Freed Puerto Rico nationalist: I have no regrets

(18 May 2017) Puerto Rico nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera received a heroes welcome at a concert in San Juan on Wednesday after being freed from house arrest following decades in custody.
The celebration at the plaza near the University of Puerto Rico drew at least 1,000 supporters by late afternoon, some embracing and wearing T-shirts reading: "Welcome to your homeland!"
Lopez, is a Puerto Rican nationalist who was a member of the ultranationalist Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), which claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings at public and commercial buildings during the 1970's and '80's in New York, Chicago, Washington and other US cities.
The group's most notorious bombing killed four people and injured more than 60 at New York's landmark Fraunces Tavern in 1975.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Lopez said he had no regrets about his involvement with the FALN.
Asked about the possibility of violent independence for the US island territory, Rivera said that conditions on the island had changed and that, "the issue of violence is discarded completely."
Rivera was sentenced to 55 years in prison after he was convicted on one count of seditious conspiracy, and he was later convicted of conspiring to escape from prison in Leavenworth, Kansas.
He served nearly 13 years in solitary confinement, when former US President Barack Obama commuted his sentence before leaving office in January 2017.
His case transformed him into a martyr among his supporters but outraged those who lost loved ones in a string of deadly bombings.
Puerto Rico has been under US jurisdiction since 1898, and its people have been US citizens since 1917.
The island is home to numerous military veterans, though Puerto Ricans can't vote for president and their representative in Congress has no vote.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...

[@BENITOABDULAXISPROPHECY]

FREEDOM FOR MY ISLAND

[@usaf1804]

J D f.o.

[@zalmoxis3945]

Amin.

[@zalmoxis3945]

J D stop trolling or you will be slided/ fall from Earth very soon. God dispices deceit. Amin.

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone snooze

[@henrypagan3426]

Soldiers from Puerto Rico joined General Bernardo de Galvez Governor of Louisiana in defense of the American Revolution, the 13 colonies Independence is owe in part to Puerto Rico. I think for now on every 4th of July the Puerto Rico flag should fly alongside the American flag in respect to Puerto Rico.

[@mahirrahman7]

Those were Spanish soldiers not the indigenous of the Puerto Rico

[@i.pezzotti853]

@@mahirrahman7 The same way Americans were Englishmen established into the New World, not the Native Americans? What’s your point?

[@reklis666]

Puerto Rico needs Los Macheteros again.

[@maria-lcancel-q9204]

The MACHETEROS Is A DERREGOTARY Word That International Anti-American Society Used To Destroy The Image Of All Pro-Independence-Puertorican-Groups To Instigate Fear Among Americans. Which Did Benefited U.S.A.'s CORRUPTED OFFICIALS That PROPAGATED THE FALSE IMAGE OF RIGHTEOUS BORICUAS Since TOURISM In PUERTO RICO Was Affected ; That Caused AMERICA To Suffer ECONOMICALLY As Well. 😡😬😠 #PR51ST 🇺🇸🗽🇵🇷 www.pr51st.com/take-action/

[@usaf1804]

Rome Jr. Besides ignorant, you are also ignorant, and, I should also mention what an ignorant bellend you are...

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@tank3143]

As an American of Puerto Rican Decent i have nothing but respect for you.

[@usaf1804]

Zorro because he is an ignorant couch potatoe whom is not an excellent on truth and history. More a liberal taker that is non productive in this country he is not worthy of remaining in...

[@usaf1804]

Tank likes to play video games and loves twinkies and hotdogs...

[@branden8022]

@Bart R shhhhh bootlickers dont like the truth. ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre!

[@RumbleFish69]

No, respectfully, I say, as a Puerto Rican who was hijacked by America..... That is truly your legacy...it is my legacy, it is the legacy of every Puerto Rican who was born and lives in America.

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@kiamahinaru2381]

Gracias Oscar!!!!! ✊🏼🇵🇷

[@usaf1804]

Fu O scar...

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone troll

[@RumbleFish69]

My heroes are men like Oscar Lopez Rivera, and Don Pedro Albizu Campos.... Men, who sacrificed their freedoms and their lives in many cases, for us. Many of which don't even know these names. Gracias, Oscar Lopez Rivera....Gracias por todo!

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone give it up troll

[@josephcrespo8193]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone How many innocent Palestinians have your heroes killed?

[@VincentIrkallaOfficial]

A brilliant and honorable man who truly embodies the blood of a Taíno warrior. ✊🏼✊🏼🇵🇷 #VivaPuertoRicoLibre

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

By murdering the innocent?

[@VincentIrkallaOfficial]

Lol dumb-ass 😹😹😹

[@alexgray337]

You spelled "terrorist" wrong.

[@Themichaelwesten]

We need ultra-nationalism... we deserve a nation based on our collective racial & Christian identity FOR US ONLY AS PUERTO RICANS

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

By murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone yawn

[@alexgray337]

Replace "Puerto Ricans" with "white people" and you sound like a nazi.

