every student to value education. We want every
student to know that they are in control of their destiny.
At Albizu Campos, the community is our campus. We operate out of four buildings on Paseo Boricua. Every
student is assigned to a cohort led by a mentor. Classroom sizes are small and we have a drop-in childcare for
young parents of infants. We have one the best after school programs that offers Robotics, Bio-Builders, Journalism and Poetry.
We are accepting applications for the second semester scheduled to begin on February 8. We
hold Informational Sessions every Tuesday at 8:45AM at our main campus, 2739 W. Division. If you
are between 16 and 21 years old and believe that our school is a good fit for you, apply today at
bit.ly/applyPACHS or call us at 773.342.8022.
TWEET continued from back page
Democratic Party (PPD) the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) chapters in
different cities (in Puerto Rico) and their
youth organization, as well as the Puerto
Rican Working Peoples Party, its youth
section, and the Hostosiano Independence Movement and its youth organization, Amnesty International (Puerto Rico
Chapter), Claridad, the newspaper of the
independence movement followed by
United Methodist Bishop Rafael Moreno,
Johanna Rosaly and Radio Isla Sur. In addition, Rene González of the Cuban Five,
the International Committee to Free the
Cuban Five, the Anti-War Committee,
well-known LGBTQ activist Pedro Julio
Serrano, compañeros(as) from different
movements such as the Palestinian and
Black Liberation Movement and Native
American movement, the Nation of Islam
(Chicago) and former political prisoners.
Overall, tweets emanated from 36 countries and 43 US cities.
Oscar, a Bronze Star decorated Vietnam Veteran was never charged or convicted of a violent crime, yet has served
12 years in solitary confinement and 34
years total for the the charge of seditious
conspiracy. The Archbishop of Puerto
Rico, 6 Nobel Laureates, 6 Presidents of
Latin America, all three major political
tendencies in Puerto Rico, the last 4 governors of Puerto Rico and 6 members of
Congress have called for his release.
This call to action on January 6th, 2016,
his birthday and Three King’s Day, also
included the hashtags #obamafreeoscar
and #regalopaoscar, comes as Pres. Barack
Obama enters his last year in office and
Oscar enters his 35th year of imprisonment- the longest-held political prisoner in the history of Puerto Rico’s century
long plus struggle for independence. On
January 6th, in one voice, we demanded,
RELEASE OSCAR NOW, 34 YEARS IS TOO
MUCH!
Throughout this year, across the US,
in Puerto Rico and internationally, let us
join together- across boundaries, frontiers, dividing lines and confines of all
kinds- and continue the journey begun
on May 30th, 2015 in Harlem, New York,
speaking in, “One Voice for Oscar”
#FREEOSCARLOPEZ TWEET REACHES
UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS!
By L. Alejandro Molina, National Boricua Human Rights Network
7.5 MILLION ESTIMATED USERS were reached
with the message #freeoscarlopez on Wed, January 6th, 2016, the 73rd birthday of Puerto Rican po-
litical prisoner Oscar López Rivera. The National
Boricua Human Rights Network, along with its
allies: Puerto Rican elected officials-led by Congress Luis V. Gutiérrez and NYC Council Speaker
Melissa Mark Viverito and other members of the
NYC Council, Florida State Senator Darren Soto;
the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators,
the National Puerto Rican Parade, Chicago’s Puerto Rican Agenda, Latino Justice and prominent
blog Latino Rebels followed by La Respuesta as
well as activists from El Puente. Cultural and entertainment mega-stars René Pérez (Residente of
Calle 13) and Tego Calderón also tweeted as did
Puerto Rican artists Miguel Luciano, poet Willie
Pedomo and filmmakers Tito Roman Rivera, director of “El Antillano” and Esau Mélendez, director of “Immigrant Nation”. In Puerto Rico, San
Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, former governor
Anibal Acevedo Vila, the Puerto Rican Popular
Continued on page 15
ALL OF PUERTO RICO'S GUBERNATORIAL
CANDIDATES UNITE TO CALL ON OBAMA:
"FREE OSCAR LÓPEZ RIVERA NOW!"
translation by L. Alejandro Molina
Gubernatorial candidates for the various political parties in Puerto Rico, as well as the independent candidates,
united to call on the president of the United States, Barack Obama, to release political prisoner Oscar López Rivera,
who tomorrow- Three Kings Day – marks his 73rd birthday.
Manuel Cidre (independent), Alexandra Lágaro (independent), David Bernier (PPD), Pedro Pierluisi (PNP), Ricardo
Rosselló (PNP), Marí­a de Lourdes Santiago (PIP) and Rafael Bernabe (PPT), joined their voices in a video produced by
the not-for-profit film corporation Caserí­o Films, to send a direct message to Obama, and in English.
The video was filmed yesterday at the Ateneo Puertorriqueño by filmmaker Tito Román Rivera, with the help of
Alvin Couto and Karla Victoria Pesquera.
“We did it as part of the campaign for the release of Oscar López, which we hope will get stronger this year before
Obama leaves office. It’s a way to show that this is a call by the people in a unitary act that transcends the political
question. It has become a matter of human rights” explained Román Rivera.
“We know that Obama has the power. That with a single piece of paper he could sign and grant Oscar’s release. If he’s
pardoned several criminals and the Cuban political prisoners, we don’t understand why he hasn’t yet taken the time
to release Oscar when his release has become a call throughout the world,” added the director of the documentary ‘El
Antillano.’”
Román Rivera emphasized that all the candidates were willing to take part in the video and had no qualms with the
proposed message.
“Each one gave it his/her own color, form, but came out well. Some had commitments which prevented them from
showing up, like Pierluisi, who was out of the country, but they did what they could with their cell phones. They all
cooperated, were very accessible, and delivered a message of unity,” the producer explained.
According to the filmmaker, this act demonstrates that politicians can transcend party lines and unite with a will to
achieve an objective.
“It’s a cause for hope for us as a people and that is precisely what Oscar represents,” he noted.
In the video the candidates appear interspersed, saying the following message was translated into Spanish:
“Today I want to urge president Barack Obama to consider the case of the political prisoner Oscar López Rivera.
Oscar has been serving a sentence for the last 34 years in federal prison in the United States. Longer than that other
patriot Nelson Mandela, whose freedom you once vehemently demanded. I want to add my voice to the thousands of
people in Puerto Rico who are asking you, president Obama, to liberate Oscar López Rivera. We are sure that he will
abide by the law and be able to share with his loved ones during the rest of his life. The people of Puerto Rico have
clamored for his release by presidential pardon, and we expect you will extend it before Oscar reaches his 73rd birthday on January 6th , 2016. I urge president Obama to consider Oscar López’ case. While I don’t condone his actions, it
is the ripe time to take action. Exercise your presidential power to set free Oscar López Rivera. It is time for Oscar to
come home. Listen to our voices and liberate Oscar as soon as possible. President Obama, do the right thing. Release
Oscar López Rivera. Let justice be finally done. We want Oscar home. We want Oscar home.”
The video, which includes no credits for recording, editing or production, ends with a call for people to make their
own videos and share them on social media with the hashtag #ObamaFreeOscar