Puerto Rican Revolutionary
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos

Text courtesy of New York Latino Journal

A fallen man, a rising nation: the death of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos and the life of the Puerto Rican struggle the campaign to educate our community and beyond. The Puerto Rican and Latino community cannot rely on much of the media especially the English language media to communicate all of the dimensions of the killing of Machetero Filiberto Ojeda Ríos. So we will rely on ourselves. We must play an active part in informing and raising awareness in order to better inform and prepare our younger generation.

What Happened

On Friday, September 23rd, 2005, Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a Puerto Rican independence leader, and leader of the militant group known as Los Macheteros, was hunted down by U.S. Federal Agents in the western town of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, and killed. The Federal Bureau of Investigation claims they came to “arrest” him, while Federal investigators also estimate more than 100 shots were fired by the agents. Of those 100 or more shots, one hit the Macheteros leader, puncturing his lung. The Federal agents came and arrested his life partner, Elma Beatriz Rosado Barbosa, and left Filiberto to bleed to death, as agents remained outside, awaiting orders.

Filiberto Ojeda Ríos was wanted by the F.B.I. for allegedly being involved in the Wells Fargo 1983 robbery in Hartford, Connecticut, where 7.2 million dollars were stolen, and allegedly used to fund the independence movement and buy toys, books, and medicine for poor children in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

As of yet, no official word from the Federal Government has been made regarding the date they chose to hunt down and kill Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, September 23, otherwise known as El Grito de Lares, (the Cry of Lares) the most celebrated day in Puerto Rico’s independence and nationalist movement.

Why this is Important

El Grito de Lares, (the Cry of Lares), was the Puerto Rican revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico which occurred on September 23, 1868, in the town of Lares, Puerto Rico. This uprising was lead by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (considered the “father” of Puerto Rico) and Segundo Ruíz Belvis, who on January 6, 1868 founded the Comité Revolucionario de Puerto Rico (Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico) from their exile in the Dominican Republic. The revolt was defeated by the Spaniards, but has lived on as the first significant struggle toward a free Puerto Rican Republic.

There are serious questions as to how the FBI handled this reports of how they fired over 100 shots into his home, how they let Filiberto bleed to death, how this was deliberately staged on El Grito de Lares...questions about why local police in Puerto Rico were not informed and how the orders to hunt down and kill Filiberto came straight from Washington D.C. The Governor of Puerto Rico, along with the insular Senate and House of Representatives, as well as U.S. Members of Congress José Serrano, Nydia Velásquez and Luis Gutiérrez have all called for an in depth investigation on the matter. (Congressman Serrano sits on the House Appropriations Committee as a member of the Subcommittee on Justice)

The U.S. Government has a documented history of persecuting, disrupting and hunting down members of the Puerto Rican independence movement. A systematic effort was initiated to create fear in people who believe that Puerto Rico has a right to be its own country. This U.S. Government initiative to suppress the independence movement and intervene in Puerto Rico’s media and insular government has been disclosed and admitted to through the Freedom of Information Act and the efforts of U.S. Congressman Jose Serrano in retrieving thousands of previously classified files from the F.B.I. and making them public through the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College and the University of Puerto Rico.

Isn’t Puerto Rico free already? The United States federal government controls interstate trade, foreign commerce (trade with other nations), customs, aviation and navigation, immigration, currency and banking (Puerto Rico is limited in its power to establish a monetary and banking policy in tune with its economic development. Puerto Rico cannot regulate the monetary supply in accordance with its specific economic condition), all military and naval matters (thousands of Puerto Ricans have died in the U.S. Military but they are not allowed to vote for their Commander in Chief the U.S. President), radio, television, and Internet communications, mining and minerals (including oil refineries), highways, the postal system, social security, and other areas generally controlled by the federal government in the United States. United States courts have the final say over the constitutionality of Puerto Rican laws. Puerto Rico may not conclude treaties with other sovereign states, although it does belong to some international bodies, but as an observer only.

Tributes to and Reports and Articles about Filiberto Ojeda Ríos' Assassination

Filiberto: A Puerto Rican Life (September 23rd)

Seis años sin Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (Primera Hora, 23 de Septiembre 2011)

Ojeda's Assassination Case Might Be Reopened in P.R. (Prensa Latina, January 26, 2009)

Policía Hormigueros refuta al FBI en caso Ojeda (El Diario/La Prensa, 8 de noviembre de 2006)

Informe revela contradicciones (Primera Hora, 8 de noviembre de 2006)

Identifican agentes mataron a Filiberto (El Diario/La Prensa, 20 de octubre de 2006)

Marchan por independencia de Puerto Rico (El Diario/La Prensa, 24 de septiembre de 2006)

Thousands of Puerto Rican independence supporters mark anniversary of leader's slaying (Associated Press, Sept. 23, 2006)

Protestan al cumplirse el primer año de la muerte Ojeda Ríos (Univision, 23 de septiembre de 2006)

