Carmen Valentin
Encyclopedia
Carmen Hilda Valentín Pérez is a Puerto Rican
nationalist
who received a sentence of 90 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison. However, she was released early from prison, after President Bill Clinton
extended a clemency offer to her on September 7, 1999.
in Spanish from Northeastern Illinois University
, a Masters of Arts
in Counseling from Roosevelt University
, and at the time of her arrest was completing her Doctorate from Loyala University in Chicago. Valentín Pérez became active in the community as a young teacher at Tuley High School/Roberto Clemente High School, where she struggled against racism and an educational curriculum based on ignorance of the Puerto Rican reality. She took her role as educator seriously and came into conflict with the Board of Education over her curriculum. Her educational presentations became controversial, and she was forced to resign.
Valentín Pérez then began to work at the Central YMCA Community College. She sponsored both the Iranian Student Association and the Organization of Arab Students during an intense period of conflict and controversy which led to many physical confrontations with the local police as well as with the Shah
's secret police. In the community she worked to defeat the Chicago 21 Plan
. She was a founding member and president of the José de Diego Bilingual Center and was on the board of directors of Aspira
of Illinois. Valentín Pérez was also a founding member of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Puerto Rican Cultural Center and the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Ms. Valentín Pérez helped develop various educational and cultural programs for immates at the maximum security prison for men at Stateville, Illinois.
By day, she works as a teacher at the Colegio Universitario de San Juan, where she has worked for the past 9 years. She started at this educational institution one year after leaving prison. At this center, she teaches English to students deficient in this area. She explains that the majority of the students at this college come to the institution with great academic gaps, especially in the areas of English, math, science and Spanish. “We try to help them so that they can graduate from the university. They come mostly from the public schools of Puerto Rico, which unfortunately I don’t think are the best. I really like my work as an educator, and would like to work here forever.”
Her decision to come to Puerto Rico after her release was above all about family and love for her homeland. “I felt like I had work to do here, caring for my mother and granddaughter. Additionally, I always wanted to come back to live here. I never wanted to live in the United States, which I never liked anything about— not the climate, not the food, not the atmosphere. The only reason I stayed there was my involvement with the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico.”
Valentín Pérez's only son Antonio and the rest of her grandchildren live in Chicago, where she frequently goes to visit them.
Valentín Pérez feels hopeful about the self-determination of the Puerto Rican people and our political future. She says that lately the patriotic fervor that people have felt fills her with hope. “There will never be statehood here. Now I feel it, I see it, and I’m living it. This coming year, the situation will be good because there are so many disastrous policies, like firing thousands of people and the sinister plans this administration has for the Ecological Corridor. They’re trying to destabilize and destroy everything, and Puerto Rico will rise up,” said Valentin.
Valentín Pérez and 11 others were arrested on April 4, 1980, in Evanston, Illinois
. They had been linked to more than 100 bombings or attempted bombings since 1974 in their attempt to achieve independence for Puerto Rico. At their trial proceedings, all of the arrested declared their status as prisoners of war
, and refused to participate in the proceedings.
None of the bombings of which they were convicted resulted in deaths or injuries. Valentin was given a 90-year federal sentence for seditious conspiracy and other charges. Among the other convicted Puerto Rican nationalists there were sentences of as long as 90 years in Federal prisons for offenses including sedition, possession of unregistered firearms, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, interference with interstate commerce by violence and interstate transportation of firearms with intent to commit a crime. None of those granted clemency were convicted in any of the actual bombings. Rather, they had been convicted on a variety of charges ranging from bomb making and conspiracy to armed robbery and firearms violations. They were all convicted for sedition, the act of attempting to overthrow the Government of the United States in Puerto Rico by force.
and the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Administration of Justice both criticized the conditions.{ The conditions were found to be in violation of the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. A federal judge also addressed his concerns in the case of Baraldine vs. Meese.
For many years, numerous national and international organizations criticized Carmen Valentin's incarceration categorizing it as political imprisonment.
Carmen Valentín Pérez was finally released from prison on September 10, 1999, after President Bill Clinton
extended her clemency. Clinton cited Rev. Desmond Tutu
and former President Jimmy Carter
as having been influential on his decision to grant Valentin the clemency offer. Cases involving the release of other Puerto Rican Nationalist prisoners have also been categorized as cases of political prisoner
s, with some being more vocal than others.
In criticizing President Clinton's decision to release the Puerto Rican prisoners, the conservative U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
also categorized Valenin as a "Puerto Rican Nationalist", echoing a recent Newsweek article. In 2006, the United Nations called for the release of the remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners in United States prisons.
Valentín Pérez is currently involved in the movement to free Oscar Lopez, who has been jail for 30 years. Carmen Valentín Pérez continues her work as teacher with students at the San Juan University.
In addition, Juan Enrique Segarra-Palmer
, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison on October 4, 1985, was to become eligible for release in September, 2004.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
nationalist
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded on September 17, 1922. Its main objective is to work for Puerto Rican Independence.In 1919, José Coll y Cuchí, a member of the Union Party of Puerto Rico, felt that the Union Party was not doing enough for the cause of Puerto Rican independence and he...
who received a sentence of 90 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison. However, she was released early from prison, after President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
extended a clemency offer to her on September 7, 1999.
