La Voz del Paseo Boricua

Transcription

STAY IN THE LOOP!
LA VOZ
DEL
FOLLOW LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA
ON FACEBOOK.COM/LAVOZDELPASEOBORICUA
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PASEO BORICUA
¡LIBERTAD PA’ OSCAR!
Jan. 2015 • Vol. 12 No. 16
CONCEJAL
MORENO LLEVA
VOZ CANTANTE
EN DEBATE CON
CONTRINCANTES
DEL DISTRITO 1 P5
2
ALD. MALDONADO, HISPANIC
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY
DEFEND “BORINQUENEERS”
HOUSING INITIATIVE P3
MAYOR EMANUEL AND CONG. GUTIÉRREZ
VISIT PASEO BORICUA ON SAT. JAN 10, MAYOR
EMANUEL AND CONG. LUIS
GUITÉRREZ VISITED VARIOUS PLACES ON PASEO
BORICUA, INCLUDING THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
PUERTO RICAN ARTS AND
CULTURE, CAFÉ COLAO AND
LA BRUQUENA.
LA PATRIA EN LUTO:
FALLECE LA INQUEBRANTABLE
ISABEL ROSADO P2
“100,000 TWEETS FOR
OSCAR” CAMPAIGN
REACHES
551,421+
P7
A Celebration of Family, Friends, Tradition
¡Paseo Boricua Parranda!
Scan the QR Code above with you
smart phone to visit our website.
pag 19
PAG: 16
ALDS. MALDONADO,
SUAREZ, REYBOYRAS
JOIN 3 KINGS DAY
CELEBRATION P22
{LA VOZ DEL PASEO BORICUA}
ENERO 2015
La Voz del Paseo Boricua
Newspaper
La Voz del Paseo Boricua reserves the right
to publish at its discretion.
Contact us at: [email protected]
STAFF: PRCC Volunteers
About La Voz:
The most recent manifestation of Puerto Rican journalism
in Chicago, La Voz del Paseo Boricua proudly continues
in the legacy of our community’s previous newspapers.
Founded in 2004, La Voz del Paseo Boricua, or simply
‘La Voz’ as affectionately called by our readers, is a
grassroots bilingual periodical published by the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center. We report
on stories relevant to our community on a monthly basis, disseminating news about local events, programs,
resources, and developments. As an alternative source
of media, we seek to acknowledge the achievements of
the Puerto Rican community at large and advocate for
the preservation of the heart of our barrio in Humboldt
Park - our “pedacito de patria” in Chicago.
Restos de Isabelita Rosado recorren
las calles de su natal Ceiba
Por
Nydia
Bauzá, ENDI
En un emotivo
homenaje póstumo, decenas de
nacionalistas e
independentistas recorren las
calles de este
pueblo con los
resto de doña
Isabelita Rosado, quien falleció el martes a los 107 años.
Familiares, expresos políticos y líderes independentistas acompañan a doña Isabelita, como cariñosamente se
le conocía, hasta su última morada en su pueblo natal.
Antes de ser enterrada en el Cementerio nacional,
los dolientes hicieron una parada en la calle Ecolástico,
López frente a la residencia donde vivió la líder nacionalista. Un grupo de pleneros improvisaba estrofas en las
que resaltaba su vida y trayectoria.
Poco antes, el obispo de la Diócesis de Fajardo-Humacao de la Iglesia Católica, Eusebio Morales, ofició una
misa fúnebre en honor a doña Isabelita, como cariñosamente la conocían.
VEÁSE P10
BUILDING NEW OBJECTIVES
HUMBOLDT PARK’S VERY OWN
AND GOALS: HUMBOLDT PARK’S MICHAEL RODRÍGUEZ MUÑIZ NAMED TO
COALITION FOR
TENURE TRACK POSITION AT
UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
By María Borrero, PRCC Staff
On December 18, new and established coalition members of the Substance abuse Prevention in Humboldt Park
discussed an re define new goals and mission in order to
give underage drinking prevention a better structure and
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 co noce 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 puerto rriqueña al igual que abogar por la
preservación del corazón de nuestro barrio en el parque
de Humboldt – nuestro “pedacito de patria” en Chicago.
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
future guidance. Project coordinator Maria Borrero along
with the Youth Leadership Initiative we’re able to engage
with different community representatives/stakeholders
in the creation of future objectives as well as a redefined
mission statement. Overall they were there were many
questions regarding how is the community attacking issues like underage drinking as something that is crucial
and important to address. A follow up meeting about the
finalized version will take place on January 21st in Batey
Urbano (2620 w division street) at 5pm. Please contact
Maria Borrero for more information about how to get involved! We hope to see you there!
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Recently,
Michael
Rodríguez Muñiz, a
well-known and highly
respected student and
community activist, both
at Northeastern University (NEIU) and Chicago’s
Puerto Rican community,
was named to a tenure
track professorship at
Northwestern University
Sociology Dept.
Michael will graduate with a PhD in Sociology from the
prestigious Ivy League School Brown University in May. He
received his BA from Northeastern University and his MA
in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. For
many years, he was actively involved with the Union for
Puerto Rican Students, Que Ondee Sola magazine at NEIU
and Batey Urbano in Humboldt Park.
As a young scholar, Michael has clearly demonstrated
his insightful and critical thinking skills, having had his
work published in several prominent books and journals.
Michael has deep roots in the Puerto Rican community.
He played a leading role in the campaign to free Puerto
Rican prisoners and was deeply engaged in the Vieques
struggle. He was also a leading figure in the anti-gentrification campaign Humboldt Park No Se Vende and in the
founding of La Voz del Paseo Boricua, the Puerto Rican
Cultural Center’s all-volunteer, monthly newspaper.
The PRCC Board of Directors and Staff congratulate Michael and his family on this incredible achievement.
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
Over 250 Attend Community Hearing
Ald. Maldonado, Hispanic Housing
and Community Defend
“Borinqueneers” Housing Initiative
By Mark Kruse, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation
On Wednesday, December 17th, Alderman Roberto
Maldonado convened a public hearing for the planned
65th Infantry Regiment Borinqueneers Veterans Housing development. The meeting was held at the Humboldt Park Field House to consider the rezoning change
to allow the 49-unit development on land owned by
the Norwegian American Hospital. The $14.9 million
affordable housing community is being developed by
Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (HHDC), a
38-year-old community development corporation
serving Latino neighborhoods in Chicago, in Illinois and
in neighboring states. The land will be leased to HHDC
for 99 years at a nominal rate.
Hipólito (Paul) Roldán, the president of Hispanic
Housing, began the meeting at 5:30 with a brief description of Hispanic Housing’s history, particularly with the
Norwegian American Hospital area and the greater Humboldt Park and outlined the hospital’s
commitment to provide social services to the residents of this new building. Mr. Roldán outlined
that the development will be named for the 65th Infantry, a fighting regiment that was established during the Spanish American War, and has fought in every war since, that was recently
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Evelyn Guerrero, project manager for Hispanic Housing, described the project in detail including the building’s purpose to house and support veterans and their families who have served our
country. Those veterans may be single, single-parents or two-parent families and the building will
be a mix on one, two and three bedroom units with rents of $774 for a 1BR, $929 for s 2BR and
$1,072 for a 3BR. Units will be affordable to those earning 60% of area median income or less. Ms.
Guerrero outlined the supportive services to be provided by the Norwegian American Hospital
in conjunction with the Jessie Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
To address the amendment 1996 planned zoning district #599 Ms. Sylvia Michas, of the law
firm of Chico and Nunes, outlined the rezoning of the 1045 N. Sacramento site as a small part of
the overall Institutional PD district #599 (which will remain unchanged) to allow the proposed
residential use.
The architect for the project, Pappageorge Haymes Partners, was represented by Ken DeMuth,
who described the one acre development site with a slide show presentation. The building height
was of particular interest, as the building will be a “transitional” height; less than the hospital’s 60
feet (and 75 foot addition) but more than the 40 foot apartment building in the area.
Approximately 250 people attended the meeting, with representatives from local veterans’
organizations and other community-based organizations, which ended with a somewhat spirited
question and answer session. Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia stopped by to express his
support for the veteran’s housing development for our community. Alderman Maldonado closed
the meeting and expressed his support of the zoning amendment and invited those for or against
the project to attend the next day’s Plan Commission at City Council. The project was presented
and approved by both the Plan Commission and The Zoning Committee of the City of Chicago.
The project is expected to approved by City Council on January 21st.
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JAN. 2015
Was the opposition to the Borinqueneer Project “Colorblind Racism”?
The majority of the crowd broke out in abundant cheers in support of
the housing initiative, and in response to testimonial after testimonial
from Latino residents about their commitment to remaining in Humboldt Park. Many residents testified to the crisis in housing affordability
caused by rampant real estate speculation, pressures that only exacerbate instability for veterans returning from tours of duty to their families in Humboldt Park. This persistent housing crisis in Chicago has been
documented in numerous studies by the Center for Urban Research and
Learning at Loyola University, and the Voorhees Center at the University
of Illinois at Chicago.
One attendee raised the issue that the proposed four-story building
would not fit in esthetically with the two-story buildings to the north
and south, and was reminded that immediately to the east stood a hospital nearly double its size. Another raised the issue that the development
did not provide adequate parking, and was told that onsite parking far
exceeds expected demand, while regular street parking surrounds the
building on multiple sides. Another attendee raised the issue of whether Hispanic Housing would provide new jobs for its residents, echoing
a major talking point of a group calling itself the Humboldt Neighbors
Association, formed just in October in opposition to the Borinqueneers.
At this point speakers grappled with the unspoken premise that affordable housing should not be built for veterans unless the building itself
also provides them employment, a rubric not imposed on any other real
estate developer in the city of Chicago.
The social media attacks in the commentary sections on facebook,
EveryBlock, and DNAInfo indicated that a small but vocal set of individuals deliberately organized to stop the Borinqueneers. Many oppose
any housing subsidized for low-income people, and anything associated
with Puerto Ricans, viewing efforts to redress the legacies of housing discrimination against Latinos as unfair to white people. Richard Karwowski regularly associates affordable housing with “gangbangers” and crime
stories, while anonymous posts that call the building “another Cabrini
Green” illustrate what scholar Claire Jean Kim calls “colorblind racism.”
The Humboldt Park Neighbors group talks negatively about the “high
concentrations” of veterans that “create problems” without specifying
what, relying on the kind of arguments about the supposed ‘culture of
poverty’ long discredited by social researchers. “This is a classic example
of dog-whistling,” said Dr. Jesse Mumm, a cultural anthropologist who
studies racial discourses around gentrification, “By maintaining in public
a line about esthetics and style but privately attacking the Puerto Rican
and Latino nonprofit workers and the veterans who will live there, they
communicate a racist message to others in the crowd who agree with
them.”
Dr. Mumm spoke to the meeting about his years of interviews with
Latino residents and white newcomers, data that demonstrated that the
majority of Humboldt Park residents of all races support maintaining
housing affordability. One attendee who fiercely disputes the notion
that veterans are “problems” rather than human beings worthy of respect who are cultural assets to their communities is Leslie Rodríguez.
As the chief of staff for Leave No Veteran Behind, she expressed her
feeling that the meeting was “great,” her excitement that the zoning
change moved forward, and her desire to “make sure the services that
were promised to the veterans are actually fulfilled.”
ENERO 2015
Collaborate with
Cong. Gutierrez’s
Family Defenders
CHICAGO- “Our goal is to educate and prepare many
family defenders in hopes of them spreading the word
about what they learn. It is impossible for one organization alone to take responsibility of the millions of potential DACA and DAPA applicants and for that reason we
wanted to teach others what we do so they can help people apply in their area. We started off by training about
150 family defenders. We trained them on the basics of
DACA and DAPA. This would in turn allow them to screen
potential applicants, which is what they did at both of our
Executive Action orientations at El Rebaño and at Centro
Familia Vida Nueva.” Theresa Paucar, Director of Congressman Gutierrez Northside office, has been coordianting the training for the family defenders. The family defenders assisted in screening about 500 families at each
event in Chicago beginning in December. This screening
process was created to give individuals a clear understanding of their qualifications under DACA or DAPA and
to help them further prepare for the whole process. This
will allow for trained individuals throughout the Chicagoland area and hopefully around the country assist those
in need and those that wish to come out of the shadows
by applying for DACA or DAPA. For more information,
contact Theresa Paucar at (773) 342-0774.
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
Join ACA at Our Upcoming Events!