[@bluebellsringtheloudest]

Well man idk about um… unifying under a “collective racial & christian identity”… independence would be ight tho

[@sebastiancruz7655]

Man you were almost on the right path

[@josephcrespo8193]

Óscar an Honor to Puerto Rico.

[@elqueescribecomentarios2136]

VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone lame

[@h0ck3yphreak]

It's a good thing that 1/6 was worse than this....wow

[@jameshastey3058]

Having been stationed at Sabana Seca PR in the mid 1990's (who is all to aware of his FALN's attack on a bus full of US Navy sailors outside Sabana Seca in 1979), and I don't know why he would even remotely think that the rest of the USA would not accept Puerto Rico as the 51st state. Statehood would solve much of Puerto Rico's problems and permanently resolve the island's status as opposed to the limbo-like "Estado Libre Associado". They would gain full representation in the House of Representatives and US Senate, not to mention much better access to US financial aid. Independence - especially with the Island's current debt crisis would be absolutely catostrophic - not only would there be millions of Puerto Ricans who living on the island who would lose their US Citizenship, but the island would have very little chance of obtaining international financial aid. They would very quickly become a 3rd world country..........

[@paulai.santiago6885]

I don't understand why the let this man free

[@3941602]

They already are a 3rd world Banana Republic...They need help pyschological the mental attitude of victim has decimated the Island and dont get me started on mainland Puerto Ricans born on the mainland or Nuyroicans...They are failing to. No assimilation and they don't want to lear English on the Island.

[@paulai.santiago6885]

@@3941602 You seem to not know what a banana republic is. You seem to need a psychological evaluation. Cause you don't know how to write a sentence. You say Puerto Ricans play victim? My dude imagine coming on a KZbin channel and complaining Karen. "Don't get me started on mainland Puerto Ricans born in the mainland or Nuyoricans" Do you know how dumb you are? Puerto Ricans in the mainland don't want to learn English? But you don't even know how to write. We take English class. And the majority of the people speak Spanish. Spanish is our first language.

[@3941602]

@@paulai.santiago6885 Puerto Rico is a 3rd world welfare state. They take but never give. Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans have left them behind. Cause they dont get welfare or tax.breaks. They work hard to take advantage of the American Dream.

[@3941602]

@@paulai.santiago6885 Puerto Ricans racist against Afro Latino , Dominicano and people in Loiza Puerto Rico and they hate the Gringos

[@3941602]

I bet he has an Al- Qaeda poster on his bedroom wall.

[@3941602]

You speak Spanish. Those are the true colonizers and oppressors. PR is mostly Armedian amd Taino blood yet hate Americawhile Spain decimated their Island. Spain took your Island and olanted there flag

[@tomatos9445]

Thank You Too many so called Latino's speaking the language of the oppressor.

[@usaf1804]

And they are basically self governed, fail yet rely fully on America to keep them from falling into a Venezuela /Haiti reality... Where are the Puerto Rican’s that actually see reality and this pos terrorist Castro-Guevara-Hugo Chavez loser. In his so called freedom fighting, how many did he kill that were attacking him or his family that he was justifiably defending? Answer: None! This says it all...good people wrongfully taken by dirt using sheer violence unjustifiably. Murderers...

[@branden8022]

@@usaf1804 you couldnt be more wrong.

[@FunkyNutBlast2005]

I want to learn the language of my people the issue is do you think the spanish gave a fuck to preserve it?They didn't want my natives to speak it only Spanish

[@puertorock1390]

3941602 As bad as Spain treated the “new found” world, nothing compares to what the US did to Puerto Rico and its people!!!!!!!!!!!

[@josephcrespo8193]

Puerto Rico is Cuba's injured wing.

[@fasteddie9055]

WTF are you talking about? Cuba is now some dump full of recycled cars. The populace dressed is rags and don t have enough to eat. Injured wing ?? Cuba is beyond repair.

[@escuadronhechizopr9861]

CARA AL SOL

[@elqueescribecomentarios2136]

VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE MI HERMANO!

[@zalmoxis3945]

El Que Escribe Comentarios Que VIVA Puerto Rico Libre muy pronto! Amin.

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

by murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone bot troll

[@FunkyNutBlast2005]

🇵🇷

[@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone]

By murdering the innocent?

[@Enne_esse]

@@XtreemMetalManRedToTheBone troll much?

[@Jake-rs9nq]

"I do not have any regrets" -Self righteous murderer

[@ogbkballa]

fought against colonization.. fuck off

[@Jake-rs9nq]

@@ogbkballa He killed people unrelated to his precious cause. He's a murderer. Plain and simple. Puerto Rico needs to leave, they don't deserve to remain.

[@ogbkballa]

@@Jake-rs9nq noone wants to stay

[@Jake-rs9nq]

@@ogbkballa Good, Americans don't want to have to keep paying to support a failed state. Puerto Rico needs to go.

[@ogbkballa]

@@Jake-rs9nq yet it's still a hostage of the United States, wonder why? Ah to keep being exploited ... Fuck off

[@jadedjp3770]

BASED