Early years and personal life
Carmen Valentín Pérez was born in Camuy, Puerto Rico on March 2, 1946 and emigrated with her family to the U.S. when she was 10 years old. Valentín Pérez graduated from Providence/St.Mel High School in 1965. She received a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Spanish from Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University is a public state university located in Chicago, Illinois. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park with three additional campuses in the metropolitan area. Tracing its founding to 1867, it was first established as a separate branch of a...
, a Masters of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Counseling from Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
, and at the time of her arrest was completing her Doctorate from Loyala University in Chicago. Valentín Pérez became active in the community as a young teacher at Tuley High School/Roberto Clemente High School, where she struggled against racism and an educational curriculum based on ignorance of the Puerto Rican reality. She took her role as educator seriously and came into conflict with the Board of Education over her curriculum. Her educational presentations became controversial, and she was forced to resign.
Valentín Pérez then began to work at the Central YMCA Community College. She sponsored both the Iranian Student Association and the Organization of Arab Students during an intense period of conflict and controversy which led to many physical confrontations with the local police as well as with the Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
's secret police. In the community she worked to defeat the Chicago 21 Plan
Chicago 21 Plan
The Chicago 21 Plan was a comprehensive development plan released in 1973 intended to revitalize the areas surrounding the Chicago Loop, Chicago's central business district...
. She was a founding member and president of the José de Diego Bilingual Center and was on the board of directors of Aspira
Aspira
Aspira is a 400 ft tall skyscraper in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It has 37 floors, and mostly consists of apartments. Construction ended in late 2009....
of Illinois. Valentín Pérez was also a founding member of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Puerto Rican Cultural Center and the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Ms. Valentín Pérez helped develop various educational and cultural programs for immates at the maximum security prison for men at Stateville, Illinois.
By day, she works as a teacher at the Colegio Universitario de San Juan, where she has worked for the past 9 years. She started at this educational institution one year after leaving prison. At this center, she teaches English to students deficient in this area. She explains that the majority of the students at this college come to the institution with great academic gaps, especially in the areas of English, math, science and Spanish. “We try to help them so that they can graduate from the university. They come mostly from the public schools of Puerto Rico, which unfortunately I don’t think are the best. I really like my work as an educator, and would like to work here forever.”
Her decision to come to Puerto Rico after her release was above all about family and love for her homeland. “I felt like I had work to do here, caring for my mother and granddaughter. Additionally, I always wanted to come back to live here. I never wanted to live in the United States, which I never liked anything about— not the climate, not the food, not the atmosphere. The only reason I stayed there was my involvement with the struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico.”
Valentín Pérez's only son Antonio and the rest of her grandchildren live in Chicago, where she frequently goes to visit them.
Valentín Pérez feels hopeful about the self-determination of the Puerto Rican people and our political future. She says that lately the patriotic fervor that people have felt fills her with hope. “There will never be statehood here. Now I feel it, I see it, and I’m living it. This coming year, the situation will be good because there are so many disastrous policies, like firing thousands of people and the sinister plans this administration has for the Ecological Corridor. They’re trying to destabilize and destroy everything, and Puerto Rico will rise up,” said Valentin.
Seditious conspiracy
In 1980 Valentin was arrested, charged with seditious conspiracy and related charges, and sentenced to 90 years. Her release date was scheduled for 2043.Valentín Pérez and 11 others were arrested on April 4, 1980, in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. They had been linked to more than 100 bombings or attempted bombings since 1974 in their attempt to achieve independence for Puerto Rico. At their trial proceedings, all of the arrested declared their status as prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, and refused to participate in the proceedings.
None of the bombings of which they were convicted resulted in deaths or injuries. Valentin was given a 90-year federal sentence for seditious conspiracy and other charges. Among the other convicted Puerto Rican nationalists there were sentences of as long as 90 years in Federal prisons for offenses including sedition, possession of unregistered firearms, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, interference with interstate commerce by violence and interstate transportation of firearms with intent to commit a crime. None of those granted clemency were convicted in any of the actual bombings. Rather, they had been convicted on a variety of charges ranging from bomb making and conspiracy to armed robbery and firearms violations. They were all convicted for sedition, the act of attempting to overthrow the Government of the United States in Puerto Rico by force.
Human rights violations
There were reports of human rights violations against the FALN prisoners. Some were sexually assaulted by prison personnel, some were denied adequate medical attention, and others were kept in isolated underground prison cells for no reason. Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Administration of Justice both criticized the conditions.{ The conditions were found to be in violation of the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. A federal judge also addressed his concerns in the case of Baraldine vs. Meese.
Political prisoner
The sentences received by Valentín Pérez and the other Nationalists were judged to be "out of proportion to the nationalists' offenses." Statistics showed their sentences were almost 20 times greater than sentences for similar offenses by the American population at large.For many years, numerous national and international organizations criticized Carmen Valentin's incarceration categorizing it as political imprisonment.