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s Affordable Care Act Program is proud to
announce that it is now part of the Get
Covered Illinois Youth Committee. This
group works to target people ages 18-35,
the population known as The Young Invincibles. In-Person Counselors from different organizations and people who work in
the media have come together to create
events and find topics of interest to young
people. One of these events will be held
on January 16, 2015 in The Segundo Ruiz
Belvis Cultural Center (4046 W Armitage
Ave) and will be a celebration of cultural
diversity, in honor of Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day.
Additionally, starting Friday, January 9,
2015 and until Saturday, January 31st, 2015,
there will be two In-Person Counselors in
different CVS Pharmacies across Chicago.
They will be at 3311 N Pulaski Rd, 3411 W
Addison St, and 3940 W Fullerton Ave, Fridays from 3:30pm to 6:30pm and Saturdays
from 12m to 4pm. Come by and learn more
about your options!
If you are uninsured or if you need more information for you or your relatives, stop by and speak with one of
our In-Person Counselors! Remember to follow us on Instagram @aca_team_chicago
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WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
Congratulations to our
Mayra L. Estrella on
her Doctor of Public
Health Degree
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center is proud to
congratulate Dr. Mayra L. Estrella for having completed her degree of Doctor of Public Health this
past December 2014. In 2013, she became part of
the staff of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, working in writing state and federal grant proposals for
creating and evaluating programs. Since July 2013,
Dr. Estrella runs the Affordable Care Act Program,
which is part of the programs offered by the Cultural Center to our community. The program Mayra
runs has been recognized by “Get Covered Illinois”
as a very successful one since it has exceeded expectations in the coverage of Latinos. In this second year of The Affordable Care Act Program, Dr.
Estrella leads the Northwest Chicago Consortium,
which seeks collaboration and integration of coverage services to reach populations in need.
Mayra is a young Boricua born and raised in San
Juan, Puerto Rico. She completed her Bachelor’s
degree (2003) and Master’s degree (2005) in the
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Public Health. In 2007, she moved
to Chicago to begin her doctoral studies at the
School of Public Health, University of Illinois at
Chicago (UIC) and specialized in the area of behavioral and community health. Under the tutelage of
Dr. Aida Giachello, Professor at Northwestern University, Dr. Estrella had the opportunity to work in
the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and
Policy Center, where she began collaborating with
several community organizations. This helped her
to get a better understanding of health needs and
to acquire the necessary skills to develop programs
that help reduce social disparities that affect these
populations.
JAN. 2015
Defiende logros y su liderazgo latino
Concejal Moreno lleva voz cantante en
debate con contrincantes del Distrito 1
Por Pedro Suárez
El miércoles 7 de enero, en la Iglesia Luterana de
Wicker Park, se llevó a cabo un debate entre el concejal
Proco “Joe” Moreno y sus tres contrincantes del Distrito 1. No obstante las inclemencias climatológico (Temperaturas bajo ceros), más de 200 personas llenaron la
iglesia a capacidad.
El concejal Moreno no solamente defendió sus logros
con una elocuencia brillante, sino que también destacó
su liderazgo como latino y su capacidad para lidiar con
los asuntos que encaran sus constituyentes hispanoparlantes, quienes numéricamente representan la mayoría
de los residentes de dicho distrito.
Moreno se dirigió al público en español, enfatizando así la importancia de que un concejal de esa área
debería de entender y comunicarse en ese idioma. A
diferencia, ninguno de sus adversarios habla o entiende
español. Cabe destacar que el concejal Moreno ha sido
un defensor reconocido de los derechos de los inmigrantes, sobresaliendo por sus medidas educativas, que
han elevado los logros de los estudiantes en las escuelas de su distrito.
Durante el debate subrayó dichos avances, plantiando como ejemplo las escuelas de su área, las cuales han
Her desire to make a difference
led her to start her volunteer work
with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Among her most important
contributions as a volunteer was the
development and evaluation of the
“Barrio Arts Culture and Communications Academy” (BACCA) program; her participation in the development of federal grant proposals
and the presentation of the PRCC
programs at international conferences. Her most important role
was her thesis work, titled “Place
Attachment, Civic Engagement, and
Collective Well Being Among Chicago’s Puerto Rican Youth”, in which
she worked with young activists involved in the Center’s programs.
The purpose of her thesis was to
better understand the meaning of
“Place Attachment” / attachment
to a place and its role in promoting
civic participation to help improve
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sido seleccionados para implementar el currículo basado en el Int BA Program. Estas son la Secundaria Roberto Clemente y las Primarias Moos y José de Diego.
El concejal también precisó que la Academia Roberto
Clemente ha superado sus metas académicas al punto
de que, por primera vez en 19 años, quedó fuera de probatoria.
Durante todas sus intervenciones, el concejal Moreno fue interrumpido por prolongados aplausos por parte de la audiencia.
community well being. Through a
participatory research model, the
youth used photography to present
their perspective on a topic provided by the researcher. The results of
this study were presented at a photography exhibition at the Institute
of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (IPRAC), where hundreds attended.
Among the most noteworthy
awards Dr. Estrella has received
during her years of study are the
following: The Martin Luther King Jr.
Scholarship, the Scrimschaw Latino
Health Scholarship, Public Practice
Award, among those granted by
the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was chosen for the following fellowships: Maternal and Child
Health Section of the American
Public Health Association, the Illinois Public Health Research Program
and The UIC Chancellors Graduate
Research Fellowship. In addition to
these awards, Mayra has worked for
Northwestern University as a research consultant, writing proposals, translating and as a mentor to
Latino students. Among her personal achievements, and as part of her
commitment to public health, she
has become a partner / co-founder
of the Sobremesa Supper Club, an
initiative that promotes the flavors
of Latin culture and the culture itself through haute cuisine.
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center
seeks, with its educational model
and development of Community
and Campus, the intellectual and
professional development of our
youth, demonstrating that they can
achieve their goals. We reiterate our
congratulations to Mayra, Doctor of
Public Health, who is an example of
a role model for our youth.
ENERO 2015
6
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
• 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
JAN. 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
January 2015/enero de 2015 • [email protected] • www.boricuahumanrights.org • #free_olr • facebook.com/chi.nbhrn
CLARISA LÓPEZ JOINS 33
MUJERES NYC X OSCAR IN
EAST HARLEM
By Marina Ortiz, 33 Mujeres NYC x Oscar
On Sunday, November 30, 2014, 33 Mujeres NYC
x Oscar held its monthly rally on behalf of Puerto
Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera in East
Harlem. The women were joined by Clarisa López,
Oscar's daughter, and New York City Council
Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. Oscar López Rivera
spoke with many of the women by phone during the
33-minute rally, offering words of encouragement
and appreciation for their efforts. The action was
followed with a gathering and silent auction at
Camaradas El Barrio.
33 Mujeres NYC x Oscar is a group of women from
New York City committed to securing Oscar López
Rivera's freedom. The collective holds monthly
rallies throughout New York City on the last Sunday
of every month from 4:00 - 4:33pm to signify the
33 years that Oscar has been imprisoned in federal
penitentiaries. Their actions coincide with rallies
occurring at the same date and time in San Juan,
Puerto Rico that were initiated by 32 women in
2013 to mark Oscar's 32nd year of imprisonment.
Photo by virtualboricua.org
34 COUNTRIES, 17 STATES REPRESENTED
"100,000 TWEETS FOR OSCAR" CAMPAIGN
REACHES OVER 500,000 PEOPLE
By Dorian Ortega and Andre Lee Muñiz, La Respuesta Media
Alejandro Luis Molina, National Boricua Human Rights Network
Over 500,000 people were reached on January 6, 2015, Oscar's 72nd birthday, as the National Boricua
Human Rights Network and La Respuesta coordinated the "Social Media Campaign for Oscar López." Using
various hashtags (e.g. #freeoscarlopez, #gift4oscar, #regalopaoscar) on Twitter primarily, but also Facebook
and Instagram, the campaign publicly brought together a broad spectrum of supporters, from Calle 13's René
Pérez to actor Luis Guzmán; from NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito to Congress members Nydia
Velázquez and Luis Gutiérrez, from blogs like Latino Rebels to newspapers like El Nuevo Día.
Elected city and state
elected officials from three
different states also supported
the social media campaign:
State Representative Leslie
Acosta
and
Philadelphia
Councilwoman Maria Quiñonez
in
Pennsylvania;
Chicago
Alderman Roberto Maldonado,
and State Representative
Cynthia Soto in Illinois.
Organized labor contributed:
1199 and Labor Council For
Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)'s Facebook page also carried the message.
In Puerto Rico, the campaign was tweeted and posted on Twitter and sometimes Facebook by former
governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá; the Puerto Rico Department of Labor; pro-independence organizations,
including the Movimiento Pro-Independencia Nacional Hostosiano; and the committees working for Oscar's
freedom: the Human Rights Committee of Puerto Rico and 32x0scar.
Popular blogs/newspapers also mentioned the campaign in the days leading up to January 6. Thanks go
out to Latino Rebels, 80Grados, El Nuevo Día online, Telesur, and Primera Hora, as well as the German online
blog "Derstandard," the Japanese "AppleDaily," and Mexico's APIAvirtual.net.
Activist and movement-based organizations such as Jericho Network, Leonard Peltier Support Committee,
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
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ENERO 2015
FOR 22 YEARS CHGO NBHRN HOSTS PANCAKE WAFFLE
BREAKFAST/ARTISAN BAZAAR TO RAISE COMMISSARY
FOR PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS
By Diana Castillo, National Boricua Human Rights Network, Chicago Chapter
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
NORBERTO GONZÁLEZ
CLAUDIO IS FREE!
Puerto Rican poliitcal Prisoner Norberto
González Claudio was released early
Thursday, January 15 from FCI Coleman.
Upon his release, he was met by Elda, his
On Sunday, December 7, Casa Puertorriqueña
was filled with community members, friends and
families who came together to raise commissary
money for Oscar López Rivera and Norberto
González Claudio. as part of the Network's 22nd
Annual Pancake/Waffle Breakfast Fundraiser.
The event showcased the work of local activist
and poet Michael Reyes who introduced his
latest work, dedicated to Oscar López Rivera,
the video to Reyes poem Bring Him Home. Local
Puerto Rican artisans sold their work at the
bazaar displayed throughout the venue and at
the sound of parranda and people were able to
do early Christmas shopping to the sound of Parranda. Thanks to all of your donations and contribution we were able to
raise $1,600 dollars. This would not have been possible without the help of all the volunteers, contributors and donors
who made the Pancake/Waffle Breakfast a success.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Committee, and Irish
and Palestine support committees also posted to
Facebook and Twitter.
Community-based and educational organizations
that also contributed are: El Puente in Brooklyn,
Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, Roberto
Clemente Community Academy, The Puerto Rican
Cultural Center and Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto
Rican High School. Tweets came from IN, NY, CA, HI,
OH, FL, CT, TN, MD, MN, GA, WDC, MI, MA, RI, PA,
and IL.
The international community was present with
Tweets from 34 countries: Malaysia, Austria,
Romania, Peru, Panama, Sri Lanka, Australia,
Turkey, Portugal, Kosovo, Uruguay, Lebanon, Ghana,
Netherlands, Israel, Brazil, Guatemala, Algeria, Spain,
Venezuela, Canada, Dominican Republic, Argentina,
United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Romania, Morocco,
Mexico, Chile, India, France, Ecuador, Italy, Puerto
Rico, and the United States.
Many people also participated in creative by
highlighting their talents such as writing songs,
sewing puppets, baking cakes, and producing original
artwork as their 'gift' for Oscar.
La Respuesta and the Network would like to thank
everyone for this amazing act of solidarity and faith,
a small step on the long road to Oscar's freedom.
wife, and sympathizers. He went directly to
the Orlando airport, where he stepped onto
a waiting airplane that took him to Puerto
Rico, where he spoke to a crowd of over 150
that had waited for him.
Norberto's release leaves Oscar López
Rivera as the sole Puerto Rican political
prisoner. He is the object of an international
campaign demanding his release.
ARTIST DOUG MINKLER PRODUCES NEW SILKSCREEN
WORK ON OSCAR TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CAMPAIGN
A San Francisco Bay Area printmaker, Doug specializes
in fundraising, outreach and educational posters. Past
collaborations include work with ILWU, Rain Forest Action
Network, SF Mime Troupe, ACLU, The Lawyers Guild,
CISPES, United Auto Workers, Africa Information Network,
Ecumenical Peace Union, ADAPT, Cop Watch, Street Sheet,
and Veteran's for Peace. In the late 1980's Doug designed
the poster for the Campaign to Shut Down the Lexington
Women's Control Unit, led by the Network's predecessor, the
National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners
and Prisoners of War.
