Our Time Is Now! Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre! with members of El Frente Independentista Boricua, former political prisoners Oscar Lpez Rivera, and Alicia & Lucy Rodriquez
In accordance with the Puerto Rico crisis, El Frente and affiliated organizations called for the dismantling of the corrupt government in Puerto Rico and the start of the decolonization process in the island. Chanting, our time is NOW! QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE! Hundreds marched to the United Nations to ask the United Nations to invoke United Nations Resolution 1514(XV) and initiate the self-determination decolonization process to achieve Puerto Rican Independence!
The group says they dont believe in the statehood solution to Puerto Rico. Instead, they favor cancellation of the over $70 billion dollar national debt, reparations, and total sovereignty from the United States. Puerto Rico is an archipelago in the Caribbean, has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since 1898. Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since 1917. For the activists in the march, the route to the islands decolonization is through independence. We need to cut the ties of colonialism so that the people in Puerto Rico can make decisions about their land and make decisions to change the dynamic said one protestor. For Puerto Rican nationalist and former political prisoner Oscar Lpez Rivera, who served almost 36 years in prison the rally posed an opportunity to demonstrate the support for Puerto Ricos independence within the mainland. Puerto Rico is the promised land for every Boricua born here, but who feels they belong there (in Puerto Rico), We have to be very clear that the purpose of being here today is that we begin to have solidarity between the Puerto Ricans who are here and the Puerto Ricans who are there. The support that is given to Puerto Rico here means a lot.
produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
please notify us if you plan to broadcast this program - knash@igc.org