Carmen Valentín Pérez was finally released from prison on September 10, 1999, after President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
extended her clemency. Clinton cited Rev. Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
and former President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
as having been influential on his decision to grant Valentin the clemency offer. Cases involving the release of other Puerto Rican Nationalist prisoners have also been categorized as cases of political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s, with some being more vocal than others.
In criticizing President Clinton's decision to release the Puerto Rican prisoners, the conservative U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
Republican Policy Committee Chairman of the United States Senate
Since 1947, the Republican members of the United States Senate have elected a policy committee chairman, who is the fourth-ranking Republican, behind the Republican Leader, Republican Whip, and Republican Conference Chairman....
also categorized Valenin as a "Puerto Rican Nationalist", echoing a recent Newsweek article. In 2006, the United Nations called for the release of the remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners in United States prisons.
Valentín Pérez is currently involved in the movement to free Oscar Lopez, who has been jail for 30 years. Carmen Valentín Pérez continues her work as teacher with students at the San Juan University.
The 10 convicted prisoners
The ten convicted on February 18, 1981, but then released under Clinton's clemency order were:- Elizam EscobarElizam EscobarElizam Escobar is a Puerto Ricanpoet, author and visual artist.-Early years:Escobar was born in Puerto Rico's second largest city, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on the southern part of the island. There he received his primary and secondary education. As a child, he always enjoyed drawing and painting...
, sentenced to 60 years in prison. - Ricardo JimenezRicardo JimenezRicardo Jiménez is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 90 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. He was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 90 years in prison. - Adolfo MatosAdolfo MatosAdolfo Matos is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 70 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. He was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 70 years in prison. - Dylcia Noemi PaganDylcia Noemi PaganDylcia Noemi Pagan is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 55 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 55 years in prison. - Alicia RodriguezAlicia RodriguezAlicia Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 55 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 55 years in prison. - Ida Luz RodriguezIda Luz RodriguezIda Luz Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 75 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 75 years in prison. - Luis RosaLuis RosaLuis Rosa is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 75 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. He was sentenced on February 18, 1981, and incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison...
, sentenced to 75 years in prison. - Carmen Valentín Pérez, sentenced to 90 years in prison.
- Alberto RodriguezAlberto Rodriguez (Puerto Rican Nationalist)Alberto Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican nationalist who received a sentence of 35 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges. He was sentenced in 1985, and incarcerated first at United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg , PA, and later at the federal penitentiary at USP Beaumont, TX...
, sentenced to 35 years in prison. - Alejandrina TorresAlejandrina TorresAlejandrina Torres is a Puerto Rican nationalist who was convicted and sentenced to 35 years for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the government of the United States. Torres was linked to the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional , which claimed responsibility for numerous bombings...
, sentenced to 35 years in prison.
In addition, Juan Enrique Segarra-Palmer
Juan Enrique Segarra-Palmer
Juan Enrique Segarra-Palmer is a Puerto Rican Nationalist who became eligible for release from prison five years after accepting President Bill Clinton's clemency offer on September 7, 1999. He had received a sentence of 55 years for seditious conspiracy, and weapons and conspiracy charges, along...
, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison on October 4, 1985, was to become eligible for release in September, 2004.
See also
- Carlos Alberto TorresCarlos Alberto Torres (Puerto Rican Nationalist)Carlos Alberto Torres is a member of Puerto Rico's independence movement and the longest-serving Puerto Rican political prisoner. He was convicted and sentenced to 78 years in a U.S. federal prison for seditious conspiracy - conspiring to use force against the lawful authority of the United States...
- Pedro Albizu CamposPedro Albizu CamposDon Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican politician and one of the leading figures in the Puerto Rican independence movement. He was the leader and president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party from 1930 until his death...
- Oscar CollazoOscar CollazoOscar Collazo , was one of two Puerto Ricans who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Harry S. Truman.-Early life:...
- Lolita LebrónLolita LebrónDolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor was a Puerto Rican nationalist who wasconvicted of attempted murder and other crimes after leading an assault on the United States House of Representatives in 1954,...
- Puerto Rican independence movementPuerto Rican independence movementThe Puerto Rican independence movement refers to initiatives throughout the history of Puerto Rico aimed at obtaining independence for the Island, first from Spain, and then from the United States...
- Oscar Lopez RiveraOscar López RiveraOscar López Rivera is a Puerto Rican Nationalist who was convicted and sentenced to 70 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and various other offenses. He was among the 16 Puerto Rican nationalists offered conditional clemency by U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1999, but he rejected the offer...
- Avelino Gonzalez Claudio
- Norberto Gonzalez Claudio
- Filiberto Ojeda RiosFiliberto Ojeda RíosFiliberto Ojeda Ríos was the commander-in-chief of the Boricua Popular Army , a clandestine paramilitary organization that considers United States rule over Puerto Rico to be oppressive colonization and advocates the latter's independence.Ojeda Ríos was a...
- Orlando Ojeda Claudio