I recently finished reading the
book“Between Torture and Resistance“, by Oscar Lopez Rivera. It
is a book made up of many of Mr. Lopez Rivera's letters and it is a
really great book. It is edited by Luis Nieves Falcon, and has a great
forward by, Archbishop Desmond Tutu – who is also pushing for
Oscar's immediate release. I believe Oscar Lopez Rivera probably
would have released a book a lot sooner, but in the mid 1980's, five
years worth of his writings were taken from him and they were never
recovered.
Oscar Lopez Rivera was born on January
6th 1943 in San Sebastian Puerto Rico. He is 71 years old
today, and has been imprisoned for the last 32 years.
He is currently being held at Terre Haute Federal
Prison in Indiana U.S.A on a Seditious Conspiracy charge – meaning
that there is no proof he did anything he is accussed of. This is the same reason Nelson
Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years in South Africa.
Mr. Lopez Rivera came to the United
States when he was fourteen years old. Upon becoming an adult he did
a lot of good work for his community that really bettered the lives
of his people. He was involved in projects like helping start the
Spanish Coalition for Housing. He also involved in starting the first
Latino Cultural Center in the state of Illinois. Helping launch the
LARES (Latin American Recruitment Education Services) Program, and he
even helped establish a school (Dr. Pedro Albizo Campos High School).
I have talked to many people about
Oscar, and the general overview seems to be that people agree he his
a Political Prisoner, and that he has been incarcerated for too long
and he should be released.
While in prison Mr. Rivera has been a
model prisoner, and has earned 104 College and University credits. I am one of
the many who personally believe this man is innocent of all charges,
and I believe that if he was freed he could help society in many ways
like he did before and he would continue to be a model citizen and a
wonderful human being.
If you can take the time please write
to President Barack Obama, and ask him to release Mr. Lopez Rivera, and let him
rejoin his family immediately. Here is the address:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
If you would like to write to Mr. Lopez
Rivera here is his address:
Oscar Lopez Rivera
#87651-024
FCI Terre Haute
PO Box 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808
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