Copy of the flyer for distribution at the June 16 & 23 UN Protests

 

On the day that Puerto Rico (PR) celebrated the abolition of slavery, March 22, 2014, we had our First Oscar – Mandela March in Puerto Rico.  It was a huge success!  Click on the link below to see TeleSur's coverage of our march, and 2 other protests that occurred on that day:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ja9pi_conmemora-pr-abolicion-de-esclavitud-exige-libertad-para-lopez-rivera_news

Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States for 116 years.  Before that, Puerto had been a colony of Spain for 405 years.  Puerto Rico has never been an independent nation. 

Despite the fact that colonialism violates the United Nations’ (UN) Universal Human Rights Resolution, and its 1960 Resolution 1514 (XV) that declared that colonialism is a crime against humanity because of its threat to world peace, the government of the United States (US) has ignored thus far 32 UN resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico.  The UN has specifically asked the US to immediately release from prison Puerto Rican political prisoner of 33 years Oscar López Rivera in the more recent ones of these resolutions.  Martin Luther King would have explained the UN’s justification this way, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  It is noteworthy to mention that these resolutions are approved by over 90% of the UN.  If the United States government is really about promoting democracy around the world, here’s an excellent example of it not practicing what it preaches!

Those of us who have had the tenacity to study the real Puerto Rican history since 1493 are convinced that 116 years of US colonialism means that the US government has no intentions of ever decolonizing Puerto Rico.  So what is a realistic way to force the US to comply with the 32 UN resolutions?

 

We need to find a way to unite all those who believe, like the UN, that colonialism is a crime against humanity to peacefully protest for the decolonization of Puerto Rico.  These protests must be permanent, so that more protesters may unite, as their level of indignation grow every year that the US government ignores yet another UN resolution to decolonize Puerto Rico. 

One thing is irrefutable.  The US government does not believe in justice for all, after 116 years of Puerto Rico colonialism! 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Click on the above link to read: The Universal Declaration of Human Right by the United Nations.

Click on the link below to see the video.

http://www.humanrightsactioncenter.org/

The government of the United States (US) has violated the human rights of Puerto Ricans as spelled out in this document for the last 116 years.  It is important to note that the United States was among the nations that founded the UN, and has been a member of the UN from its very beginning.  This declaration was approved democratically in the UN.  If the government of the US believes in democracy, why has it ignored 32 UN resolutions asking the US to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico?  The only answer that makes sense to me is that the US government doesn't believe that these human rights are applicable to Puerto Ricans.

We are asking you to please join us on 2 peaceful protests this year at the UN.  The first one will be on Monday, June 16, 2014 (after Fathers' Day) from 8 AM to 6 PM.  The second one will be on the following Monday, June 23, 2014 at the same time.  On this day, the UN will be holding its annual hearing about the decolonization of Puerto Rico.  We need to get a huge crowd at these protests, because those who have colonies don't believe in justice for all! 

NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade will stress culture and history

 

http://www.myfoxny.com/clip/10170237/puerto-rican-parade

Press on the link above to see a recent press conference about this Sunday's New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 8, 2014.

The parade organizers said that the parade will go back to its roots, and emphasize Puerto Rican culture and history.  This is very important as Puerto Rican will not be able to agree on our future as a People until we know and understand our true history since 1493. 

The organizers of the Puerto Rican Day Parade have made a courageous decision to honor this year our Puerto Rican political Prisoner of 33 years Oscar López Rivera.  Oscar has already spent 6 more years in prison than the 27 years that Nelson Mandela spent behind bars for doing the same thing.

This is why, we will have the First Oscar - Mandela Protests in New York City at the United Nations (UN) this year.  The first peaceful protest will be on Monday, June 16, 2014 (day after Fathers' Day) from 8 AM to 6 PM.  The second one will be on June 23, 2014, on the very day the UN holds its annual hearing to discuss the decolonization of Puerto Rico. 

Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States (US) for 116 years.  The UN considers colonialism a crime against humanity, because of its threat to world peace.  Martin Luther King said it best: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."  The UN has already issued 32 resolutions asking the US to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico.  The US government has ignored them all!

We ask that you join us at these 2 protests, because those who practice colonialism don't believe in justice for all!

