Oscar Collazo
Posted on | November 14, 2009 | No Comments
Oscar Collazo was a leader in the Puerto Rican independence movement. He was the President of the Nationalist Party of New York.
In October 1950, a Puerto Rican independence attempt, called the Jayuya Uprising was quelled and Puerto Rico remained a possession of the United States. Shortly thereafter, Collazo and another man attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. Collazo was arrested, tried, found guilty, sentenced to death and incarecerated.
Oddly, Truman was not against Puerto Rican independence. When confronted on why Truman would be the target of of the Nationalist movement, Collazo said that it was a signal to the world of Puerto Rico’s fight for independence.
Truman commuted the death sentence to life. Collazo was eligible for parole in 1966, but never acknowledged the conviction and thereby never applied for parole. In 1979, Carter commuted the sentence.
Puerto Rican Independence
Tags: harry s truman > independence movement > nationalist movement > oscar collazo > puerto rican independence > puerto rico
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