The above poster, printed in a limited edition of 75 by the
artist, is silkscreened, in Spanish, measures 18x24, and is
available for $125 plus shipping and handling.
Support the Campaign to Free Oscar! Reserve your copy now!
Email Alejandro Molina at alejandrom@boricuahumanrights.
org or Diana Castillo at [email protected] to
reserve your copy
8
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RAISE THE FLAG FOR OSCAR’S RELEASE HIGHER
El Nuevo Dia Newspaper Editorial
President Barack Obama’s historical feat underway, of
melting the ties of incomprehension and abolishing
the erroneous policies of isolating Cuba, in terms of
the Caribbean and Latin America, the U.S. head of state
still has one detail left on his list regarding human
rights: the release of political prisoner Oscar López.
Looking at our history, it is sad that the president
of the United States has not taken advantage of
a day like today - Monday, December 22 - , the
solemn celebration of the 119th anniversary of
the first raising of the Puerto Rican flag. To end
the shame that this constitutes, for a nation like
the U.S., rising from the clamor for individual
and collective freedom, justice and respect for
human rights, should already have ordered López
Rivera’s release. But this current refusal, this
delay, shouldn’t discourage those who, absolutely
regardless of ideological considerations, have
been advocating for his release.
That communion of purpose has united, with sincerity,
the governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro García Padilla;
the resident commissioner and president of the main
opposition party, Pedro Pierluisi; ex-senator and
president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party,
Rubén Berríos Martínez; other political and religious
leaders, leaders of civil society, including U.S. and
international dignitaries like president Bill Clinton.
Clinton, in fact, categorized the 70 year sentence
imposed on the Puerto Rican political prisoner as
something “out of proportion with the crimes” for
which he was tried and sentenced, crimes for which he
was not linked to bloodshed or any physical harm to
anyone.
That fact, among many others, should be taken into
account - if it hasn’t been already - by president Barack
Obama and his Attorney General in the exercise
of his office, which includes making the de rigeur
recommendation to the president. Some of those facts
include the irrefutable fact that López Rivera was never
specifically connected in the indictment that led to his
1981 trial to the bombing of Fraunces Tavern in 1975.
Another, that the only time there has been convincing
evidence that Oscar López Rivera had a weapon in his
hands was during his participation in Vietnam as a
soldier in the Army of the nation that then granted a
Bronze Star for that service and now holds him among
political prisoners with the longest sentence in the
history of the United States and the world.
But, above all, the human pain flowing from
persecution and discrimination on the basis of race,
political beliefs or religion must be clear to president
Obama, from his own experience.
The ceremony to take place at the Ateneo
Puertorriqueño, raising the Puerto Rican flag,
coincides with president Obama’s announcement last
Wednesday about the agreements with the Cuban
government for the release, now accomplished, of 53
people that the United States identified as political
prisoners. In the middle of this process Oscar López
Rivera from San Sebastián should have appeared on
the list of those released.
It would be a decision that would make the president
grow even more. But more than that, it would constitute
the reaffirmation of a U.S. policy of respecting human
rights and of profound compliance with the diversity
of thought and political preference.
President Obama should internalize, as the Preamble
to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
establishes, that “the inherent dignity and of the equal
and inalienable rights of all members of the human
family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace
in the world,” and that “disregard and contempt for
human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which
have outraged the conscience of mankind.”
He should not, then, further insult the conscience of
the people of the United States and all of Humankind
keeping for one day longer in unjust, anti-democratic
and vengeful custody “a free man” like Oscar.
9
JAN. 2015
EN EL PUENTE:
MUJERES POR LA LIBERTAD DE
OSCAR LÓPEZ EN LA NAVIDAD
por 80Grados
El grupo “Las Treinta y Tres por Oscar Hasta
su Regreso” volverá al Puente Dos Hermanos el
próximo domingo 28 de diciembre a las 4:00 pm,
como lo han estado haciendo durante veinte (20)
meses, en solidaridad con el prisionero político Oscar
López Rivera, quien próximo a alcanzar los 72 años
ha permanecido 33 en cárceles norteamericanas,
muchos de ellos en condiciones violatorias de sus
derechos humanos, según recordaron. Expresaron
que la Navidad es también una época de buenos
deseos, de alegría y que ellas mantienen viva la
esperanza de que el boricua pise nuevamente suelo
puertorriqueño en el nuevo año.”Para que nuestra
esperanza pueda hacerse realidad tenemos que
secundarla con activismo y militancia y es por
ello que para el próximo domingo invitamos a las
compañeras que formaron parte de los diversos
sectores de mujeres que nos han estado apoyando
durante todos estos meses. Queremos extender
nuestra presencia en el Puente Dos Hermanos con
las artistas, abogadas, psicólogas, trabajadoras
sociales, religiosas, maestras, médicas, artesanas,
niñas, mujeres que trabajan con el gobierno,
periodistas, lesbianas, madres de niñas y niños con
diversidad funcional, abuelas y todas las mujeres
en su más amplia diversidad, para que con una
sola, potente y enérgica voz, reiteremos nuestro
llamado, que es también el consenso nacional, para
que este hombre, prisionero como consecuencia
de su lucha por la libertad patria, pueda unirse a
su hija, a su nieta, al resto de su familia y que no
vuelva a pasar otra Navidad tras las rejas”, exhortó
Josefina Pantoja Oquendo, una de las portavoces
del grupo.
ENERO 2015
THOUSANDS CHANT "FREE OSCAR LÓPEZ!"
CALLE 13 CLOSES WORLD TOUR AT
HIRAM BITHORN STADIUM
Calle 13’s concert last night (Dec. 6,
2014) was a musical journey from
the moment it started, when René
Pérez, the vocalist, lent his head as a
canvas for barbers to a rhythm that
was fairly similar to Reggaeton, there
were pauses in topics with strong
social criticism and Latin American
reaffirmation, without neglecting his
latest existential exploration. ... And
perhaps, the most powerful message
of the night was not given by him,
but Clarisa López, daughter of Oscar
López Rivera, who was handed the
microphone to read a letter demanding
the release of her father. "Free Oscar
López now", she asked to those who
were listening to the concert from
outside of Puerto Rico. The audience
responded
chanting:
"Freedom,
freedom, freedom".
Video by Luciano Martinez and
Message (English) by Clarisa López
Good evening:
I am Clarisa López, the sole, proud
daughter of Patriot Oscar López
Rivera, the Puerto Rican political
prisoner who has been unjustly im-
of my father, Oscar López Rivera. We
are aware of the fact that René and
his team support multiple causes.
What we’re highlighting now is how
they always use their sonorous voice,
which resonates all over the world,
for justice, and this time they’re using it to raise awareness of the urgent
need for President Barack Obama to
grant my father a presidential pardon so that he may return to our
homeland.
My father and I cherish the dream
of an early release. But for this, we
can’t rest, not even for a single minute, and we have to make the most
of each of the moments and spaces
available to strengthen and amplify
our voices for his early release. Tonight is one of those times.
Tonight, I have come to ask for
only one thing: that, if you are not
active in this great effort for the
release of my Father, start now. We
need to unite our voices and we can
do it through multiple platforms.
There are many ways to become active with this cause and many others
can and should be created. The possibilities are endless and the goal is
only one. We are aware that those
who demand his freedom are more
and more every time, and we have
to make our voices be heard. That’s
my only request tonight. It’s time to
bring Oscar López back to his homeland! And if you are watching from
outside of Puerto Rico, the message
is simple:
Free Oscar Lopez now, President
Obama!! Thank you for your attention and solidarity. Enjoy this unique
platform that René Perez and his
extraordinary work provide. Good
night.
View Video:
http://bit.ly/Calle13-Clarisa
prisoned for the past 33 years. I appreciate the opportunity vested in
me tonight by the talented and committed group of friends, masterfully
lead by René Pérez Joglar, our Calle
13. To René and his group: we salute
you tonight with great respect and
admiration for your consistent support for the campaign for the release
NYC COORDINATOR TO FREE OSCAR LÓPEZ HOSTS
ALICIA RODRÍGUEZ FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
By Ana López, NYC Coordinator to Free Oscar López Rivera
In the Celebration of International Human Rights Day, Alicia Rodríguez was keynote speaker at the event in
Hostos Community College. The room filled with students, faculty and
staff who listened attentively to Alicia tell the story of her imprisonment,
prison conditions, campaign for their release and Oscar Lopez Rivera's
Freedom Campaign in Puerto Rico. She was awarded with a plaque as
Champion of the Human Rights Struggle by the Puerto Rican Student
Organization. It was a great honor to have her at Hostos Community
College, said Ayesha Martínez, vice president of the Puerto Rican
Student Organization. Students were so moved by Alicia's presence that they were speechless. Alicia revealed
how Prof. Ana López and her children visited Alicia in prison and kept her informed of the outside world.
10
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
CLEVELAND AND DETROIT SAY
'BRING HIM HOME'
By Raquelle Seda, National Boricua Human Rights
Network, Detroit Chapter
This
weekend
NBHRN member
and poet Michael
Reyes premiered
his new project
'Bring Him Home'
in the cities of
Cleveland
and
Detroit.
'Bring
Him Home' is a
short film based
on the poem by the same name dedicated to
Oscar López-Rivera. The screening included
performances by local artists and was followed
by a meet and greet with former Puerto Rican
political prisoner Ricardo Jiménez. These
activities were also used as a way to announce the
May 30th march to free Oscar in New York City.
The screenings were held at the Denison Avenue
United Church of Christ in Cleveland and Repair
the World in Detroit. Future screenings to be
held in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
VIENE DE LA P2
Entre los líderes políticos que asistieron a la ceremonia religiosa estuvo la senadora del Partido
Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), María de
Lourdes Santiago y el alcalde de Ceiba Ángel Cruz.
“Queremos recordar a Isabelita en esa misión de
amar y servir a los demás. Fue una mujer que amó a
este país y que supo vivir con pasión y alegría desde la fe cristiana”, dijo el obispo Morales.
Al final de la misa, el líder religioso oró por la
excarcelación del prisionero puertorriqueño Oscar López Rivera, cuya fotografía tipo silueta en
tamaño real estuvo presente en la ceremonia al
lado del féretro, mientras Morales se expresaba a
favor de su liberación.
Concluida la ceremonia, los restos de doña Isabelita, que descansan en un féretro arropado por una
monoestrellada azul celeste, eran cargados por un
grupo de mujeres, entre ellas, algunas exprisioneras
políticas.
El líder nacionalista Rafael Cancel Miranda y la
exprisionera política Alicia Rodríguez despedirán
el duelo. Nacida en el barrio Chupacallos de Ceiba,
el 5 de noviembre de 1907, Rosado fue una figura
clave en la lucha de Pedro Albizu Campos y el Partido Nacionalista.
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
JAN. 2015
Campaign to free Oscar López highlights: 2014 IN REVIEW
JANUARY
* Oscar marks his 71st birthday, and writes to his daughter
Clarisa: “I feel very comfortable with my life and in my skin.
I know I chose to serve the most just and noble cause that a
Puerto Rican citizen could serve. My years in prison are only
the occupational hazard that the struggle costs. But I was
conscious of what awaited me, because the women and men
who had chosen to serve the same cause and who had been
imprisoned had allowed me to see what awaited me. From
them I learned that I could survive, no matter how great the
challenge.”
*
Congressman
Alan
Grayson writes to President
Obama.seeking Oscar’s release: “I am constantly approached regarding the
imprisonment of Oscar
López-Rivera. My constituents, a significant number of
Puerto Ricans, and political
leaders from all three major
political parties in Puerto Rico are pleading for his release.
Mr. López-Rivera’s 71st birthday is in four days, on Three Kings
Day, or ‘Día de Reyes’ as it is known in Puerto Rico. I can think
of no greater gift to him, his family, and the Puerto Rican community than his freedom and allowing him to return home on
this important holiday,”
* Puerto Rican Independence Party Senator María de Lourdes
Santiago and Juan Dalmau visit Oscar. “An
emotional visit, equally inspiring, which has
had the effect of reaffirming our commitment to the struggle for independence, which is a struggle
for love,” the senator expressed.
* President of the Puerto Rican Senate, Eduardo Bhatia of
the Popular Democratic Party, calls for Oscar’s release. “The
people of Puerto Rico, regardless of party lines, thought and
politics, are all in agreement that Oscar López must be released.”
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper, El Nuevo Día, continues its series Las manos en el cristal, letters from Oscar to
his granddaughter Karina.The series appears regularly in the
newspaper throughout 2014. Read them at: http://bit.ly/
manos-cristal
* In the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, Oscar’s presence is
felt, through committees collecting signatures and the cabezudo donned by Agua, Sol y Sereno.
* Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular’s best record
of 2013 goes to “La lucha es vida toda,” an original musical-
ization of Oscar’s life, produced
by Tito Auger and Walter Morciglio, and featuring some of Puerto
Rico’s finest musicians, including
Andy Montañez, Danny Rivera, Lucecita Benítez, Roy Brown, Antonio Cabán Vale “El Topo”, Zoraida
Santiago, Tony Mapeyé, Fofé, Así
Somos, and Intifada.
* Oscar is recognized at the commemoration of the 100th
anniversary of the birth of Oscar Collazo; Collazo’s daughter
gives the Oscar Collazo centennial medal to Oscar López’
daughter Clarisa.
* Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro participates in a
forum dedicated to the independence of Puerto Rico and
calls for the release of Oscar and the independence of Puerto
Rico. “Oscar López Rivera is the longest held political prisoner in the last four, five decades. He has spent 33 years behind bars for the sole crime of seeking, aspiring, dreaming and
struggling for the independence of Puerto Rico (...) We should
all get involved in the cause for the release of Oscar López
Rivera,” said the president.
* The Conferencia Afroindígena, Latinoamérica y Caribe
de Iglesias por la Paz (Conference of Afro-indigenous, Latin
American and Caribbean Churches for Peace) in Mexico passes a resolution supporting Oscar’s release.
* Psychologists joined the monthly women’s vigil on the
Puente Dos Hermanos. “The imprisonment of Oscar for 32
years, of which more than a third has been in isolation, is a
reminder of how the system in which we live operates and
how, if we want to achieve justice and equity in the population, we have to change the system,” said the president of the
Asociación de Psicología de Puerto Rico (APPR).
FEBRUARY
* Cornel West advocates for
the release of Oscar at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, an
activity attended by hundreds,
including City Council Speaker
Melissa Mark Viverito and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez .
“It’s insulting,” preached West,
“to have our dear brother in prison for 32 years for simply standing up for justice.” “We never forget about the systemic context
under which we struggle. And that’s why I’m here, because I
want the world to know that Oscar López Rivera is my brother,” Dr. West expressed.
* Popular Democratic Party Senator Antonio Fas Alzamora,
writes to President Obama: “Oscar López’ freedom is a matter of human rights and justice. López has served more than
enough time, and doesn’t deserve to be deprived of his free-
11
dom any longer. If the United States has been the defender
of human rights in the world, internally it must practice this
example. The case of Oscar López is the opportunity to practice what it preaches.”
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper publishes an editorial,
“Indulto presidencial a Oscar López Rivera,” calling for Oscar’s release, and asserting, inter alia: “Puerto Rican political
prisoner Oscar López Rivera, convicted of seditious conspiracy in the context of his struggle for the independence of
Puerto Rico, has spent more than three decades in federal
prison. Oscar was never accused or found guilty of causing harm to or the death of anyone. His sentence is, by any
reckoning, viciously disproportionate, beyond the limits of
what can be considered just. Consequently, president Barack
Obama should pardon López Rivera, so that he may leave as
soon as possible for the free community like the rest of his
compañeros, as has been the practically unanimous demand
of figures representative of every social, political and ideological sector in Puerto Rico and the international community. The request is to end this nightmare that is an assault on
human rights. [...] All the prisoners, without exception, freed
fourteen years ago, stand out today for their productive and
exemplary lives. Elizam Escobar, to cite just one example, is
today one of the most important artists in Puerto Rico and
a respected professor. Exactly the same can be expected
of Oscar – famous among those who know him well for his
wisdom and stoicism. In fact, he has been a great educator
in prison, teaching many fellow prisoners the basic skills of
reading, writing, English, as well as painting and drawing.”
* New York City Puerto Ricans convene a community dialogue about the campaign for Oscar’s release and mount an
exhibit of his paintings.
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper features a lengthy
interview with Oscar, in which he responds to unfounded assertions by the FBI concerning a 1975 New York City bombing:
“[T]he interesting thing in all of this is that the FBI has investigated that case from top to bottom. They know well that I
had nothing to do with the case. If they had the slightest evidence, they would have accused us of the bombing. I understand his pain. I believe in the sanctity of human life. For me it
is something very serious. I was in Vietnam and I opposed the
war exactly because wars are so awful. No one can say I have
blood on my hands, absolutely no one, not the government
of the United States, not this young man who lost his father.
The evidence is abundant.”
MARCH
* Puerto Ricans living in Madrid rally for Oscar’s release,
picketing at the U.S. Embassy,
leafletting on the street and
holding teach-in’s at various departments in the universities.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
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CONTINUED FROM P11
* An Argentinian audience of many thousands at a Calle
13 concert respond to René Pérez’ call for Oscar’s release,
holding their lighted cell phones up. Huge audiences in Chile,
Uruguay and Mexico demonstrate the same enthusiasm for
Oscar’s release, in response to René’s call.
* Leaders of the Puerto Rican community in Orlando, Florida, rally for Oscar’s release, and similar activities take place
in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles,
New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
* 33 black men in the Dominican Republic, in solidarity with
33 black men in Puerto Rico, march in the plazas of nine different cities in solidarity with Oscar’s release.
* In France, Puerto Rican artist Josean Ramos exhibits “Simultáneas de Chaplin”, including
a painting of Charlie Chaplin
holding a sign reading “Free Oscar
López.” Ramos stated, “I have no
doubt that the human dimension
of Charles Chaplin would lead
him to be in solidarity with the
release of political prisoner Oscar
López Rivera, who federal authorities have kept in prison for more
than three decades [...]. Chaplin
was persecuted so much that he
left the United States during the
dark era of McCarthyism, accused of being a communist and
an anarchist.”
* The monthly vigil of 32 women takes place at the Puente
Dos Hermanos,and in New York City, a similar group launches.
“We want to initially focus our efforts in communities where
there are a large Puerto Rican population because the rally is
not only about sending a message to President Obama to exercise his constitutional power of pardon, but to educate and
organize our community around Oscar’s release,” said one of
the New York City organizers.
APRIL
* Thousands in the U.S. and
Puerto Rico tweet at Pres.
Obama to #freeOSCARLOPEZ, it becomes a trending
topic in Puerto Rico.
* Radio Universidad at the University of Puerto Rico, Río
Piedras, airs “Oscar López Rivera; el puertorriqueño,” a three
part series produced by Natalia Ramos Malavé, featuring attorney José Juan Nazario, Dr. Fernando Cabanillas, and Oscar’s
daughter Clarisa Ramos López.
* The International Association of Democratic Lawyers,
meeting in Brussels, Belgium, adopts a resolution calling for
Oscar’s release.
* Following an arson fire in Adjuntas’ Bosque del Pueblo, a
tree is planted for Oscar. “We have said that the reforestation of the Bosque del Pueblo is a metaphor for Puerto Rico.
We want to show that it’s possible to move from the crisis,
the anger and indignation, to national reconstruction. But we
can’t have an inkling of the path toward reconstruction without the freedom of Oscar López Rivera, whose imprisonment
is one of the greatest injustices our people have lived,” said
Alexis Massol, director and founder of Casa Pueblo, which
manages the unique forest.
* Attorneys from Puerto Rico José Enrique Ayoroa Santaliz and César Hernández Colón visit Oscar. Ayoroa Santaliz
wrote of the visit, “At a given moment, with tears in his eyes,
César said to Oscar: ‘You are the most free man I have known,
free of fears, free of rancor, free of hate...’ giving an xray of his
soul. That is Oscar López Rivera. All this leads to an obvious
question – why must a human being with these characteristics continue to be in prison? Answer me, dear reader.”
* 33 women in New York City once again gathered, this
time in Fordham Plaza, with much spirit and support.
* An ambitious walk
launches
in
anticipation of
the 33rd anniversary of Oscar’s imprisonment (May 29)
through 33 towns in 33 days. In San Lorenzo, hundreds gather
as the mayor leads the planting of 33 trees in Oscar’s name, 33
doves are released, 33 flags of Puerto Rico fly, 33 cannon shots
fire, 33 yellow flowers are tossed from a helicopter, 33 mothers read letters to President Obama seeking Oscar’s release,
and 66 children hold posters with the same message.
12
JAN. 2015
May
* Attorneys from Puerto Rico Wilma Reverón Collazo and
Alejandro Torres Rivera visit Oscar. Reverón Collazo reflected, “After more than five hours of conversation, which felt
like five minutes, the time to leave was difficult. My heart
wrenched, my eyes clouded. Our farewell hug was even
warmer than our welcome hug, because we made a connection that goes beyond time – our hearts would be forever
tied to Oscar’s.”
* In New York City, 33 men marched in Lower Manhattan
through the busy Wall Street sector to a local Vietnam Veteran’s memorial, in support of Oscar’s release.
* The Federación Argentina y Union del Personal de Panaderías y Afines (FAUPPA) passes a resolution in support of Oscar’s release.
* Universidad Metropolitana Ana G. Méndez (UMET)’s digital magazine, Revista Cruce, publishes an issue dedicated to
Oscar and seditious conspiracy.
* The 33 Mujeres del Puente mark the year anniversary
of their monthly demonstrations for Oscar’s release. In the
group, “there are women of different ideologies, but all are
firm believers in human rights and admire the verticality,
strength and patriotic commitment of Oscar López Rivera.
The Mujeres del Puente have said more than once: ‘There is
no reason whatsoever for Oscar to be in prison, when all of
his co-defendants accused of the so-called crime of seditious
conspiracy, which is nothing more than the criminalization of
political ideas, were released many years ago and have led
productive and worthy lives in Puerto Rican society. If it is
really true that the president of the United States believes
in human rights, he should immediately and unconditionally
release Oscar. This demand has been taken up by the most
diverse sectors, including political parties. We women have
appeared Sunday after Sunday, a commitment we made, to
come here to this Puente in front of the sea, the last Sunday
of every month, to demand Oscar’s return home, to his loved
ones, where he belongs.’”
* Uruguayan president José “Pepé” Mujica visits President
Obama at the White House and asks him to release Oscar.
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
CONTINUED FROM P12
* In commemoration of the 33 anniversary of Oscar’s arrest (May 29), creative and multitudinous activities are held
throughout the world:
rd
* Civic and religious leaders and human rights activists gather on a street corner in downtown Philadelphia to
demonstrate their support for Oscar’s release on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of his arrest.
* 60 activists in Chicago
bicycle in Oscar’s
footsteps to commemorate his 33
years in prison.
* In the
Bronx, several hundred people march
for Oscar’s release.
* In international conferences in the Dominican Republic and Fiji, Rafael Cancel
Miranda and Wilma Reverón respectively urge support for
Oscar’s release.
* Many mayors and city councils in Puerto Rico
opt to express their support for Oscar’s release on the occasion of this 33rd anniversary, including San Sebastián, Sábana
Grande, San Lorenzo, Jayuya, Orocovis, Yauco, and Comerío.
* In San Juan, “Al mar por Oscar,” organized by 32 X
Oscar, alluding to Oscar’s stated yearning to see the ocean,
Oscar symbolically arrives by sea (the Agua, Sol y Sereno
cabezudo), welcomed by his daughter Clarisa and granddaughter Karina, thousands of supporters, a performance
group, a concert with some of the nation’s finest musicians,
and a giant kite soaring over the grounds of El Morro.
* The 333 mile walk,“33 towns in 33 days,” organized by Carlos López and Félix Adorno and supported by
the Comité Pro Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico, arrives in
San Juan, welcomed by hundreds including the Mayor of San
Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and a concert featuring more of the
nation’s finest musicians. The walkers traversed the center of
the Island, where they enjoyed in each town a unique reception, for example, in Orocovis, where the mayor received the
walkers, solidarity in the plaza was such that even a homeless
man emptied his pockets to contribute change to the campaign for Oscar’s release; in Villalba, leaders of the three political ideologies joined the walkers; and in Cayey, the mayor,
accompanied by his daughter, welcomed the walkers, saying,
“Here are the people of Cayey: the schools, the City Administration, and the citizens, saying ‘present!’ for a cause we understand to be very just,” calling the activity “a great example
of the capacity of consensus we Puerto Ricans have, to unite
above our partisanship or the faith we profess.” Additionally,
many of Puerto Rico’s finest athletes and sports writers participated in and supported the walk.
