The National Puerto Rican Parade Update
The NiLP Network on Latino Issues (April 20, 2014)
The Oscar López Rivera Question
When the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Inc. was being investigated by NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman last year and people were discussing what a newly-constituted Parade Board should be doing, Bronx Assemblyman José Rivera first raised the possibility of the Parade honoring Puerto Rican patriot and political prisoner Oscar López Rivera. Given NYC Council Speaker
Melissa Mark Viverito's long history of supporing the freedom of the Puerto Rican political prisoners and Oscar López Rivera in particular, and the pivotal role she played in calling for the investigation of the Parade, it seemed like a logical call.
The Parade Board has already indicated that they would be honoring the legacy of the legendary Puerto Rican poet, Julia de Burgos, on her centennial and the 65th Infantry Regiment known as the "Borinqueneers." However, they have been unclear whether they would be honoring Oscar López Rivera, at one point some indicating that they would only have him recognized by having one contingent, from his hometown of Chicago, dedicated to him. Boricuas for a Positive Image and others, on the other hand, have been pressing the Parade Board to dedicate the Parade to the campaign to free Oscar López Rivera. In Puerto Rico there is widespread support for his release.
This issue was discussed in an April 11th radio interview of journalist Gerson Borrero on WBAI's The Jordan Journal hosted by Howard Jordan. Borrero provides an update on the Parade based on the first press conference they held earlier that day. He reported on what he saw as a division on the Parade Board on how they would be recognize him. He urged those thinking that the Parade should be dedicated to Oscar López Rivera should contact them at either 607-699-9372 or
info@nprdpinc.org.
Yesterday, the Parade Board posted an article expressing their support for the freedom of Oscar López Rivera (see below), which is perhaps a first step in moving towards the full honoring of this Puerto Rican patriot. But it appears that we will have to wait until their news conference next month to find out exactly how they will finally be honoring this patriot.
Here is the current posting on the official website of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade:
Freedom for
Oscar López Rivera
National Puerto Rican Day Parade (April 18, 2014)
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade stands in solidarity with members of Congress, a number of religious organizations, labor organizations, human rights groups, Hispanic civic and community groups, community activists and widespread support across the political spectrum inside Puerto Rico and in the Diaspora that are calling for the release of Oscar López Rivera, who has currently served over 32 years in a U.S. prison.
Oscar López Rivera was not convicted for a violent crime. He was incarcerated for his beliefs and affiliations and charged with "seditious conspiracy." Since Oscar López's incarceration others who were incarcerated with him have been released. In 1999 then President Clinton determined that "The prisoners were serving extremely lengthy sentences in some cases 90 years which were out of proportion to their crimes." As a result, 14 Puerto Rican political prisoners were granted clemency yet Oscar López Rivera remains incarcerated. We ask that President Barack H. Obama exercise his executive privilege of commutation to end the incarceration of Oscar López Rivera.
_______________________________________________________________
Stay tuned to The NiLP Network on Latino Issues for updates . . .
If you have any information about the Parade, positive or negative, that should be widely known in the Latino community, please let us know at info@latinopolicy.org. Your name will be kept confidential if requested.
The NiLP Network on Latino Issues is an online information service provided by the National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP). For further information, visit our website at www.latinopolicy.org.