Lolita Lebron (born Dolores Lebrón Sotomayor in 1920 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is an active advocate for Puerto Rican independence. She was the leader of a group of nationalists who attacked the United States House of Representatives in 1954. 1920 (MCMXX) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Lares is a small mountain town in Puerto Ricos central-western area. ... ... The U.S. Capitol shooting incident of 1954 was an attack on March 1, 1954 by four Puerto Rican nationalists who shot thirty rounds of a Luger and automatic pistol from the Ladies Gallery (a balcony for visitors) of the U.S. House of Representatives into the floor of the...

Lolita Lebron

Lolita was born in Lares, a town best known for El Grito de Lares, a revolt for independence against Spain which occurred on September 23, 1868. Her parents were poor, her father was a foreman at a local coffee plantation and her mother a housewife. Lolita had uncommon good looks and when she was a teenager won first place in the annual "Queen of the Flowers of May" beauty contest held in Lares. At a young age Lolita was a stern believer in the idea of Puerto Rican independence. Image File history File links Lolitapic2. ... Image File history File links Lolitapic2. ... El Grito de Lares (or The Cry of Lares in English) —also referred as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, or the Lares rebellion— refers to the revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico which occurred on September 23, 1868, in the town of Lares, Puerto Rico. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In the 1940's Lolita left for New York City, leaving behind her daughter Gladys whom she had out of wedlock, in search of a better way of life. Instead, she became a victim of the racial discrimination which was rampant in the United States at that time. She worked as a seamstress during the day and went to school at night. She was briefly married and had a son, whom she also sent to Puerto Rico to live with her mother. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The city is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture, and is one of the worlds major global cities (along with London, Tokyo and Paris) with a virtually unrivaled collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges. ...

In New York, she became a follower Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Lolita participated in many of the meetings of nationalist party held in the Puerto Rican barrios of that city. In the early 1950's, angered by Puerto Rico's new commonwealth status with the United States, the Nationalist Party staged various uprisings in Puerto Rico, among them the Jayuya Uprising and developed a plan that would involve an attack on the Blair House with the intention of assassinating United States President Harry S. Truman and also an attack on the House of Representatives. Pedro Albizu Campos Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891 – April 21, 1965) born in Tenerias Village in Ponce, Puerto Rico was the son of Alejandro Albizu and Juana Campos. ... The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was first organized on September 17, 1922. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Jayuya Uprising, also known as the Jayuya Revolt or El Grito de Jayuya, refers to the revolt against the Government of the United States in Puerto Rico which occurred on October 30, 1950 in the town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico. ... Blair House is a guest house for state visitors to Washington, D.C. (in the United States of America). ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–53), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...

Lebron is arrested after participating in a shooting attack on Capitol Hill in March 1, 1954. AP photo.

The attack on the Blair House was carried out by Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola on November 1, 1950. Albizu Campos had been corresponding with 34 year old Lolita from prison and chose her, a women whom he never met, as the leader of a group of nationalists who included Rafael Cancel Miranda, Irving Flores and Andrés Figueroa Cordero to attack the United States House of Representatives. The date, for the attack on the House of Representatives, was to be March 1, 1954. That date was picked because, it was on March 1, 1917, that Puerto Ricans were made U.S. citizens by U.S. law. Lolita's mission was to bring world attention to Puerto Rico's independence cause. When Lolita's group reached the visitors gallery above the chamber in the "House", she stood up and shouted "Viva Puerto Rico Libre!" ("Long live a Free Puerto Rico!") and unfurled a Puerto Rican flag. Then the group opened fire with automatic pistols. Some 30 shots were fired wounding five lawmakers, one representative, Alvin Bentley, R-Michigan was seriously wounded in the chest. A penny size bullet hole still marks the desk used by Republicans when they speak on the floor of the House. Upon being arrested, Lolita yelled "I did not come to kill anyone, I came to die for Puerto Rico!". Download high resolution version (500x643, 63 KB)Lolita Lebron is arrested after being part of a shooting attack on Capitol Hill in March 1, 1954 This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (500x643, 63 KB)Lolita Lebron is arrested after being part of a shooting attack on Capitol Hill in March 1, 1954 This work is copyrighted. ... Capitol Hill is the name of a district in the following cities: Capitol Hill, Denver, Colorado Capitol Hill, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington Capitol Hill, Washington, DC It is also a common nickname for the United States Congress and the politicians who serve it (e. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Associated Press logo This article concerns the news service. ... Griselio Torresola (1925 – November 1, 1950) born in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, was one of two Puerto Rican Nationalists who attempted to assassinate United States President Harry Truman. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now a state), and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Law Law topics overview List of areas of law List of legal topics List of legal terms List of jurists List of legal abbreviations List of case law lists List of law firms Further reading Cheyenne Way: Conflict & Case Law in Primitive Jurisprudence, Karl... Flag ratio: 1:2 The Flag of Puerto Rico consists of five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center. ... Alvin Morell Bentley III (August 30, 1918–April 10, 1969) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party), is one of the two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Democratic Party. ...