Marcha al cumplirse un año de muerte Filiberto Ojeda (El Diario/La Prensa, 23 de septiembre de 2006)

Comunidad defenderá mural de Filiberto (El Diario/La Prensa, 23 de septiembre de 2006)

Filiberto Ojeda Rios: a Puerto Rican Life (Open Democracy, September 22, 2006)

Informe de OIG "confirma" objetivo del FBI era matar (Primera Hora, 25 de agosto de 2006)

Review of the September 2005 Shooting Incident Involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (U.S. Dept. of Justice, August 2006 - PDF Courtesy of NYLJ)

Ojeda Death: FBI Cleared (Hartford Courant, August 10, 2006)

FBI Cleared in Deadly Puerto Rico Raid (Associated Press, August 9, 2006)

In Filiberto’s Wake, a Free Puerto Rico? (Guerilla News Network, May 4, 2006)

Puerto Rican Militants Blame Officers for Leader's Slaying (Associated Press, April 7 2006)

Puerto Rico Sues U.S. Over Killing of Militant (Reuters, March 24, 2006)

Filiberto Ojeda Rios & Puerto Rican Sovereignty (Louis Reyes Rivera, January 10, 2006)

Querido FBI (Calle 13, 2005)

Ojeda Rios Probe Blocked From Access To FBI Agents (Associated Press, December 8 2005)

Revolutionary to the End (Hartford Courant, November 20, 2005)

Well Attended and Inspiring Tribute to Commander Filiberto Ojeda Rios (R. Cruz, November 20, 2005)

Marchers protest death of Puerto Rican nationalist leader (The Associates Press, November 19, 2005)

Filadelfia urge investigación (El Nuevo Día, 21 de octubre de 2005)

Unanimous Resolution on the Killing of Filiberto Ojeda Rios (Philadelphia City Council, October 20, 2005)

Memorias de un ex agente y el caso Ojeda Ríos (El Diario/La Prensa, 16 de octubre de 1005)

Widow of Fugitive Won't Speak to Investigators Without Immunity (The Associates Press, October 11, 2005)

The Killing of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (The Nation, October 7, 2005)

Cuba pays homage to fugitive P.R. independence activist recently killed in FBI shootout (A.P., October 6, 2005)

Slain P.R. Rebel Didn't Have to Die (NY Daily News, October 6, 2005)

Ojeda Rios death raises status issue (The Hill, October 5, 2005)

Puerto Rico orders FBI to turn over evidence in fatal shooting (Associated Press, October 5, 2005)

U.S. to probe FBI's role in militant's death (Associated Press, October 4, 2005)

Puerto Rican dissident's death underscores inequities (The Morning Call, October 3, 2005)

Requiem For A Patriot (Hartford Courant, October 1 2005)

Congressman Charles B. Rangel Demands Federal Probes Into Killing of P.R. Activist by FBI Agents (Sept. 30, 2005)

FBI Assassinates Puerto Rican Nationalist Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios (Democracy Now, September 30, 2005)

Gunfight in Puerto Rico Resurrects an FBI Case (Washington Post, September 29, 2005)

Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (The Economist, September 29, 2005)

Crece la tensión con EE.UU. (El Diario/La Prensa, September 29, 2005)

La muerte de un independentista (El Diario/La Prensa, September 29, 2005)

Sen. Clinton Cancels Visit to Puerto Rico (The Associated Press, September 29, 2005)

23 de septiembre de 2005 (Red Betances, 28 de septiembre de 2005)

Killing of Militant Raises Ire in Puerto Rico (The New York Times, September 28, 2005)

FBI chief seeks review of fatal shooting (The Republican, September 28, 2005)

Se quería entregar a periodista (El Diario/La Prensa, 27 de septiembre, 2005)

Death of Puerto Rican nationalist has Hispanic community talking (Associated Press, September 27, 2005)

Thousands Mourn Man Killed in FBI Shootout (Associated Press, September 27, 2005)

FBI Chief Orders Suspect's Slaying Probed (The Day, September 27, 2005)

Ojeda Rios' Autopsy Fuels Criticism of FBI (The Associated Press, September 26 2005)

The death of Filiberto Ojeda Rios (El Diario/La Prensa, September 26, 2005)

Puerto Rican Nationalist Killed (Reuters, September 26, 2005)

FBI Assassinates Puerto Rican Nationalist Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios (Democracy Now, September 26, 2005)

Reaccionan en NY a muerte de Ojeda Ríos (El Diario/La Prensa, 25 de septiembre, 2005)

Serrano, Velázquez, Gutierrez to Seek Answers in Ojeda Rios Killing (Press Release, September 25, 2005)

Puerto Rican Nationalist Dies in Shootout (The Associated Press, September 25, 2005)

FBI surrounds home of fugitive Puerto Rican nationalist (Associated Press, September 24, 2005)

The Boricua-Macheteros Popular Army: An Introduction (Filiberto Ojeda Rios, Latin American Perspectives, 2002)

OTHER RESOURCES

Latin American Studies