Imprisonment of Oscar López Rivera

Oscar López Rivera, a Vietnam War veteran and Bronze Star recipient, was arrested in 1981 and convicted of seditious conspiracy for his involvement with the FALN (Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña). He was sentenced to 55 years in federal prison — later increased to 70 years when he was convicted of conspiracy to escape.

López Rivera was never convicted of personally harming anyone. His conviction was for seditious conspiracy — essentially, plotting against U.S. authority. He spent 12 years in solitary confinement at the ADX Florence supermax prison.

In 1999, President Clinton offered clemency to 16 FALN members, but López Rivera rejected the offer because it did not include all prisoners and imposed conditions. His case became a cause célèbre: the United Nations Decolonization Committee repeatedly called for his release, as did Amnesty International, Desmond Tutu, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

President Barack Obama commuted his sentence on January 17, 2017, and López Rivera was released on May 17, 2017, after 36 years — longer than Nelson Mandela served. His release was celebrated throughout Puerto Rico and the diaspora with massive parades and gatherings.