Oscar López Rivera. Foto internetEverything is ready. Yes, his country awaits him anxiously. His arrival delayed, but justice was done. After years in prison, Oscar López Rivera will arrive in Puerto Rico and as he promised, he will kiss the ground for which he remained faithful in jail, condemned to 70 years, for a cause: to fight for the independence of the Caribbean Island.
Oscar López Rivera, born in Puerto Rico in 1943, is a pro-independence leader, imprisoned in the United States for 36 years. Lopez is a veteran of the Vietnam War, in which he was decorated for his courage in combat. Upon returning to Chicago, he joined the struggle for the rights of the Puerto Rican people and participated in acts of civil disobedience and peaceful militancy.
In 1976 he joined the clandestine fight for the independence of Puerto Rico as a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation. In 1981, he was captured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused of "conspiracy" and for his militancy in the Armed Forces of National Liberation.
Oscar claimed the status of "Prisoner of War", but the United States did not recognize his demand and sentenced him to 55 years in prison. After an alleged attempt to escape, the sentence increased to 70 years in prison. He spent 12 years in total isolation. President Barack Obama granted the pardon that thousands of men and women had demanded for years.
Justice delayed but this man feels the infinite pride of not yielding to pressures or blackmail. He ratifies his infinite love for Puerto Rico. Once again truth and love triumph, ideas do not die, men, like Oscar López Rivera carry the line of patriots.