“31 DAYS FOR 31 YEARS”
A Multimedia and Interactive Exhibit
for the Release of Oscar López Rivera
The National Boricua Human Rights Network (NBHRN), Batey Urbano and Latin@ Coalition are about to commence “31 Days for 31 Years” in which 31 activists and community residents will spend 24 hours each in a makeshift storefront cell with guard, for a total of 31 days. The exhibit, starting April 29th, also features an exhibition of Oscar’s artwork (he is a prolific painter) as well as literature and posters from the campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoners for the past 30 years and a wall of Oscar’s letters to his supporters as well as a station where people may write to Oscar, in the Batey Urbano, located at 2620 West Division St. Chicago, IL 60622. Batey Urbano is in the heart of “Paseo Boricua” in Chicago’s Humboldt Park Neighborhood.
The purpose of this is to call attention to the continued unjust incarceration of Oscar López Rivera. The ambitious joint effort of the Latin@ Coalition, Batey Urbano and NBHRN will culminate in a major event commemorating his arrest and 31 years of imprisonment on Tuesday, May 29.
Oscar, a decorated Vietnam veteran, has been imprisoned since his arrest on May 29, 1981. Subsequently, he was charged and convicted for seditious conspiracy and minor arms charges and sentenced to 55 years. The other Puerto Rican political prisoners of his generation, arrested in 1980 and 1983 and also convicted of seditious conspiracy, were released in 1999 by President Clinton, due to mass international and domestic pressure. Oscar rejected the offer at that time because 2 others, Carlos Alberto Torres and Haydee Beltrán, were not included. Both of them have since been freed on parole.
Activist and community members and other supporters will gather this Saturday April 28, 2012 at 7:30 am in front of Batey Urbano as the first “prisoner”, activist and co-coordinator of the Network, Alejandro Luis Molina enters the cell beginning the 31 day event. We will again gather at Batey Urbano for a press conference on May 29, 2012 at 5:30 pm.
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Download the custom poster here.
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For more information or to schedule an interview with a representative from one of the sponsoring organizations please contact Laura Ruth Johnson (773) 505-2490 or
[email protected]