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Sentence Commuted for Oscar Lopez-Rivera
Oscar Lopez-Rivera, a co-founder of the Puerto Rican independence group FALN (Fuerza Armadas de Liberacion Nacional, Spanish for Armed Forces of National Liberation), was among those whose sentence was commuted this week by President Barack Obama.
López-Rivera was arrested in May 1981 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. His release date is May 17.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, an outspoken campaigner for Lopez-Rivera , responded to the news:
“I’m so very excited and happy for Oscar. It’s been a long road and I’ve been very invested in this case personally and emotionally, so it’s overwhelming,” she said. “This was an unjust sentencing and it’s been 35 years of having been in jail for his political convictions.”
Obama’s legacy in the Puerto Rican community is strengthened, according to the Speaker.
“When people think of what did he do for Puerto Rico, it’s going to be that he freed Oscar,” she said.
Dave:
Here’s story… Please add photos of Oscar and photo of Mark-Viverito for this item below. And thank you gary for bringing it to our attention.
Oscar Lopez-Rivera, a co-founder of the Puerto Rican independence group FALN (Fuerza Armadas de Liberacion Nacional, Spanish for Armed Forces of National Liberation), was among those whose sentence was commuted this week by President Barack Obama.
López Rivera was arrested in May 1981 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. His release date is May 17.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, an outspoken campaigner for Lopez-Rivera, responded to the news:
“I’m so very excited and happy for Oscar. It’s been a long road and I’ve been very invested in this case personally and emotionally, so it’s overwhelming,” she said. “This was an unjust sentencing and it’s been 35 years of having been in jail for his political convictions.”
Obama’s legacy in the Puerto Rican community is strengthened, according to the Speaker.
“When people think of what did he do for Puerto Rico, it’s going to be that he freed Oscar,” she said.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton offered Lopez-Rivera clemency, but he refused because it would have required him to renounce terrorism.