{"id":484,"date":"2017-06-27T11:51:31","date_gmt":"2017-06-27T15:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nlg.org\/guild-notes\/?post_type=article&p=484"},"modified":"2017-06-27T12:36:57","modified_gmt":"2017-06-27T16:36:57","slug":"political-prisoner-oscar-lopez-rivera-returns-home-after-35-years","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.nlg.org\/guild-notes\/article\/political-prisoner-oscar-lopez-rivera-returns-home-after-35-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Political Prisoner Oscar L\u00f3pez Rivera Returns Home after 35+ Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the Puerto Rico Subcommittee<\/a> of the <\/strong>NLG International Committee<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"

Oscar L\u00f3pez Rivera being freed from house arrest on May 17. NLG member and his
attorney Jan Susler, smiles in the background. (Alina Luciano, Claridad<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n

On May 17, after almost 36 years in U.S. custody for his commitment to the independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico, Oscar L\u00f3pez Rivera walked in to the waiting arms of the Puerto Rican people. Greeted with an early morning serenade by the chorus of the University of Puerto Rico, flowers, embraces, tears and media from all over the world, Oscar emerged with a message of unity, grateful for the consensus that resulted in the presidential commutation of his sentence.<\/p>\n

Thousands of cheering people of all ages packed the plaza in San Juan to welcome him home. As the country\u2019s finest musicians performed a concert in his honor, families passed their small children over and through the crowd, so they could be photographed with Oscar. His message was firm and loving: We must act together to save Puerto Rico from the U.S. imposed \u201cjunta\u201d [Fiscal Control Board] which is ravaging our country; We must support the students whose strike at the University of Puerto Rico has galvanized the<\/p>\n

movement to stop the draconian economic measures being imposed on the island and to focus on the necessity to decolonize our country.<\/p>\n

Oscar is perhaps the most recognized Puerto Rican on the island. When he walks down the street, traffic stops, as people jump out of their cars, rush to his side to hug him, thank him, and take a selfie. When he eats in a restaurant, the wait staff, the chef, the patrons, all embrace him and take a selfie.<\/p>\n

Each day of freedom has led him to another welcome event, from the Ecumenical Coalition where he was embraced by the Archbishop of San Juan and bishops from several denominations, to the 36 Women for Oscar who for four years had demonstrated the last Sunday of every month, to the striking UPR students, to the pro-statehood mayor of San Sebasti\u00e1n\u2019s reception in his hometown, to the pro-commonwealth mayor of San Juan\u2019s sponsorship of his art exhibit in the city\u2019s art gallery.<\/p>\n

His travels have taken him to Chicago\u2019s Puerto Rican community, the Bay Area, and New York City, where he has been regaled by civic and community leaders, with cultural presentations, and with much love. His travels will take him to the 2017 NLG #Law4thePeople Convention in Washington, D.C. this August<\/a>, where he will receive the Arthur Kinoy Award and speak on a panel about political prisoners. Come celebrate with the NLG\u2019s Puerto Rico Subcommittee, which has for years held the Guild\u2019s laboring oar advocating for his release and the noble cause which led to his imprisonment \u2013 the independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico, sponsoring resolutions, workshops and panels \u2013 even the NLG\u2019s 2013 convention on the island! Join us in celebrating Oscar this summer: this is an opportunity you won\u2019t want to miss! \u25a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the Puerto Rico Subcommittee of the NLG International Committee On May 17, after almost 36 years in U.S. custody for his commitment to the independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico, Oscar L\u00f3pez Rivera walked in to the waiting arms of the Puerto Rican people. Greeted with an early morning serenade by the chorus of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"issuem_issue":[141],"issuem_issue_categories":[],"issuem_issue_tags":[5,23,40,39,41],"class_list":["post-484","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","issuem_issue-guild-notes-vol-42-no-23-summerfall-2017","issuem_issue_tags-law4thepeople-convention","issuem_issue_tags-international-committee","issuem_issue_tags-oscar-lopez-rivera","issuem_issue_tags-political-prisoners","issuem_issue_tags-puerto-rico","post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t