* The Movimiento Olímpico de Puerto Rico (Olympic Movement of Puerto Rico) and the Colegio de Entrenadores (Association of Trainers) proclaim their support
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper publishes another editorial calling for Oscar’s release, “Ya llegó la hora de
liberar a Oscar,” stating, inter alia, “A combatant in Vietnam,
decorated for his heroism in that war, Oscar López Rivera,
born in the town of San Sebastián 70 years ago, has been doubly punished: in the first place for his independentista ideals and his sympathies for groups that promoted the battle
for independence on the fringe of the legal framework and
electoral conventions. In the second place for rejected the
clemency offered him in 1999, in solidarity with other Puerto
Rican political prisoners who were left out of that offer.
That gesture, which reveals his moral and human stature
and his extreme calling to sacrifice, refusing to leave prison
until his compañeros could also leave, should have been interpreted by the authority that keeps him in prison as a show
of political integrity and moral strength. To the contrary,
the fact that he rejected the clemency, which in any other
circumstance, in any other country, would have been understood and praised, bothered the U.S. authorities, who have
increased their hostility against Oscar López.”
* The Senate of Puerto Rico passes a resolution calling for Oscar’s release, co-sponsored by Popular Democratic
Party senators Rosanna López and Antonio Fas Alzamora.
* The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, calls
on Obama to release Oscar, saying Oscar “is in prison for his
ideas of independence, his only crime is to dream of Puerto
Rico’s freedom.”
* Meeting in Buenos Aires, the Movimiento por la
Paz, la Soberanía y la Solidaridad entre los Pueblos (MoPaSSol) (Movement for Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity among
Peoples) and the Confederación de los Trabajadores de la
Educación de la República Argentina (CTERA) (Union of Education Workers of the Republic of Argentina), participate in a
human rights campaign for the self-determination of Puerto
Rico, and distinguished leaders sign a declaration calling for
Oscar’s release.
* Mother Jones Magazine publishes “This Man Is
Serving 75 Years for “Seditious Conspiracy.” Is He a Danger
to Society? Members of Congress, Nobel laureates, and the
Puerto Rican government say 33 years was enough for Oscar
13
JAN. 2015
López Rivera. Now it’s up to Obama.”
* Civil society leaders and citizens of the nation of
Barbados declare their unwavering solidarity with and support for Oscar and commit to continue to struggle for his
release.
* In the Dominican Republic, social movements, political organizations, students, professors, intellectuals, and
ambassadors from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of
Our America (ALBA) expressed solidarity with Oscar.
* In Buenos Aires, labor, civic and human rights leaders, elected officials, and foreign diplomats expressed support for Oscar’s release.
* In Antigua and Barbados, as well as in Colombia,
citizens, students and activists gather to express support for
Oscar’s release.
* Peruvian member of Parliament Gloria Flórez announces her support for Oscar’s release.
JUNE
* United Nations Decolonization Committee resolution
“reiterates its request to the President of the United States
of America to release the following Puerto Rican political
prisoners serving sentences in United States prisons for cases
relating to the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico:
Oscar López Rivera, who has been serving a sentence for over
33 years and whose case is of humanitarian character.”58 As
the Committee hears testimony, people demonstrate outside the United Nations in support of Oscar.
* Champion Argentine boxer Sergio Maravilla Martínez uses his Twitter account to broadcast a photo of himself sporting a teeshirt
reading “Free Oscar López Rivera Now!”
* New York City’s National Puerto Rican Parade honors Oscar as a Puerto Rican patriot and officially calls for his release:
“Oscar López Rivera was not convicted of a violent crime,”
says Orlando Plaza, Board Member for the National Puerto
Rican Day Parade. “He was incarcerated for his beliefs and
affiliations, and it is time that his prison sentence of nearly
33 years comes to an end. For that reason, we honor him to
generate awareness and mobilize our community in support
of the ‘Free Oscar López’ movement.”René Pérez of Calle 13,
King of the Parade, wears a Free Oscar teeshirt, and walks
beside Oscar’s daughter Clarisa and the Agua, Sol y Sereno’s
cabezudo of Oscar.
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CONTINUED FROM P13
* Puerto Rico’s College of Physicians and Surgeons write
to Obama, saying, among other things, “We want to present
you with a humanitarian plea with a goal of obtaining the immediate release of Oscar López Rivera, who is currently the
longest held political prisoner in prison in the United States.
As protectors of the health of all our people, meaning their
complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, we
feel it is our duty to bring to your attention a matter that
is today perceived around the world as a case of unjust and
unusual punishment.”
JAN. 2015
“crimes” as Mandela – the same legal charge: seditious conspiracy – for which, different from the South African leader,
he has served six years longer in prison: Mandela endured 27
years in prison; Oscar López has just marked 33 years in prison.
[...] The very fact that, contrary to the criminal justice policies
of almost every country in the world, Oscar is held in a prison
so distant from Puerto Rico, hindering regular family visits, is
a form of incomprehensible torture by a nation which purports to have a humanitarian calling. President Obama, who
claimed to feel moved when he visited the historic cell of
Nelson Mandela in Robben Island, South Africa, should know
that in the prison at Terre Haute, in Indiana, there is a man
accused of the same “crimes” as Mandela – the same legal
charge: seditious conspiracy – for which, different from the
South African leader, he has served six years longer in prison: Mandela endured 27 years in prison; Oscar López has just
marked 33 years in prison.”
* In New York City, “Postcards4Oscar” opens, an exhibition
of postcard art organized by Miguel Luciano with National
Boricua Human Rights Network, with the theme of Oscar,
and works by some of Puerto Rico’s most well known artists,
though exhibited anonymously, followed by a fundraiser for
the campaign for Oscar’s release: the sale of the postcard art
pieces. The artist’s identity would be revealed upon purchase
of the work.
* The Puerto Rico chapter of Amnesty International dedicates its annual
meeting to Oscar’s attorney Jan Susler, because of
“her work in defense of
civil and human rights, for
her work with the Puerto
Rican political prisoners, in
particular for her work on
the case of Oscar López Rivera.”
* Professors on stage at the 2014 graduations of the Escuela de Artes Plásticas and the University of Puerto Rico unfurl banners proclaiming, “Oscar López Rivera, graduado con
honores, ¡Libertad ahora!” as students – many of whom had
painted their mortarboards with messages about Oscar –
cheer.
* At the swearing in of Liana Fiol Matta as Chief Justice of
Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court, her husband urges those present to do what they can to win Oscar’s release, a comment
applauded by many of the guests.
* Puerto Rico’s PEN Club writes to President Obama, saying, inter alia, “Oscar López is not a threat to society. What
is a threat to democracy and to human rights is that he is
the longest held political prisoner in United States prisons
and he is not freed. What is a threat to democracy is that the
United States does not embrace justice and does not comply with democratic values and human rights that make its
nation strong. [...] From there, you are not hearing the clamor
of a people of every ideology asking you to open the cell
door and allow him to embrace his family. Even the waves
of our ocean clamor for his return. We want him to be able
to live out his dream, to return to contemplate the ocean
of our Island. Nevertheless, in spite of the torture that his
isolation brought and his long live in captivity, longer than
(Nelson) Mandela, his soul remains unharmed and his heart
full of love.”
* In the Dominican Republic, the Comité Dominicano de
los Derechos Humanos holds a forum,
”Encuentro por la libertad de Òscar López Rivera.”
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper publishes another editorial, “Traiciona la democracia la prisión de Oscar López,”
calling for Oscar’s release, stating, inter alia, “The very fact
that, contrary to the criminal justice policies of almost every country in the world, Oscar is held in a prison so distant
from Puerto Rico, hindering regular family visits, is a form of
incomprehensible torture by a nation which purports to have
a humanitarian calling. President Obama, who claimed to feel
moved when he visited the historic cell of Nelson Mandela in
Robben Island, South Africa, should know that in the prison
at Terre Haute, in Indiana, there is a man accused of the same
14
JULY
• On July 4, at Muñiz Air Base, in a ceremony in which Governor Alejandro García Padilla was honoring eleven men and
women of the Puerto Rico National Guard, he called for Oscar’s release in the context of recognizing the U.S. founding
fathers’ efforts to win freedom, noting that “a United States
of America decorated war veteran who, for having different
thoughts, does not enjoy freedom. [...] To celebrate [...] that
independence and in homage to the great men of that independence, it is necessary for us to repeat today our call for
the freedom of one who is in prison for simply thinking in a
different way,” to the applause of the military audience at the
Muñiz Air Force Base.
* Thirty-three women journalists join the 33 women of
the Puente Dos Hermanos at the monthly women’s demonstration for Oscar’s release. Spokesperson Sara Del Valle
expressed, “I think it’s important when journalists see something that isn’t right, they get involved and they speak. The
role of the press can’t be mere spectatorship. When you see
that something is incorrect, the journalist can’t just fold her
arms. To do nothing is also a position, and there are moments
when the journalist must get involved.”
* The annual commemoration of the assassination of young
independentistas Arnaldo Darío Rosado y Carlos Soto Arriví
at Cerro Maravilla is dedicated to Oscar’s release.
AUGUST
* The Asociación de Periodistas de Puerto Rico (ASPPRO)
(Association of Journalists of Puerto Rico) awards its prize for
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CONTINUED FROM P14
excellence to José A. Delgado for his extensive interview of
Oscar, “El tiempo va a ser mío” (Time is going to be mine).
* Chilean artist Elías Adasme, living in Puerto Rico, puts
out a call for mail art on the theme “Oscar Libre,” urging
artists to send one copy to Oscar and another to him, which
he will then forward to President Obama.
* The Organización Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Estudiantes (OCLAE) (Continental Latin American
and Caribbean Organization of Students) confers on Oscar
the “José Rafael Varona Berríos” award. The organization of
more than 3,000 students also passed a resolution calling
of our people survives, I am taking advantage of the opportunity to address you to claim once again the liberation of Oscar López Rivera, who has been in prison in the
United States for more than 33 years. In spite of the massive and general clamor of Puerto Ricans and many more
citizens throughout the world who demand an end to the
injustice being committed against Oscar, the government
and the president of the United States persists in ignoring
our demand. I wonder if it isn’t one of the functions of this
university to clearly and openly join the campaign for the
release someone who has sacrificed his life for the cultural
and political existence of Puerto Rico. Chancellor, isn’t this
a shared purpose? Wouldn’t we, as the University of Puerto
Rico, thus be setting an example so that other public and
private institutions would contribute to liberate a man undeservedly punished and to show that institutional courage
must be a fundamental part of institutional life? Don’t we
find here, as well, the ethical leadership that our institution
should exercise?”
Not only do the students loudly applaud; the chancellor goes to the podium and commits to raise the issue with
the Academic Senate and to meet with the entire faculty,
“so that from the University would emanate, with firm and
convincing voice, the demand for the liberation of López
Rivera.”
* The Sao Paulo Forum, meeting in Bolivia, reaffirms its
previous commitments and passes a resolution calling for
Oscar’s release, and the independence of Puerto Rico.
* The Federación Internacional de Colegios y Asociaciones de Abogados de las Antillas (FICAA) (International
Federation of Bar Associations and Organizations of Attorneys of the Antilles), meeting in the Dominican Republic,
passes a resolution calling for Oscar’s release.
* Women in government join the 33 Mujeres del Puente
monthly demonstration, chanting slogans such as “las mujeres del gobierno, por Oscar piden respeto” (women in government seek respect for Oscar) and “son jefas de gabinete
y la justicia la defienden” (we are women cabinet ministers
and we defend justice). The Governor’s Chief of Staff Ingrid
Vila Biaggi served as spokesperson, stating, “The demand for
Oscar’s release is a demand that rises above political divisions; it’s a demand that unites us because it’s about someone who has served so many years in prison.”
JAN. 2015
fore an honorable, upright man, of much respect for human
beings and humble to know how to listen even to ideas that
he may later have to refute. [...] I made a commitment in the
name of the country’s churches and religious organizations
to work collaboratively with churches and religious organizations in the United States to contribute to the process of
his release.”
* Attorneys from Puerto Rico Florencio Merced Rosa,
Lourdes Muriente Pérez, Pedro Saadé Llorens and Rafael
Emmanuelli – all members of the Board of Directors of the
SEPTEMBER
* The Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center
in Chicago sponsors Fiesta Boricua, a two day celebration
of Puerto Rican music and culture, where Oscar banners
grace the main stage, the National Boricua Human Rights
Network activists sport Free Oscar teeshirts and collect signatures for his release, and the musicians and dignitaries on
stage call for his release.
