Filiberto Ojeda Rios laying in state, September 2005
Puerto Rico: Los Gritos del 23 de Septiembre – The New Meaning of September 23rd
By Juan Antonio Ocasio Rivera,
joboriken@aol.com
“Nosotros representamos a un pueblo encadenado y explotado, el cual cada día ha demostrado que
su libertad e independencia será conquistada no importa los sacrificios que sean necesarios.”
April 9, 1980 – Comunicado conjunto del Ejercito Popular Boricua – Macheteros, OVRP, FALN, y FARP
“We represent a people that are shackled and exploited, which every day demonstrates that
it will conquer its liberty and independence without regard to the sacrifices that may be necessary.”
April 9, 1980 – Joint Communiqué from the EPB- Macheteros, Organization of Volunteers for the
Puerto Rican Revolution (OVRP), Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), and Armed Forces of Popular Resistance (FARP)
September 23 is a date of great importance and significance to all Puerto Ricans. It is a date that stands for many things – courage, freedom, revolution, sacrifice, martyrdom. But in 2005, El Grito de Lares, that great historical date and important commemoration, gained new significance and importance. Since the days of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, every September 23rd has witnessed a gathering in Lares, Puerto Rico, of all freedom loving peoples in commemorating a date in 1868 when courageous Puerto Ricans rose up against the injustice of Spanish rule and demanded freedom and liberation. They demanded an end to injustice and slavery and they bravely acted to make those demands a reality. They wished to see their country enjoy the fruits of forging its own destiny free from outside interference and control as well as an end to the abuses which had for so long been a part of being ruled by Spain.
El Grito de Lares has gained an almost mystical importance today, even more so than the revolutionary mysticism it held before, for it was one year ago that the tyrants that currently dominate and colonize Puerto Rico, the United States of America, brutally murdered the island’s most respected revolutionary, Filiberto Ojeda Rios.
Comandante Filiberto must have seen both the irony and the opportunity in the moments cast before him that fateful day. To be openly and militarily attacked by the occupation forces is one thing, but to be openly and forcibly attacked by American forces on September 23rd presented both irony and opportunity. I can only imagine that from Filiberto’s point of view, the irony of the 1868 patriots fighting against imperialism while in 2005 imperialism was attacking the patriot must have been evident. He had no choice but to resist. He had to honor, in his own way, the struggle and sacrifice of our patriots. (Obviously, however, this sense of honor and sacrifice had already been a part of his persona for a long time.) The opportunity, however, lay in the date and in his response. He surely must have known the significance of coming under attack on this day and of possibly falling in battle on this day. He understood the importance of symbolism – he put on his fatigues, boots, and vest. He knew he would possibly be found later on, after the smoke of battle cleared, with his gun at his side dressed in the uniform of a soldier. Or he would have emerged, alive and equally victorious, dressed in the uniform of a soldier. He understood that the symbolism of the martyred patriot of 1868 would be recast once again and he was prepared to play that symbolism out. Indeed, the actions of Los Macheteros always contained an inherent symbolic meaning and metaphor. Filiberto became the epitome of the martyred patriot in 2005, bringing a new importance and relevance to El Grito de Lares and to the brave patriots who shed their blood in order to save the Puerto Rican Republic.
Legions of Puerto Ricans have found inspiration and a calling in the actions and sacrifice of Lares 1868. Lares is the conscience of all Puerto Ricans. It is a reminder of who we are and what can happen when Boricuas band together to demand change, as happened with Vieques a century later. It is the declaration of our national identity, the demand of our national sovereignty; it is the breaking of our shackles of enslavement. It represents the unification and strength of our people, not merely a cry for independence. It is the core of this meaning that produces this almost mystic respect for this date among most Puerto Ricans. But today, El Grito de Lares has been made alive, made relevant, and made new by the blood of a man who consciously sacrificed himself, as did the patriots of 1868. This sacrifice was his Grito, his cry, his call.
It is within the context of Filiberto’s cries of “Viva Puerto Rico Libre!” and “Fuera Asesinos De Mi Patria!” that one must view El Grito de Lares. Actually, we must really view Filiberto within the context of El Grito de Lares first. But when we look at what this date means today, we will see that it is no longer this dreamy foggy holiday when we remember Puerto Ricans who eons ago fought for freedom, as if those things happened as a relic of a forgotten past.
El Grito de Lares is lucha, it is struggle, it is sacrifice and commitment. It is a demand for the freedom of our country and a demand for the freedom of our fellow citizens. Actually, it is more than a demand – it is demand put into action. It is a rejection of colonialism and all of the abuses and bloodshed that it brings to our shores. It is a determination to resist, by any and all means at our disposal, the extinction of our nation and our sense of nationhood. It is a call to resist the United States of America and their brutal colonial policies and presence in Puerto Rico.
