Ricardo Jimenez, Gay Puerto Rican Nationalist

Part I of a 2-part interview by WBAI's Bob Lederer with openly gay Puerto Rican former political prisoner Ricardo Jimenez, recently in NYC for several speaking events. (click HERE for video of Ricardo). Ricardo was one of a dozen Puerto Rican independentista fighters convicted of seditious conspiracy for membership in the U.S.-based clandestine Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional (FALN, or Armed Forces of National Liberation). Sentenced to 98 years, he served almost 20 years in U.S. prisons -- all in maximum security -- until granted clemency and released by President Clinton in 1999 along with 10 other political prisoners, following an international support campaign.

Ricardo now lives in Chicago and works as an HIV/AIDS counselor for the Latino HIV/AIDS support agency, Vida/SIDA, a project of

the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. He is also active in the movement for funding of HIV intervention/prevention for the Latino community and for LGBTQ (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer) rights. He is Co-Coordinator the National Boricua Human Rights Network, which campaigns for the freedom of the remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners, Oscar López Rivera and Avelino González Claudio.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ricardo Jimenez
• Puerto Rican
• Puerto Rico
• Gay
• Nationalist
• Oscar López Rivera
• Avelino González Claudio
• Vida/SIDA

[ValentinoSaunders]

!Excelente entrevista! Pero por favor ponle subtitulo en espa~ol. Gracias.

[vbroklyn]

Bravo Ricardo... Soy Gay y nacionalista, creo en la independencia de Puerto Rico ... Y estoy contigo y PR para lograr la liberacion de nuestros presos politicos puertorriqu~os, la lucha sigue mientras queden puertorriqu~os como tu y yo. Te admiro por tu valentia de lo que has hecho , adelante...