Recently released FALN terrorist speaks at Penn

Ricardo Jiminez is one of 10 Puerto Ricans President Clinton granted clemency. Ricardo Jiminez is one of 10 members of the Puerto Rican group FALN recently granted clemency by President Clinton -- a distinction that makes him a leading advocate for an independent Puerto Rico. Jiminez spoke on Thursday at an event sponsored by the Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos, Connaissance, SPEC and Lambda Upsilon Lambda. Arrested in 1980, Jiminez and several other members of FALN -- which translates to Armed Forces for National Liberation -- were released in September, a move that caused a political uproar for Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate in New York, which has a high percentage of Latino voters. He began his presentation to the group of about 30 students assembled in Stiteler Hall with a history of what he called the "invasion" of Puerto Rico, from the Spanish conquest of the island to its present condition as a commonwealth of the United States, a status that Jiminez calls "a farce." "Colonialism is a crime under international law," Jiminez said. "And Puerto Rico is a colony." Born in Puerto Rico, Jiminez was raised in Chicago. He described his family as "authentic Puerto Rican," recounting how his mother prohibited him and his sibling from speaking English "in casa." Jiminez joined the Puerto Rican independence movement as a teenager. Soon after, he became involved in "the highest commitment to Puerto Rico -- armed struggle," joining FALN and being arrested and charged with seditious conspiracy. "We were prisoners of war," Jiminez said, citing international law against colonialism. Jiminez explained that he rejected the clemency offer at first because it was not extended to all the prisoners. He also objected to its attached conditions, which prohibit association with other FALN members and advocating violence. Jiminez said that he eventually accepted the deal under pressure from the others affected by it. But Jiminez made clear it was only the former condition he had a problem with. "I would never advocate violence at this point in time. Civil disobedience and the creation of a consciousness are key [to Puerto Rican independence]," Jiminez said. He also stressed the need to remove what he called "a colonial mindset" from Puerto Rican society. Such a mindset, he said, results in Puerto Ricans putting themselves in debt for "two cars, two TVs, a VCR and cellular [phones], and individual and egoistic life" that has a negative effect on Puerto Rico. He also addressed the status of Puerto Ricans in American cities, advocating unity and education as means for social betterment. Jiminez, who now lives in Puerto Rico, is touring American universities to educate students about the issues surrounding Puerto Rican independence. He was pleased with the representation he saw at Penn. "It's progress to come to an Ivy League university and see so many Puerto Ricans," Jiminez said. Inez Ramos, a member of ACELA, called Jiminez's visit "a historic moment to celebrate at Penn.? It's incredible to see a living testament to the struggle against oppression."

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