Puerto Rican Political Prisoners: The Cost of Demanding Freedom

The United States does not acknowledge that it holds political prisoners — but the history of imprisoned Puerto Rican independence fighters tells a different story.

The Nationalist Generation (1930s-1950s):

1. Pedro Albizu Campos: Imprisoned 1936-1943 (seditious conspiracy), 1950-1953, 1954-1964. The leader of the Nationalist Party spent over 25 years of his life in prison for advocating Puerto Rican independence. He is the most prominent political prisoner in Puerto Rican history

2. Lolita Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Irvin Flores, Andrés Figueroa Cordero: Imprisoned after the 1954 Capitol attack. Served approximately 25 years each before being pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1979

3. The 1950 Uprising prisoners: Hundreds of Nationalists were imprisoned after the Jayuya Uprising. Many served years in prison for their participation in the independence movement

The FALN Generation (1970s-1980s):

The Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (Armed Forces of National Liberation) conducted a bombing campaign in the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s, seeking Puerto Rican independence:
- Over 130 bombings attributed to the FALN between 1974 and 1983
- Targets included government buildings, military facilities, and corporate offices
- The most deadly: the Fraunces Tavern bombing (1975) killed 4 people
- FALN members arrested in the 1980s received sentences of 35-105 years — far exceeding sentences for comparable crimes

FALN prisoners:
- Oscar López Rivera: Arrested 1981, sentenced to 55 years (later extended to 70) for seditious conspiracy. He was never convicted of causing injury or death. His sentence was longer than many convicted murderers. He was offered clemency by President Clinton in 1999 (with conditions he rejected) and was finally released by President Obama in 2017 after 36 years — making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in the Western Hemisphere
- Carmen Valentín, Alejandrina Torres, Luis Rosa, and others: Received lengthy sentences, most eventually released through Clinton's 1999 clemency offer

The Political Prisoner Debate:
The U.S. government maintains that these individuals are criminals, not political prisoners. The independence movement and its supporters argue:
1. Disproportionate sentences: FALN members received sentences far exceeding those given for comparable acts
2. Seditious conspiracy: The charge of 'seditious conspiracy' — plotting to overthrow the government — is inherently political
3. International law: Under international law, colonized peoples have the right to self-determination, including armed struggle — making independence fighters combatants, not criminals
4. UN recognition: The UN Decolonization Committee has repeatedly called for Puerto Rico's self-determination
5. Selective prosecution: The U.S. government prosecuted Puerto Rican independence fighters while supporting armed movements in other countries that served U.S. interests

The International Dimension:
- The UN Special Committee on Decolonization has passed dozens of resolutions calling for Puerto Rico's self-determination
- International human rights organizations have advocated for the release of Puerto Rican political prisoners
- Cuba, Venezuela, and other Latin American nations have consistently supported Puerto Rican independence and called for the release of political prisoners
- Amnesty International classified some Puerto Rican prisoners as prisoners of conscience

The Lesson:
The existence of Puerto Rican political prisoners demonstrates that the colonial relationship is maintained by force — and that resistance to colonial rule is punished by the colonial state. Every generation of Puerto Rican independence fighters has included members who were willing to accept imprisonment for their beliefs.