The attack of 1954 in Capitole

The attack of 1954 in Capitole was a perpetrated attack on March 1st, 1954 by four nationalists Oporto-yankees who drew thirty blows from automatic pistol since the gallery of the ladies (a balcony for the visitors) in the Chambre of the representatives of the Capitole of the United States of America.

Facts

The attackers, Rafael Miranda Chancel, Andres Figueroa Cordero, Irving Rodríguez Flora led by Lolita Lebrón, held up a flag Oporto yankee and started to shoot at the 240 deputies from the stage in lower parts which discussed of a law on the Immigration.

Five deputies were wounded during the attack, including one seriously. It was about Alvine Mr. Bentley (of the Michigan), who took a ball in full chest, Clifford Davis (of the Tennessee), wounded in the leg, Ben F. Jensen (of the Iowa), wounded in the back, George Hyde Fallon (of the Maryland) and Kenneth A. Roberts (of the Alabama). Employees of Capitole carried Alvin Bentley apart from the places of the attack. Miranda was suspecté to have personally wounded three and perhaps four of the five deputies. It is established that Flores wounded the fifth deputy. According to the memories of Miranda, Lolita Lebrón emptied its charger in direction of the ceiling, as if it did not intend to wound anybody and the gun of Figueroa was stopped. Miranda thinks of being responsible for the majority for the wounds and damage. During the shootings, Lolita Lebrón shouted " Live free Puerto Rico! ".

The attackers were immediately stopped. Figueroa Cordero required immediately and in a way repeated to be accused of crime and to be condemned to the Capital punishment by electrocution. Lebrón had a note written in its jacket explaining the reasons for the attack because it envisaged the strong probability of being shot down during a cross shooting. All the attackers were condemned to a sentence minimum 70 years of prison after their judgments with the capital punishment are commuted by the president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Lolita Lebrón was transferred in a federal prison for women to Alderson, Virginia-Western, where it joined another militant figure of the Porto Rican Nationalisme, Blanca Canales, before the transfer of this one in 1956 for the prison for women of Vega Baja to Puerto Rico.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter released the prisoners after they had spent 25 years in prison. Their release coincided with the release by Fidel Castro several American agents of the CIA imprisoned with Cuba for Espionnage. Figueroa Cordero was released one year rather, being reached of a Cancer in final phase. The Carter administration denied that there was a bond between the 2 évênements, affirming that it was about a humane gesture.

Impacts of balls always remain on a desk on the republican side of the Room and with the ceiling. After the attack, the files of the chairs of the Room and Senate were equipped with bulletproof materials.

Political background

The attack of Capitole constitutes an act of desperate anger of the Porto Rican Nationalisme after the signature of the pact of the Commonwealth of 1952 with the the United States, a political structure which remains nowadays, and the withdrawal of Puerto Rico of the list of the colonies by UNO the same year. Its inspirer was Pedro Albizu Campos, brain of the assassination attempt against the president Truman in 1950 and whose Lolita Lebrón was an enthusiastic admiror.

Quotation

In front of God and the world, my blood clamp the independence of Puerto Rico. I give my life for the freedom of my country. This is a cry for the victory and the combat for independence. The United States of America betray the crowned principles of humanity in the continuous constraint of my country… I take the whole responsability for it. Declaration written by Lolita Lebrón on the paper which it carried in its jacket at the time of the attack of Capitole.

See too

External bonds and documents

"In Terrorist in the House" by Manuel Roig-Franzia, '' The Washington Post Magazine '', February 22,2004, pg. W12.
" No one expected attack one Congress in 1954" '' The Holland Sentinel '', February 29,2004

Notes and references of the article

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