This is why the blood and sacrifice of our patriots in 1868 sowed the seeds of our movement and of our Nation. It is why the blood of Filiberto Ojeda Rios will never be forgotten either – because with it, he has reached out into the future of our Nation and sealed the destiny of our people. He himself stated that an independence that is fought for and won with sacrifice is worth so much more than one that is given or negotiated.
Don Pedro taught us that we must enter Lares on our knees, such is the reverence we are to have for this sacred land. We follow this dictate with the deep respect and reverence that we do have for that sacred place. But now we must submit with respect and revolutionary discipline to the dictate of he who has modeled resistance and patriotism in our modern history. Filiberto was gunned down by the despotism of American colonialism while his voice was heard proclaiming the necessity for unity and unification. We cannot and must not attempt to dishonor the sacred grounds of Lares celebrating the birth of our Nation nor can we solemnly remember our Comandante while fighting amongst ourselves for dominance and control.
Our movement must not continue to act out the colonial syndrome of the powerless fighting for power amongst themselves, of the unheard fighting to be heard within themselves, of those not in control fighting for control amongst themselves. What our movement is doing is merely exhibiting the sickness of the colonial mentality, and doing so within a system that yields them nothing.
Let us step up and step out of that cycle of pathology. Lares has shown us the way! Don Pedro showed us the way! Comandante Filiberto has shown us the way! They have shown us what strength, unity, and unification can achieve. They have shown us the primary importance that our movement and Nation must have for us! They have shown us that only the work of resisting collective slavery and establishing our Republic is worth fighting and dying for!
In 2006 and beyond, September 23rd will mean so much more than a respectable historical date. El Grito de Lares now has taken on new life, daring us and challenging us to reach out into the future in sacrifice to make real the commitments of the past. As we do, we will pay forward the debt incurred by our forefathers (and foremothers) who so struggled and sacrificed so that Puerto Ricans could one day enjoy freedom and democracy. And as we do, we will pay forward the debt incurred by those National Heroes who suffered prison and exile so that, someday, we could rule over our own country. And as we do this, we will pay forward the debt incurred by a man who dedicated his life to the ideals declared on September 23rd 1868 and who firmly and serenely passed through the shadows of death into immortality, secure in his contribution to our ancient and noble struggle…What are we prepared to do now to secure this dream?
Que Viva Filiberto Ojeda Rios!
Viva La Republica!
Abajo Los Asesinos!
Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!
By Juan Antonio Ocasio Rivera,
joboriken@aol.com “Nosotros representamos a un pueblo encadenado y explotado, el cual cada día ha demostrado que
su libertad e independencia será conquistada no importa los sacrificios que sean necesarios.”
April 9, 1980 – Comunicado conjunto del Ejercito Popular Boricua – Macheteros, OVRP, FALN, y FARP
“We represent a people that are shackled and exploited, which every day demonstrates that
it will conquer its liberty and independence without regard to the sacrifices that may be necessary.”
April 9, 1980 – Joint Communiqué from the EPB- Macheteros, Organization of Volunteers for the
Puerto Rican Revolution (OVRP), Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), and Armed Forces of Popular Resistance (FARP)
September 23 is a date of great importance and significance to all Puerto Ricans. It is a date that stands for many things – courage, freedom, revolution, sacrifice, martyrdom. But in 2005, El Grito de Lares, that great historical date and important commemoration, gained new significance and importance. Since the days of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, every September 23rd has witnessed a gathering in Lares, Puerto Rico, of all freedom loving peoples in commemorating a date in 1868 when courageous Puerto Ricans rose up against the injustice of Spanish rule and demanded freedom and liberation. They demanded an end to injustice and slavery and they bravely acted to make those demands a reality. They wished to see their country enjoy the fruits of forging its own destiny free from outside interference and control as well as an end to the abuses which had for so long been a part of being ruled by Spain.
El Grito de Lares has gained an almost mystical importance today, even more so than the revolutionary mysticism it held before, for it was one year ago that the tyrants that currently dominate and colonize Puerto Rico, the United States of America, brutally murdered the island’s most respected revolutionary, Filiberto Ojeda Rios.
