Oscar López Rivera

Oscar López Rivera (born January 6, 1943) is a Puerto Rican nationalist. He was one of the leaders of the FALN.

Imprisonment
In 1981, López Rivera was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for conspiracy, use of force to commit robbery, interstate transportation of firearms, and conspiracy to transport explosives with intent to destroy government property.United States Justice Department, 2011 parole hearing report for Oscar López Rivera.UPI article from August 11, 1981, title: Sentence FALN terrorist to 55 years in jail. 

In 1988, he was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for conspiring to escape from the Leavenworth federal prison.

López Rivera was among the 14 convicted FALN members offered conditional clemency by U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1999, but rejected the offer.

The imprisonment of López Rivera was opposed or supported by individuals and groups representing political, religious, and other constituencies. Some called him a terrorist, but others said he was a political prisoner. Several U.S. Congressmen supported Oscar López Rivera's release from prison such as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Commutation
On January 17, 2017, President Barack Obama lowered López Rivera's sentence and was released from prison on May 17, 2017. At the time, he was the longest-incarcerated member of the FALN.

References

Other websites
 Book Review: Puerto Rican Independentista Oscar López Rivera’s 32 Years of Resistance to Torture. Written by Hans Bennett.
  - Contains the partial, list of prominent figures who were "jailed" for López Rivera.

Category:1943 births
Category:Living people
Category:Puerto Rican activists
Category:Terrorists
Category:Activists from Chicago