Rubén Berríos Martínez

Rubén Berríos Martínez (born 1939) is the longtime president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and one of the most prominent advocates for Puerto Rican sovereignty in the modern era. A Yale Law School graduate, Berríos has combined legal scholarship, political leadership, and civil disobedience in a career spanning over five decades.

Berríos's most iconic acts of resistance involved the U.S. Navy:
- In 1971, he led civil disobedience on Culebra, trespassing on the Navy bombing range to protest military exercises. He was arrested and jailed — making national headlines
- In 2001, he was arrested on Vieques during the campaign to end Navy bombing there
- His Culebra campaign is credited with helping to force the Navy's departure from that island in 1975

As PIP president since 1970, Berríos has:
- Represented the independence movement in Puerto Rico's political system
- Served in the Puerto Rico Senate
- Advocated for Puerto Rico's sovereignty at the United Nations Decolonization Committee
- Maintained the PIP as a viable political party despite the independence movement's minority status in Puerto Rican elections
- Articulated a vision of Puerto Rican independence that emphasizes democratic socialism, environmental protection, and social justice

Berríos represents the continuity of the Puerto Rican independence tradition — from Betances and Albizu Campos through to the present day.