Comandante Filiberto must have seen both the irony and the opportunity in the moments cast before him that fateful day. To be openly and militarily attacked by the occupation forces is one thing, but to be openly and forcibly attacked by American forces on September 23rd presented both irony and opportunity. I can only imagine that from Filiberto’s point of view, the irony of the 1868 patriots fighting against imperialism while in 2005 imperialism was attacking the patriot must have been evident. He had no choice but to resist. He had to honor, in his own way, the struggle and sacrifice of our patriots. (Obviously, however, this sense of honor and sacrifice had already been a part of his persona for a long time.) The opportunity, however, lay in the date and in his response. He surely must have known the significance of coming under attack on this day and of possibly falling in battle on this day. He understood the importance of symbolism – he put on his fatigues, boots, and vest. He knew he would possibly be found later on, after the smoke of battle cleared, with his gun at his side dressed in the uniform of a soldier. Or he would have emerged, alive and equally victorious, dressed in the uniform of a soldier. He understood that the symbolism of the martyred patriot of 1868 would be recast once again and he was prepared to play that symbolism out. Indeed, the actions of Los Macheteros always contained an inherent symbolic meaning and metaphor. Filiberto became the epitome of the martyred patriot in 2005, bringing a new importance and relevance to El Grito de Lares and to the brave patriots who shed their blood in order to save the Puerto Rican Republic.
Legions of Puerto Ricans have found inspiration and a calling in the actions and sacrifice of Lares 1868. Lares is the conscience of all Puerto Ricans. It is a reminder of who we are and what can happen when Boricuas band together to demand change, as happened with Vieques a century later. It is the declaration of our national identity, the demand of our national sovereignty; it is the breaking of our shackles of enslavement. It represents the unification and strength of our people, not merely a cry for independence. It is the core of this meaning that produces this almost mystic respect for this date among most Puerto Ricans. But today, El Grito de Lares has been made alive, made relevant, and made new by the blood of a man who consciously sacrificed himself, as did the patriots of 1868. This sacrifice was his Grito, his cry, his call.
It is within the context of Filiberto’s cries of “Viva Puerto Rico Libre!” and “Fuera Asesinos De Mi Patria!” that one must view El Grito de Lares. Actually, we must really view Filiberto within the context of El Grito de Lares first. But when we look at what this date means today, we will see that it is no longer this dreamy foggy holiday when we remember Puerto Ricans who eons ago fought for freedom, as if those things happened as a relic of a forgotten past.
El Grito de Lares is lucha, it is struggle, it is sacrifice and commitment. It is a demand for the freedom of our country and a demand for the freedom of our fellow citizens. Actually, it is more than a demand – it is demand put into action. It is a rejection of colonialism and all of the abuses and bloodshed that it brings to our shores. It is a determination to resist, by any and all means at our disposal, the extinction of our nation and our sense of nationhood. It is a call to resist the United States of America and their brutal colonial policies and presence in Puerto Rico.
This is why the blood and sacrifice of our patriots in 1868 sowed the seeds of our movement and of our Nation. It is why the blood of Filiberto Ojeda Rios will never be forgotten either – because with it, he has reached out into the future of our Nation and sealed the destiny of our people. He himself stated that an independence that is fought for and won with sacrifice is worth so much more than one that is given or negotiated.
Don Pedro taught us that we must enter Lares on our knees, such is the reverence we are to have for this sacred land. We follow this dictate with the deep respect and reverence that we do have for that sacred place. But now we must submit with respect and revolutionary discipline to the dictate of he who has modeled resistance and patriotism in our modern history. Filiberto was gunned down by the despotism of American colonialism while his voice was heard proclaiming the necessity for unity and unification. We cannot and must not attempt to dishonor the sacred grounds of Lares celebrating the birth of our Nation nor can we solemnly remember our Comandante while fighting amongst ourselves for dominance and control.
Our movement must not continue to act out the colonial syndrome of the powerless fighting for power amongst themselves, of the unheard fighting to be heard within themselves, of those not in control fighting for control amongst themselves. What our movement is doing is merely exhibiting the sickness of the colonial mentality, and doing so within a system that yields them nothing.
Let us step up and step out of that cycle of pathology. Lares has shown us the way! Don Pedro showed us the way! Comandante Filiberto has shown us the way! They have shown us what strength, unity, and unification can achieve. They have shown us the primary importance that our movement and Nation must have for us! They have shown us that only the work of resisting collective slavery and establishing our Republic is worth fighting and dying for!
In 2006 and beyond, September 23rd will mean so much more than a respectable historical date. El Grito de Lares now has taken on new life, daring us and challenging us to reach out into the future in sacrifice to make real the commitments of the past. As we do, we will pay forward the debt incurred by our forefathers (and foremothers) who so struggled and sacrificed so that Puerto Ricans could one day enjoy freedom and democracy. And as we do, we will pay forward the debt incurred by those National Heroes who suffered prison and exile so that, someday, we could rule over our own country. And as we do this, we will pay forward the debt incurred by a man who dedicated his life to the ideals declared on September 23rd 1868 and who firmly and serenely passed through the shadows of death into immortality, secure in his contribution to our ancient and noble struggle…What are we prepared to do now to secure this dream?
Que Viva Filiberto Ojeda Rios!
Viva La Republica!
Abajo Los Asesinos!
Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!
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