René Pérez, from Calle 13 will be the King of the Parade.  He is an outspoken advocate for the decolonization of Puerto Rico.

Why call them Oscar - Mandela Protests

http://postcolonialist.com/civil-discourse/oscar-lopez-rivera-nelson-mandela-and-u-s-colonialism-english/

Click on the above link to read an article about our Puerto Rico political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, and the similarities between him and Nelson Mandela.  This is why, we have decided to call this year's protests at the United Nations the First Oscar - Mandela Protests in New York City.

The first one will be on Monday, June 16, 2014 (the day after Fathers' Day) from 8 AM to 6 PM across the avenue from the United Nations.  The second one will be on the following Monday, June 23, 2014, on the actual day that the United Nations holds its annual hearing to discuss the decolonization of Puerto Rico.  We will have a press conference the week before to give the public the latest details concerning them.

The United Nations (UN) considers colonialism to be a crime against humanity.  The UN has therefore issued 32 resolutions asking the United States to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico, and in its more recent resolutions, has asked the US specifically to release Oscar López Rivera from prison.  Oscar has thus far spent 33 years in prison.  That is 6 more years than the 27 years that Nelson Mandela spent behind bars.  What has US government done?

The government of the United States (US) has ignored these resolutions, and that's why we must continue to protest until justice in done.  We ask you to join us in these 2 protests because, those who practice colonialism don't believe in justice for all!

Crash Course on Decolonization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_sGTspaF4Y&feature=player_embedded

Click on the above link to see a short video about decolonization.

There are still 17 countries left in the world to decolonize.  Puerto Rico, that is not on the United Nations' (UN) list of colonies, is one of them.  Puerto Rico has the largest population among them (about 3.7 million).  The United States government managed in 1953 to deceptively persuade the UN to remove Puerto Rico from its list of colonies.

On Monday, June 23, 2014, the UN will hold once again its annual hearing to discuss the decolonization of Puerto Rico.  We will have 2 peaceful protests this year at the UN to call attention to Puerto Rico's colonial relationship with the United States, and to show the world that we too believe that colonialism is a crime against humanity.  We are calling them the First Oscar - Mandela Protests in New York City, because we plan to do them every year until we achieve Puerto Rico decolonization.

The government of United States has so far ignored 32 UN resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico.  This is why we are asking you to please join us on Monday, June 16 and 23 at the UN for these 2 peaceful protests, because those who have practiced Puerto Rican colonialism for 116 years don't believe in justice for all!

Fernando Ponce Laspina is my hero

http://elmaestroinc.org/

Press on the link above to learn about a man who does miracles in The Bronx in New York City.  He is such an inspiration to me, and so worthy of spreading the word of what we are capable of doing when we have a clear understanding of our history and our priorities are in the correct order.

I plan to visit El Maestro Cultural Center during my next visit to New York City to thank him for the huge positive impact he has made and continue to make on the Puerto Rican community in The Bronx.

Jóvenes por la excarcelación de Oscar Lopez Rivera

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11k9e8_jovenes-en-caminata-por-la-libertad-de-oscar-lopez-rivera_news

Oprima el enlace arriba para ver un video sobre la caminata que realizaron unos jóvenes por la excarcelación de nuestro preso político puertorriqueño Oscar López Rivera que, desde ayer, ha cumplido 33 años en la cárcel.

Es interesante que estos jóvenes deciden caminar por las áreas más marginadas de Puerto Rico para resaltar el trabajo que hizo por muchos años Oscar en la ciudad de Chicago.  

Únete a las Primera Protestas Oscar – Mandela en la Cuidad de Nueva York el 16 y 23 de junio en la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU).  Otra vez, la ONU discutirá la relación colonial de tiene Puerto Rico con Estados Unidos (EEUU) por 116 años.  La razón por la cual EEUU no quiere excarcelar a Oscar es porque todavía quiere mantener a Puerto Rico como colonia.  El gobierno de EEUU utiliza el terrorismo entre otras cosas para ignorar las 32 resoluciones de la ONU pidiéndole la descolonización inmediata de Puerto Rico.  ¡Las protestas son necesarias porque, los que practican el colonialismo, no creen en la justicia para todos!