* Eduardo Lalo, Humanities professor at the University of
Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, opens the 2014 academic year
with the traditional Inaugural Lesson before the hundreds
of students gathered, by talking about the role of the university in a colonial context, and including these remarks:
“For this reason, in a place like this, where the memory
* Bishop Rafael Moreno Rivas of the Methodist Church
of Puerto Rico and President of the Puerto Rico Council of
Churches makes a pastoral visit to Oscar at FCI Terre Haute,
Indiana. Wrote the Bishop, “Over and above his time in solitary confinement, maximum security, sensory deprivation
and inadequate nutrition, he maintains his character resolute. The courage with which his mother faced the vicissitudes of life and his life forged in the anvil of prejudice and
the fire of inequality have been his strength to struggle. He
has fine skin and a sweet character for tenderness and noble
causes, but thick skin for injustices and inequality. I was be-
15
weekly newspaper Claridad, visit Oscar. Emmanuelli reported, “His word is precise, eloquent, without slang or anglicisims. His wisdom is evident, without a hint of arrogance.
It was very emotional to meet him, after knowing him
through our recent history, as a serious and tenacious man
who struggles for independence for Puerto Rico. [...] It was
transforming to feel his hand on my shoulder and hear his
words of consolation when I imprudently burst into tears. It
was marvelous to know that he is full of love and has transcended the pain of the punishment to which he has been
subjected.”
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* The annual commemoration of the anniversary of the
Grito de Lares is dedicated to Oscar, “to reaffirm the demand
of the Puerto Rican people for his release.” In honor of the
occasion, supporters hang a banner calling for Oscar’s release
on a main boulevard in Madrid.
* The Concilio de Iglesias de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico
Council of Churches) and the Coalición Ecuménica e Interreligiosa de Puerto Rico (Ecumenical and Interreligious Coalition of Puerto Rico) once again add their voices to the call
lease, saying “I want to raise the name of a man who has been
in prison for 33 years, subjected to offensive conditions, he
and his family, a man of Latin America, of our Caribbean. I am
talking about Oscar López Rivera, the longest held political
prisoner in the world, and he is in United States prisons. We
demand his immediate release.”
* President Maduro reiterates his support for Oscar’s release in a full page ad in the Sunday Washington Post, and
solidarity organizations in Venezuela announce the initiation
of a campaign in support of his release.
JAN. 2015
López Rivera was jailed 33 years ago for actions that did not
involve violence,’ García Padilla said. ‘On multiple occasions,
through a range of different large-scale activities and through
outreach to the top levels of the U.S. government, Puerto
Ricans have called on President Barack Obama to release
López. We reiterate that call today.’ [...] The governor called
López’s sentence ‘excessive’ and said it ran against the principles of ‘justice, humanity and reason. It’s time for Oscar to
come home,’ García Padilla said.”
* Following his visit, the governor writes a column about his
encounter for Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper, in which
he expresses, “Oscar López Rivera has been in prison for 33
years. He hasn’t been accused of committing any violent act.
* The Grito
de los Excluidos
Continental por
Trabajo, Justicia y
Vida (Cry of the
Continental Excluded for Work,
Justice and Life),
passes a resolution
supporting Oscar’s
release.
* University of
Sagrado
Corazón
professor
and writer Rubis
Camacho,
convenes Escritores y
Escritoras por Oscar ... ¡Levanta tu
lápiz! (Writers for
Oscar ... Lift your pencil!) on the campus, and devotes her radio program D’Letras to the participating writers, who read
their works and who each called on their fellow writers to
“alzar su lápiz por la libertad de Oscar.” She urged, “The freedom of Oscar López Rivera is the cause of the Puerto Rican
community, because it is the defense of our human rights. It
extends beyond the fruitless dichotomies, which are often
the product of not knowing where we are headed as a nation;
of the terrible absence of models, and the silence of other institutions called to make a transformation. Even in the middle
of this, we can recognize the torture of an abusive sentence
(33 years, 12 in solitary confinement). The nobility and dignity
of Puerto Rican men and women flourishes. Our country opts
for life.
* The National Lawyers Guild, at its 77th annual convention in Chicago, passes another resolution calling for Oscar’s
release.
* The PEN Club of Puerto Rico, comprised of writers and
academics, articulates its support “for Oscar López Rivera’s
release, as an expression of justice and vindication of our
freedom to choose our own destiny as a nation.”
* President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro addresses the
United Nations General Assembly and calls for Oscar’s re-
* The 33 Mujeres del Puente are joined at their monthly
demonstration by 33 lesbians. Spokesperson Olga Orraca
Paredes says “Oscar brings us together, in our diversity! Oscar
seeks equity and we seek freedom!”
* The 33 women in New York City demonstrate this month
in Queens. Said the spokesperson, a public school teacher,
“We are 33 activists in New York City, modeling a bit what
the compañeras have done on the Island. We are making a
crusade once a month to different areas of New York. We’ve
been in different parts of the city distributing literature and
talking to people in the community, with information in
Spanish and English. We spend 33 minutes talking to the community, chanting, and collecting signatures.”
OCTOBER
Governor Alejandro García Padilla visits Oscar at FCI Terre
Haute, Indiana – the first time in history that a governor of
Puerto Rico visits a Puerto Rican political prisoner. “ The governor’s office said the visit to López was done in representation of the people of Puerto Rico and the respect they have
for the principles of democracy and López’s release. ‘Oscar
16
He hasn’t been connected to any violent act. He was accused
of conspiring. The line that divides ‘conspiring’ from ‘thinking’
is very fine. I don’t think Oscar would be a danger for the future of our country, of our community, or of our family. His
sentence, far too excessive, violates the most elemental principles of humanity, sensitivity and justice. Oscar López Rivera
owes no debt to society, and if he ever did, he paid it a long
time ago. He hasn’t done us any harm. [...] After about three
hours, I asked him what message, if any, he wanted me to take
to you. He thought for a moment. He said he was grateful for
what has been done for his release. Then he spoke of hope
and of solidarity. Yes. This man who has been in prison for 33
years. Who is already 71 years old. He still has heart and spirit
to talk about solidarity and hope. What a lesson for so many
people! The time arrived for me to leave. I had to go back to
Indianapolis to catch my flight. I wanted to talk longer with
him. I gave him a big hug. I told him that we would keep working for his release. I asked God to bless him. He thanked me.
I thanked him. Leaving, it was still 48 degrees Fahrenheit. But
for me, now it was a warm morning. I hope to greet that compatriot again, in Puerto Rico.
* The Nicaraguan ambassador to the United Nations, in his
intervention in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee of the General Assembly, “calls for the immediate release of Puerto Rican patriot Oscar López Rivera. The United
States should listen to the universal humanitarian clamor
that seeks the unconditional and immediate release of this
Puerto Rican patriot.”
* Thirty-three women artisans and physicians add their
voices to the Mujeres del Puente at the monthly demonstration. “You should know that our artisan tools will break the
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CONTINUED FROM P16
JAN. 2015
in his hands the ability to free him, and reclaim the Hispanic
community, especially the Puerto Rican diaspora.”
* The University of Puerto Rico Student Council sponsors
three days of activities in support of Oscar’s release – a conference supported by the entire university community: the
President, the Chancellor, the Asociación Puertorriqueña de
Profesores Universitarias (Association of Puerto Rican University Professors, a labor union), the Hermandad de Empleados Exentos No Docentes (Brotherhood of Non-Teaching
Employees, a labor union), with the painting of a mural, an
exhibit of books about the Puerto Rican political prisoners,
a photo exhibit about Oscar, several group discussions at different departments and university programs, and a concert,
concluding with a letter from Chancellor Dr. Carlos Severino
Valdez to President Obama, calling for Oscar’s release.
bars of this human rights violation and we will thus show that
our culture and our people are struggling and will continue
to struggle for our brother Oscar,” said Ita García, the artisans’
spokesperson.
NOVEMBER
* Attorneys from Puerto Rico Charles Hey Maestre and Josefina Pantoja Oquendo visit Oscar. Pantoja writes of her visit,
“I so admired his extraordinary memory, and it was so pleasant to hear him talk about his family, the happy moments of
his childhood, of his San Sebastián, of his first school years in
Chicago, of his painful time in Vietnam, of the strategies of
community organizing in the Windy City. He made me very
happy as a feminist activist to hear the high opinion he has
about the vital role women play in community organizing
work, about which he told us several anecdotes that supported what he said with much joy. I felt so proud when he called
us modern Puerto Rican Amazons, referring to the group of
women who get together at the Puente Dos Hermanos the
last Sunday of every month. At that moment I had to make an
effort to hold back my tears. Oscar is a man who opines with
wisdom about any topic: politics, music, history, film, dance,
activism, physical exercise, humanity.”
* In an editorial about the mid-term elections, Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper once again advocates for Oscar’s
release, stating, “The freedom of a human being who will
soon turn 72 years old, 33 of which he has spent in prison for
‘seditious conspiracy,’ which makes him the longest held political prisoner in the world, should not be subject to partisan
meanness. The case of Oscar López Rivera has been posited
as one of inescapable humanity, and president Obama has
* The 17th International Book Fair of Puerto Rico (XVII Feria
Internacional del Libro de Puerto Rico) is dedicated to Oscar.
In a formal ceremony, the Fair’s National Grand Prize “Ricardo
Alegría” is conferred on Oscar, which is daughter receives on
his behalf.
* The Conferencia Parlamentaria de las Américas (COPA)
at its 13th General Assembly, adopts a resolution supporting
Oscar’s release. Meeting in Paraguay, the organization, comprised of the congresses and parliamentary assemblies of the
unitary, federal, federated and associated States, the regional
parliaments and the interparliamentary organizations of the
Americas, resolves that Oscar “has undoubtedly served more
than enough time, given that he was convicted under the
controversial anti-sedition legislation,” and that his release
“is a question of justice and human rights, as he has been
deprived of freedom for too long and does not deserve to
be imprisoned for even one more day;” and that since “the
United States has traditionally championed human right the
world over, it must set an example and release Oscar López
Rivera.”
* On Veteran’s Day, the mayor of San Lorenzo, José Román
Abreu, call on authorities and organizations working for veterans’ rights to add working for Oscar’s release to their agendas. “On Veterans Day, celebrating and honoring each and
every veteran in my town, I have an important call to make
to every authority and organism that struggles for the recognition of veterans’ rights. My call, which is already the call of
all of Puerto Rico and many people outside of Puerto Rico,
is for an exemplary veteran,” declared the mayor, referring to
Oscar.
* Poetas en Marcha and El Post Antillano convene 33 Hours
of Poetry for Oscar, with Puerto Rican and Latin American
poets and writers participating in a continuous reading in
front of the U.S. court in San Juan.
* The Federación Latinoamericana de Periodistas (FELAP)
(Latin American Association of Journalists) passes a resolution at its meeting in Ecuador calling on President Obama to
release Oscar from prison.
* Puerto Rican athletes participating in the Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe (Central American and Caribbean
17
Games) in Veracruz, México, bring Oscar to the fore: in the
opening night parade of athletes, boxer Jeyvier Cintrón unfurls a banner supporting Oscar’s release, and judo athlete
Augusto Miranda dedicates his silver medal to Oscar, saying,
“I want to use this forum for all the people of Puerto Rico and
the people of the U.S. It is an abuse that they are detaining
Oscar López Rivera, a political prisoner. It’s time to grant his
release.”
* The Asociación Americana de Juristas Assembly of National Chapters issues a declaration during its meeting in Buenos Aires, stating, inter alia, “the Congress of National Chapters of the AAJ reaffirms the AAJ’s previous statements and
oral and written interventions at the Human Rights Council
demanding that the United States government and President
Obama use the means allowed by law to freed Puerto Rican fighter Oscar López Rivera. It is unconscionable that the
United States continues to detain this political prisoner for
so long and in defiance of the expressed will of the people
of Puerto Rico, its diasporic communities, regional organizations, and others who respect human rights, including organizations, personalities and individuals at the international
level.”
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper publishes another
editorial, “Obama, excarcéle ya a Oscar López,” calling for
Oscar’s release, stating, inter alia, “This is a decision the president should make already, because every minute he prolongs
that unjust imprisonment constitutes, on the part of the government of the United States, an affront to decorum and a
contempt for dignity. This cause transcends social, political,
religious, community, and even international boundaries. [...]
The march for his release appeals to the humanitarian
fibre of Puerto Ricans, but also to the people of the U.S.,
who, in other epochs and instances, have shown their humanitarian sense against injustices and against exaggerated
imprisonments for issues of conscience, as was the case of
Nelson Mandela. The efforts for the release of Oscar López
have been taken on over and above ideologies or status sym-
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JAN. 2015
CONTINUED FROM P17
bols. This Puerto Rican, who is arriving at old age in the same
way he has spend almost his entire youth, detained in a cell,
should return as soon as possible to the bosom of his family
and his land.