Lolita and her comrades were charged with attempted murder and other crimes, and sentenced to death. President Truman had the sentence changed to life imprisonment. Lolita was imprisoned in the Federal Industrial Institution for Women in Alderson, West Virginia. Lolitas daughter, Gladys died in 1977. Alderson is a town located in West Virginia. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

In 1979, upon international pressure, President Jimmy Carter pardoned Lolita Lebron, Irving Flores and Rafael Cancel Miranda after serving 25 years in prison. Andrés Figueroa Cordero was released from prison earlier on because of grave health. Governor of Puerto Rico Carlos Romero Barceló publicly opposed the pardons granted by Carter, stating that it would encourage terrorism and undermine public safety. Lolita was welcomed by various independence groups as a hero upon her return to the island. She continued to be active in the independence cause and participated in the Vieques protest against the U.S. Navy. This page refers to the year 1979. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... Order: 5th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 1977– January 2, 1985 Predecessor: Rafael Hernández Colón Successor: Rafael Hernández Colón Date of Birth: Sunday, September 4, 1932 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico First Lady: Kate Donnally Profession: Lawyer Political Party: New Progressive... Vieques is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

Lebrón participating in a march during the Navy-Vieques protests. José R. Bas / PIP photo.

An "International Tribunal on Violations of Human Rights in Puerto Rico and Vieques" was held on November 17-21, 2000 on the island of Vieques. It was called by the "Committee on Human Rights". One of the witnesses was Lolita Lebron. According to the local newspaper "El Vocero", her audience applauded when Lolita said at the end of her deposition "I had the honor of leading the act against the U.S. Congress on March 1, 1954, when we demanded freedom for Puerto Rico and we told the world that we are an invaded nation, occupied and abused by the United States of America. I feel very proud of having performed that day, of having answered the call of the motherland". Lolita Lebron participating in a march during the Navy-Vieques protests This work is copyrighted. ... Lolita Lebron participating in a march during the Navy-Vieques protests This work is copyrighted. ... The Navy-Vieques protests is the name given by English-speaking media to a series of protests starting in 1999 on the Puerto Rican island-municipality of Vieques, against the United States Navy and Marine Corps (USMC) use of the island for bombing target practices. ... The Puerto Rican Independence Party (Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) in Spanish) is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... El Vocero is a Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in the Puerta de Tierra barrio, in the city of San Juan. ...

On June 26, 2001, Lolita was among a group of protesters that were arrested for trespassing in the restricted area in Vieques. On July 19, 2001, she was sentenced to 60 days of prison on the charge that she was trespassing on a U.S. Navy property in Vieques. Lolita had already served 23 days in jail since her arrest in June, which meant that she only had to serve 37 additional days. On May 1, 2003, the Navy moved out of Vieques and turned over their facilities to the local government of Puerto Rico. Lolita Lebron is currently married to Dr. Sergio Irizarry and she still continues to participate actively in pro-independence activities. June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The government of the Puerto Rico, established by the Constitution, is a commonwealth in republican form consisting of 78 municipalities. ...

Lolita has received many honors. The artist Octavio Ocampos created a poster of Lolita which was on exhibition in the Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, California. In Humboldt Park in Chicago, there is a mural depicting Lolita among other illustrious Puerto Ricans. Among the books written about Lolita are "The Ladies Gallery:A Memoir of Family Secrets" by Irene Vilar and Rabassa Gregory Rabassa and "Lolita la Prisonera" by Federico Ribes Tovar. Writer, director and film producer Judith Escalona, is planning on making a film about Lolita. A book written by Lolita's granddaughter, Irene Vilar (Gladys' daughter), "A Message from God in the Atomic Age: A Memoir", recounts what it was like growing up being the granddaughter of Lolita Lebron and how it affected her and her family. Vilar wrote about the tragedies her family had lived through. Nickname: The City by the Bay Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: http://www. ... Humboldt Park is located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... A mural by brightens the walls of this air-raid shelters in south London. ...

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

list of famous Puerto Ricans in alphabetical order by last names, where applicable. ...

Reference

Edwar F. Ryan, The Wahington Post, March 2, 1954, pp.1, 12-13.

External links

• A 2004 Washington Post article on Lolita's life