Please join us at 4:00 pm to create awareness among our communities here and help build a movement for the release of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera.

33 Mujeres NYC x Oscar is a group of women from New York City committed to securing Oscar López Rivera's freedom. We hold monthly rallies for 33 minutes on the last Sunday of every month from 4:00 - 4:33pm to signify the 33 years that Oscar has been imprisoned in federal penitentiaries, and will continue to hold monthly rallies until he is released. Our rallies coincide with actions occurring at the same date and time in San Juan, Puerto Rico that were initiated by 32 women in 2013 to mark Oscar's 32nd year of imprisonment. 

EVERY LAST SUNDAY AT 4:00 PM

Sunday, March 29th

4:00 pm to 4:33 pm

in front of the Julia de Burgos Mosaic

East 106th Street & Lexington Avenue

Directions: # 6 train to 103rd Street or FDR to 106th Street

WASHINGTON.- En su momento más enérgico de la audiencia de ayer ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), el secretario de Justicia de Puerto Rico,  Cesar Miranda, mantuvo que no se puede hablar de derechos humanos y civiles sin demandar la excarcelación del prisionero político  Oscar López Rivera.

A su lado estaba aún el consejero político de la misión de Estados Unidos ante la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA),  Anthony Pahigian, quien durante toda la hora que duró la sesión se limitó a presentar inicialmente al secretario de Estado de Puerto Rico,  David Bernier.

En el salón había representantes de los departamentos de Estado y de Justicia federal, así como el director ejecutivo del Grupo de Trabajo de la Casa Blanca sobre Puerto Rico,  James Albino.

"Flanqueado por los representantes del Departamento de Estado y del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos, y frente a ustedes, representantes de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, tengo que decir: que para hablar de libertades individuales sin sonrojarnos todos, a coro tenemos que exigir la liberación de Oscar López Rivera. Este hombre lleva 34 años encarcelado por hechos no vinculados a actos de violencia. Reitero el pedido que ha hecho el gobernador, el liderato político, y el pueblo de Puerto Rico: libertad para Oscar López Rivera ahora", indicó el secretario Miranda. quien luego tendría reuniones en Justicia federal.

By Hans Vogel

Years ago at a state dinner, I was sitting next to a member of the visiting Venezuelan government delegation. Knowing that Venezuela's oil revenues from the 1940s to the 1960s exceeded 13 billion US dollars, more than the total amount of "Marshall Aid" allotted to Europe (1948-52), I turned to my neighbor wondering what had happened to all that money. After all, Venezuela's population in 1950 was only 5 million and had reached 10 million in 1970, while Europe had hundreds of millions of inhabitants.

"You had a lot of money to spend among just a few people," I remarked, "yet Venezuela is clearly not better off than Europe. How come? Where did all that money go?"

"Well, I don't have it," my neighbor answered with a big smile.

Perhaps he did not, but many of his friends obviously did. Indeed, most of the oil revenues were taken by the small Venezuelan ruling class, made up of a few traditional families and a number of political hangers on. Such as President Marcos Pérez Jiménez who in 1958 was chased out of the country by a massive popular uprising. As he was dashing to the plane taking him to exile in Miami, it is said that dollar bills were falling out of his overstuffed briefcases. With leaders like that, it hardly comes as a surprise that most Venezuelans remained poor and continued to be deprived of the amenities of modern life, although in the meantime a precarious middle class had developed.

El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, propuso este jueves crear un movimiento de opinión y solidaridad con el luchador Oscar López Rivera, quien está preso en Estados Unidos desde hace más de tres décadas por su lucha a favor de la independencia de Puerto Rico.

Maduro planteó un movimiento como el de los 5 antiterroristas cubanos, para en un futuro poder verlo en libertad.

Asimismo, el mandatario aprobó recursos para 1 millón de bibliotecas antiimperialistas "Oscar López Rivera".

"He ordenado la impresión de un millón de bibliotecas para nuestros niños, con diferentes libros. Oscar López Rivera será su nombre".

El proyecto tiene como objetivo que la población consulte obras sobre la lucha de los pueblos ante los ataques del imperio norteamericano.

ANCHOR is an exhibition centered on the work of Hiram Maristany whose photographs documented East Harlem throughout the 1960's-1970's. He was an original member and official photographer of the Young Lords Party in New York. This unique exhibition features some never before seen photographs and also includes new projects from artists Nicole Cohen, Selena Kimball, Miguel Luciano, Steven Perez, Saul Williams, and Caroline Woolard, each inspired by Hiram's photography.

ANCHOR runs through June 13th at Hunter East Harlem Gallery, 

2180 Third Ave (at 119th) NY, NY 10035.

For information on the exhibition and the schedule for artists' projects and events, visit this  link.

 Speaker of the New York City Council Melissa Mark Viverito's words were the icing on the cake: she urged everyone there, all union leaders and activists to join the many voices which have united for the humanitarian freedom campaign of Oscar Lopez Rivera. Her words resonated with the many palm cards that were distributed on the tables. In the audience sat José E. López Rivera, humbled by the show of solidarity for his brother Oscar. So many legislators commented and expressed their desire to become involved.

What followed this wonderful beginning of the day, the panel discussion on Caribbean Antilles and their respective diasporas.  The conference room welcomed its audience with Oscar López presence on both sides of the wall. The various speakers were introduced by political trailblazer José Rivera, a State Assemblyman representing the Bronx, NY.  We heard a common theme of the experience of the Caribbean diaspora from panelist Guillermo Linares, the Dominican representative of Washington Heights, Manhattan, José E. López Rivera, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, Ill. and brother of political prisoner Oscar López Rivera. 

Although no Cuban representative was present, in the analysis of Cuba was interjected in the discussion of the unification of the diasporas of the Caribbean Antilles.  A common discourse came from all the panelist: What unite us all is that we are all from the same racial mixture, have similar history of struggle against colonialism and forced migration. José E. López said "Our flags are similar in shape and colors, our histories have intercepted at different points as well as our solidarity".  The urgency a continuation of a dialogue as well a call for unity for the release of Oscar López Rivera, Puerto Rico's longest held political prisoner was also a key point.  Jose urged everyone to mobilize their respective communities on May 30th  in NYC to Free Oscar.

     Demanding Oscar's immediate release.