* The monthly 33 women in New York City gather in El Barrio with the speaker of the New York City Council, Melissa
Mark Viverito, and Oscar’s daughter Clarisa, to call for Oscar’s
release.
DECEMBER
* Former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, founder of the
Fundación Internacional Baltasar Garzón (Baltasar Garzón International Foundation),
sends a letter to President Obama seeking
Oscar’s release, stating
inter alia, that while the
anti-colonial acts taken
by the independence
movement might violate
U.S. law, “they weren’t
motivated by a terrorist
logic, but rather, by the spirit of struggle for freedom that
informed the context of the right to self-determination of
that time. That spirit of struggle can be seen in the sacrifice
made by Oscar López Rivera, when he rejected the conditional commutation offered by President Bill Clinton in 1999,
in solidarity with his compañeros” who were not included in
the offer. He asked the president “in the name of Justice” to
release Oscar.
* On International Human Rights Day,
* the Comité Pro Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico
mounts “Arte a la Libertad,” an art exhibit dedicated to Oscar
and the sale of works donated by Puerto Rico’s finest painters,
sculptors and photographers, to raise funds for the campaign
* Amnesty International in Puerto Rico convenes a marathon of letter writing for Oscar’s release.
Oscar’s release, stating, “President Barack Obama’s historical
feat underway, of melting the ties of incomprehension and
abolishing the erroneous policies of isolating Cuba, in terms
of the Caribbean and Latin America, the U.S. head of state
still has one detail left on his list regarding human rights: the
release of political prisoner Oscar López. Looking at our history, it is sad that the president of the United States has not
taken advantage of a day like today – Monday, December 22
– , the solemn celebration of the 119th anniversary of the first
raising of the Puerto Rican flag. To end the shame that this
constitutes, for a nation like the U.S., rising from the clamor for individual and collective freedom, justice and respect
for human rights, should already have ordered López Rivera’s
release. But this current refusal, this delay, shouldn’t discourage those who, absolutely regardless of ideological considerations, have been advocating for his release. [...] It would be a
decision that would make the president grow even more. But
more than that, it would constitute the reaffirmation of a U.S.
policy of respecting human rights and of profound compliance with the diversity of thought and political preference.
* Honduran human rights champion Bertha Oliva, director
of COFADEH, speaks out in support of Oscar’s release.
* At the Ateneo, a bastion of Puerto Rican history
and culture in San Juan, Oscar is the special invited guest at
the annual commemoration of Flag Day, and his daughter
reads his words to the hundreds gathered, including the mayor, senators, and Oscar’s brother, “[Today] I will fly the same
little Puerto Rican flag that has accompanied me for more
than three decades, the one I swear loyalty to every morning
when I wake up. At the same time you raise our flag at the
Ateneo, I will be raising mine, and hoping that maybe [today]
we will see many more flags flying flying alone.”
* The Red de Intelectuales, Artistas y Movimientos Sociales en Defensa de la Humanidad (Network of Intellectuals,
Artists and Social Movements in Defense of Humankind) conference declares its support for Oscar’s release.
* On the heels of the announcement of normalization of
relations between the U.S. and Cuba and the prisoner exchange, many articulate their disappointment that Oscar has
not yet been released and pledge to continue to advocate for
Oscar’s release, including Governor Alejandro García Padilla122 and San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. Said the mayor,
“The opening of this channel represents an immediate challenge for Puerto Rico. It gives us the opportunity to demand,
with stronger vehemence, the freedom of our compatriot
Oscar López Rivera. [...] The people of Puerto Rico deserve
that same gesture of respect, of an opening and of solidarity,
through the immediate release of Oscar López Rivera. Diplomacy, to be effective, requires continuing gestures of justice
and equity. Oscar’s freedom is a moral imperative that cannot
wait.”
* On the arrival of several Guantánamo prisoners to Uruguayan soil, outgoing Uruguayan president José “Pepé” Mujica
publishes an open letter to President Obama, once again calling on him to release Oscar.
* Calle 13 finished the year with a concert at home in Puerto
Rico, during which he again called for Oscar’s release. “And
perhaps the most impressive message of the evening wasn’t
offered by him, but when he gave the microphone to Clarisa López, Oscar López Rivera’s daughter, who read a letter
demanding her father’s release. ‘Free Oscar López Now,’ she
asked those who were watching livestream outside of Puerto
Rico. The public responded with a chorus: ‘freedom, freedom,
freedom.’”
* On the 119th anniversary of the first flying of the Puerto
Rican flag,
* Puerto Rico’s main daily newspaper publishes yet
another editorial, Más alta la bandera por la excarcelación de
Oscar” (Raise higher the flag for Oscar’s release), calling for
18
* Hundreds of women populate the Mujeres del Puente
monthly demonstration for Oscar, comprised of the various
sectors that participated in the previous monthly gatherings,
including women attorneys, social workers, psychologists,
journalists, teachers and artists. Among the chants created
especially for the day was “Mi regalo en Navidad la excarcelación de Oscar” (My Christmas gift is Oscar’s release). The
spokesperson, former governmental Women’s Affairs Director, attorney María Dolores Fernós, said, “We keep hope alive
that he will again trod on our Homeland. But we also keep
alive the demand, the denunciation, and the call for justice
until her arrives at his Homeland. Clarisa, I have no doubt that
your father, who is free, will be freed. [...] Compañeras, the
33 of the Puente, the 33 for Oscar, I have no doubt that our
brother Oscar will be freed. Soon Oscar will be with us, looking at and admiring this beautiful ocean.”
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
JAN. 2015
World AIDS Day 2014: A Celebration of Life at Vida/SIDA
By Jorge Cestou
Yesterday,
December
1, 2014, the
Puerto Rican
Cultural Center
-Vida/
SIDA
celebrated World
AIDS
Day.
The celebration included
two events, a Candlelight Vigil to celebrate the lives
of individuals living with HIV and honoring the lives of
many that have died of AIDS. During this vigil, participants were part of an invocation and celebration of
life. Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican
Cultural Center welcomed everyone and provided a
historical perspective to the event’s space, La Casita de
Don Pedro, and of Vida/SIDA. “Vida/SIDA was established in 1988 to deal with HIV stigma and to help those
dealing with the disease cope and ease the pain to live
healthier, longer lives.” ~José E. López
The attendees participated in creating a Community
Life Collage to honor people living with HIV and those
who died of AIDS. Every participant was also asked to
make a commitment and to celebrate life by making a
public statement through the creation of symbolic signs
that read I COMMIT TO _____ or I CELEBRATE _____.
“Living with HIV is no longer a death sentence. People
live normal lives. The only thing they have to do is adjustments to their everyday lives like anyone dealing
with a chronic disease. Wave your signs and make the
your public commitment to end HIV and celebrate Life.”
~said Jorge Cestou, Director of Programs and Services at
Vida/SIDA.
En route to the second event of the night, our Anniversary Fundraising Dinner, the participants walked together in procession to create awareness of HIV in our
communities.
The second event of the World AIDS Day Life Celebration was Vida/SIDA’s 26th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner. Sponsors of the event included Chicago Department
of Public Health, Illinois Department of Public Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erie Family Health Center, and Hispanic Housing Development
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Briefs
A CELEBRATION OF
FAMILY, FRIENDS, TRADITION
PASEO BORICUA PARRANDA
By Juanita García, PRCC member
Humboldt Park residents joyfully paraded down Paseo
Boricua for the annual Paseo Boricua Parranda on Saturday, December 20 scratching their güiros, hitting the
claves and shaking tambourines and maracas. Participants gathered at the Teresa Roldán Apartments, where
residents of the senior apartments were enjoying their
annual Christmas dinner and celebration organized by
Paul Roldán and Hispanic Housing, and then began the
parranda down La Division. This year, unlike others, the
parranda did not have professional musicians leading.
Instruments were distributed to those who did not
bring one and the joyful sounds all came together as the
asaltos continued. Although there were fewer participants than in previous years, there was an abundance of
children under ten who joined their parents and grandparents; for some it was their first parranda.
Participants enjoyed tostones con pollo chon,
coquito, arroz con gandules, pan caliente, pitorro, and
a hot plate of arroz, lechón y guineos. A special thanks
goes out to the businesses who participated and made
this year’s parranda an unforgettable one: Papa’s Cache,
Luquillo Barbershop, La Plena, Vainilla Bean, Jayuya Barbershop, Ay! Mami, Lily’s Record Shop, Yauco Liquors,
and La Bruquena. A special shout out to Betí for being
the lead singer throughout the parranda.
FIVE COMMUNITY AS A CAMPUS
SCHOOLS RATED LEVEL 1!
The Chicago Public Schools came out with new school
ratings during the holidays and the news was great for
Community as Campus schools. No schools were rated
at Level 3, the lowest rating, and have 5 schools that are
at Level 1, the highest. Those schools are Casals, Cameron, Mitchell, Columbus, and Moos.
A NOTE OF GRATITUDE
FROM URBAN THEATER COMPANY
By Ivan Vega, Urban Theater Company
The Urban Theater Company’s (UTC) production of
Julia De Burgos: Child of Water by Carmen Rivera was
a success! This production has been a blessing and UTC
has so much to be grateful for on many levels. On behalf of Urban Theater Company and the cast and crew,
we thank YOU! We thank you for your support and for
always believing in our work. A special thank you to our
sponsors: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts
& Culture (NMPRAC) and Puerto Rican Cultural Center
(PRCC). We couldn’t have done this without you.
19
C o r p .
Suppor ters were
treated to
a delicious
Puerto Rican meal
and a program that
included a
welcome
from Juan
Calderon, PRCC COO and Vida/SIDA Director, the 2013
Annual Report presentation by Sandra Candelaria, Director of Women Programs, program remarks by Jorge
Cestou, Director of Programs and Services, life testimonies from three HIV positive individuals and closing
remarks by José E. López, PRCC Executive Director. The
life testimonies were extremely powerful and to celebrate these individuals’ lives, they were honored with
the Vida/SIDA’s Certificate of Resilience. The event was
MC’d by Roberto Sanabria, Ed.D., a Vida/SIDA founder
and PRCC board member.
ENERO 2015
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
Lives in Transition: El Rescate Featured in Chicago Reporter
By Michelle Kanaar, The Chicago Reporter
As a youth, Dino Masciopinto faced challenges that many adults can't handle.
The-18-year-old came out to his parents
when he was in sixth grade. "My parents are
pretty much accepting of it," he says. "My dad
says he's OK with it, but he doesn't want to see
it, he doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't
want anything to do with it. But he doesn't
mind it."
Masciopinto also was his family's chief financial support. "I'm the youngest in the house and
I was pretty much the only one that worked,
and basically my whole paycheck went to
them, and it still wasn't enough."
The young man worked a lot of jobs and, basically, raised himself, he says. His finances, sexuality and
a family crisis put him on a path that would eventually
leave him homeless. "I had to grow up at a really young
age," Masciopinto says.
Enter El Rescate, a transitional-housing program in
Humboldt Park on Chicago's West Side that serves
LGBTQ and HIV-positive Latino youths. It's the only pro-
gram of its kind in the city, and Masciopinto recently
lived there.
For him, and many others, El Rescate became a lifeline.
"They just started [El Rescate] two years ago and it's
for LGBTQ because we don't have a safe place because
a lot of shelters tend to be churches and it's not accepted," says Masciopinto.
He says he was kicked out of several dropin shelters because of his sexuality. "I had a
lot of odds against me: I am gay, I'm homeless,
I'm young, and I'm Latino, which made it even
worse."
"A homeless youth doesn't start with the
same resources," says Anne Holcomb, supportive services supervisor at Unity Parenting & Counseling, who has been working with
homeless youth in Chicago since 1994. "They
don't just go from a shelter to having their own
apartment."
Many youth move back in with family after
college, but homeless youth don't have family
to move back in with. "When it comes down to
it, you're on your own," Masciopinto says. That
is why, Holcomb says, transitional housing is key to ending chronic homelessness. Transitional-living facilities
provide stable housing, independent living skills and
opportunities to pursue education and employment to
break the cycle of homelessness. "There are even more
barriers if they are LGBTQ, pregnant and parenting, or
have a mental disorder," Holcomb says.
EL RESCATE FUNDRAISER GROWS
SENSE OF "FAMILY"
By Zenaida López, El Rescate Staff
There is certain vulnerability with LGBT youth and the
complex needs of this population, but 3 years ago, El
Rescate Independent Living Program opened its doors
to address some of those needs. As the first LGBT program of its kind in the Midwest and working with a limited budget, there were some obstacles to overcome but
as the program moved forward from its infancy, El Rescate has been getting a lot of attention and recognition
for the work it does. It also has become the focal point
for many caring individuals such as Norman Bustamante who has stepped up to celebrate and acknowledge
these youth. Norman, together with a group of friends
held a fundraiser for the residents of El Rescate. As
Christmas was approaching, they felt it was the perfect
time to celebrate the holidays together with the youth
of El Rescate, to show them that people cared.
The fundraiser was held on December 18th at Antronio’s Bar in Berwyn Illinois, a gay bar that caters to the
Latino gay community of Berwyn/Cicero. Norman also
made arrangements to a have a Limo pick up all the residents at El Rescate, take them to Antronio’s and drive
the youth back home. This service was made possible
by Jose Urbina from Demarco Limousine service. He
made sure that they had a great time in the limo as well
as making sure they got home safely.
Upon arriving at Antronio’s, all the residents were
greeted with a buffet of delicious food, desserts and
non-alcoholic beverages provided by the bar. Later
that evening, Drag Queens and other performers put
on a fantastic show in honor of El Rescate. Following
the performances, several residents shared their testimonials and expressed their gratitude for all that was
provided for them that evening. There were boxes upon
boxes of clothing, toiletries, bedding, food, and winter
gear collected by Norman and given to the residents.
The party went on to the wee hours of the morning
as the residents danced, shot some pool, and mingled
with the others in attendance. They were very excited
and appreciative for all that was provided for them that
evening. One resident, looking very pensive and emotional stated that, although he had no family that night,
he embraced and accepted all the residents and staff
as his family. Program Director Jackie González personally thanked all involved and was humbled by the their
kindness.
Register: Vote on Tuesday, February 24, 2015!
20
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
¿Así somos?
Lo puertorriqueño aquí y allá
Cuando Ada Nivia López y Mark Joseph me entregaron el fajo de fotografías en Chicago no tenía yo
idea cabal de lo que suponía destapar el esplendor de
aquella caja de sorpresas. Comencé a desplegar en el
apartamento invernal y luego en el piso de mi taller en
La Playa de Ponce la alfombra multicolor de imágenes
que configuran nuestra experiencia de pueblo en
distintas latitudes, actitudes y proyecciones. Más
que buscar una narrativa, era encontrar un sendero,
azaroso por demás, en la dolorosa y gozosa tradición
migratoria nacional. Poco a poco las piedras en el
camino se convirtieron en apoyo al paso firme que
conduce de un lugar a otro y de vuelta al origen.
Consideré relaciones temáticas y formales, ritmos y
tonos, quietud y movimiento en la disposición de la
imagen, en las páginas, su secuencia, armonía y contraste. El barajear las imágenes tomó tiempo, viajes,
conversaciones telefónicas, correos electrónicos,
bocetos y cambios de ruta. Hoy aterrizamos en las páginas de un libro, en las paredes de un museo y con
suerte en sus hogares dispuestos a otro viaje más, el
de la mano que pasa la página y el ojo que la acaricia.
Así somos es un libro que muy bien podría
llamarse: Así querríamos ser. Me explico. Ciertamente
las fotografías que son el eje principal
del libro ampliado por los amorosos
textos, son un retrato fiel de una parte importante de la realidad puertorriqueña en la isla y lo que antes se
llamaba la migración y hoy se considera la diáspora. Son además y sobre
todo una obra de arte. El ojo magistral de Mark Joseph sabe enmarcar
de tal modo que revela lo esencial y
deja fuera lo que resultaría superfluo
o innecesario. Es un ojo que reconoce
y exalta la belleza significante de lo
que contempla. No sólo capta el momento preciso a lo Cartier-Bresson
sino que lo hace sin artificio de luces
ni recortes posteriores. Es la luz que
encuentra en el momento exacto para
luego someterlo al escogido riguroso
de la imagen definitoria del sujeto determinado.
Y aquí interviene de modo
significativo Ada Nivia López, conceptualizadora del
proyecto tanto libresco como expositivo que contemplamos. En un loable intento de contraponerse a imágenes negativas de nuestra nación tanto en el National
Geographic Magazine como en el ensayo fotográfico
de Bruce Davidson sobre el Spanish Harlem en Nueva York de la década del setenta y otras,
Ada guía la cámara de Mark en la dirección opuesta a la de los proyectos antes
mencionados. Su visión se aleja diametralmente del foco crítico y acusatorio
de los males que sin duda aquejan nuestra realidad. Por el contrario, la visión que
encuadran tanto los textos como las imágenes de Así somos intentan con hermosura ofrecernos una puertorriqueñidad
enmarcada por la belleza.
Es la historia del éxito superando
las dificultades. El racismo, el sexismo, los
conflictos culturales y lingüísticos, políticos y de clase quedan atrás, o debemos
decir fuera del marco fotográfico. Lo que permanece
es un panorama bañado por el esplendor compositivo,
cromático y una empatía enternecedora por lo humano en imagen y palabra. Gran mérito sin duda en vista
de una tradición también parcial de menosprecio y demonización de nuestra nación mirada desde afuera, sin
conmiseración y con poco o ningún conocimiento de
sus cruces y causas. O de la visión justamente crítica,
constructiva y concienzuda de nuestros considerables
y lacerantes males. Todo aspecto negativo de nuestra
compleja y dolorosa condición de pueblo queda al
margen de las magníficas fotografías y excluido de los
cuidadosos textos que amplían su significado.
21
JAN. 2015
Así Somos es una apuesta a la
belleza como antídoto a lo grotesco que permea gran parte de la
vida cotidiana puertorriqueña en
las islas y en el continente. Y digo
islas porque la cámara fotográfica
de Mark y la pluma de Ada abarcan desde las islas de Hawái y su
población de ascendencia boricua
cruzando el continente americano
hasta Puerto Rico. Pero también
mira al espacio sideral, acaricia
agua, tierra y ante todo la condición humana, su fortaleza y logros.
Este libro y la exposición que
la acompaña provocan a la reflexión no solo por lo que muestran
sino por lo que deliberadamente
excluyen. ¿Qué y cómo somos
realmente? ¿Qué pretendemos
ser? La definición de lo puertorriqueño, tanto en su ámbito de
identidad política, su realidad social, económica, racial
y de género se encuentra en una encrucijada difícil y
dolorosa. Quizás estas imágenes sirvan de bálsamo
a nuestras heridas, de esperanza a nuestra angustia.
Mirándonos en este espejo ennoblecedor podemos
tomar conciencia de la oscuridad que pretende ilumi-
nar y transformar de este modo la agobiante situación
que vivimos. ¡Qué para bien sea!
Antonio Martorell
Artista Residente
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Cayey
La exposición Así Somos / Who We Are se presenta
en la sala 2 del Museo de las Américas en el antiguo
Cuartel de Ballajá en el Viejo San Juan a partir del 19 de
diciembre. El libro que acompaña la exposición está a la
venta en la tienda del museo y en algunas librerías del
país. A continuación publicamos discurso pronunciado
por el artista Antonio Martorell durante la apertura de
la exposición. Republicado en 80Grados.
ENERO 2015
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
CELEBRATE 3 KINGS DAY WITH A GIFT TO THE DR. PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOS PUERTO RICAN HIGH SCHOOL
DR. STEVE WHITMAN GREENHOUSE
January 15, 2015
If there was a theme which framed the memorial
service for Steve Whitman at the National Museum of
Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, it was that Steve’s work
and legacy must continue. Steve had an insatiable thirst
for social justice and equity, a thirst that defined all his
words and deeds. As a result of his varied commitments
to social justice, he developed a close kinship with Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. Following his seminal,
comprehensive and recognized research on health inequities among 10 distinct community areas of Chicago,
Steve worked closely with Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, in the Greater Humboldt Park area, to develop
an organically driven, holistic approach to encourage
wellness. Soon after, the Community of Wellness of
Greater Humboldt Park was created and took the lead
in addressing diabetes, asthma, obesity and HIV/AIDS,
with innovative, community-driven initiatives around
each of these health challenges.
One of those initiatives was CO-OP Humboldt Park,
which sought to promote physical exercise through the
Mueveté program, and through providing fresh produce in an area designated as a fresh produce desert.
An urban agriculture program was immediately started,
involving the teachers and students of the Dr. Pedro
Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School (PACHS). This
program attempted to establish an urban agricultural
curriculum with an integrated math and science teaching methodology, connected to a sustainable community-based urban agriculture economic process. This
has led to the building of a beautiful greenhouse on the
roof of the school. There, the seedlings are cultivated,
and then planted in Spring and Summer in a community
garden totaling nearly one half-acre of land, including a
space in front of the National Museum of Puerto Rican
Arts and Culture. The produce is then sold, at low cost,
in a community-based farmers’ market. This practice
engages the students and community residents in an
economically sustainable project which includes production, distribution and consumption.
We are asking you to join us in an effort to raise
$36,000.00 to create the Steve Whitman Fund which
will enable the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican
High School to maintain this comprehensive community building and educational project.
Help us keep Steve’s memory and legacy alive in this
community endeavor— in a community that he loved
and that loves him.
We invite you to contribute to this fund by May 19,
2015-Steve’s birthday. On that day, the school will name
the
Greenhouse the “Dr.
Steve Whitman Greenhouse”. Only
donors will be
invited to this
very special
event. Please
be as generous as possible and help
us ensure that Steve’s legacy will live on. Steve was a
strong supporter of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High
School (PACHS) and I, Nancy, have been a Board member for many years. For those who prefer to donate via
online banking or PAYPAL, in the memo of the payment,
write PACHS/Whitman. If you prefer to send a check,
you may send it to: PACHS, c/o Nancy Kurshan, 2739
West Division Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622. All contributions are tax-deductible.
Thank you,
Nancy Kurshan, David Ansell
As of this puc
Ald. Maldonado, Ald. Suarez. Ald. Reyboyras
Join Community 3 Kings Days Celebration
By PRCC staff
Despite the inclement weather, hundreds of youth,
ages 0-12, received gifts on January 6, 2015 in two locations in the greater Humboldt Park Community: in the
gym at Roberto Clemente Academy and in the Field
House of Humboldt Park. As the kids arrived, volunteers served them hot chocolate and cookies donated
by Clemente High School; and the Clemente School
Steel Band delighted them with holiday music. A short
program was held, starting at the Roberto Clemente’s
gym, where Aldermen Roberto Maldonado, Ray Suarez
and Ariel Reyboyras, as well the principal, Marcey Sorensen, spoke to the audience. Jose E Lopez, Executive
director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, addressed
the meaning of the 3 Kings in the Puerto Rican and Latin
American context. Several Members of the Latin American Motorcycle Association (L.A.M.A.) also spoke about
their contribution to the celebration. The members of
L.A.M.A., under the leadership of Toys for Tots, annually
collect the toys which are distributed during the 3 Kings
Day in Humboldt Park. Following the program, hundreds
of youngsters received gifts from the 3 Kings of L.A.M.A.
Members of L.A.M.A. and the Puerto Rican Cultural
Center then moved to the Humboldt Park Field House
where the same program was held and more gifts were
distributed. This annual celebration of the most signifi-
22
cat day of the PRCC ritual calendar would not have been
possible with the support of est Toen Bikes, DSBDA, Dr.
Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School, Brenda
Torres adn Nereida Aviles , clemtne AC A and LAMA
WWW.LAVOZ-PRCC.ORG
JAN. 2015
EL CONUCO
Indoor Fresh Produce Market Basket
Every Friday 2:00pm- 6:00pm • 2628 W. Division St.
• 9 POUNDS OF YOUR CHOICE OF FRESH PRODUCE FROM OUR COMMUNITY FARM FOR ONLY $10.00
ACCEPTING DOUBLE VALUE COUPONS (LINK BUCKS)
The PRCC is participating in Double Value Coupons at farmers markets across the city. That means if your household is on LINK, you can
visit our farmers market - “El Conuco” and your purchasing power will be doubled, up to $10 per LINK cardholder per week, while funding lasts. Keep an eye out for LINK Bucks that look something like this:
El Conuco Fresh Produce Market
A Project of The Puerto Rican Cultural Center
LINK BUCKS
$1
Expires: 05 /2015
ONE DOLLAR
Valid at El Conuco Fresh Produce Market.- See reverse for list.
Not redeemable for cash. No change given. For Illinois LINK approved purchases.
Sponsored by Experimental Station and The City of Chicago
LINK Bucks can be spent the same day, or save them up for a bigger purchase later in the season.
Expire at the end of 2014.
Also: • Fresh Sofrito (Homemade) • Bottled Fresh Chilies • Cafe Don Oscar
To Place Orders Call: (773) 394-4935 • Email: [email protected]
23

La Voz del Paseo Boricua

Transcription

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