International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

Puerto Rico's first recognized citizen, Juan Mari Bras, was born in the town of Mayaguez on December 2, 1927. At the age of 15, he was one of a group of youths who established the Capítulo de Agregados Pro Independencia (CAPI – Chapter of Pro Independence Apprentices). The budding political activist would go on to attend the University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras in 1948. A member of Juventud Independista Puertorriqueña (Youth for Puerto Rican Independence), Juan and his classmates invited Don Pedro Albizu Campos – a national hero who had recently been released from prison – to speak at the university. When the university refused to allow Don Pedro to speak, the students protested. For his part in the strike, Mari Bras was expelled from the university. Mari Bras would leave Puerto Rico in 1949, to continue his education at George Washington University. On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists Oscar Collazo López and Griselio Torresola Roura attacked Blair-Lee House, the residence of President Harry S. Truman. Already well known for his political affiliations, Juan would be expelled from George Washington University after he was arrested and interrogated in connection with the attacks. He was ultimately released when it was determined he had not been involved in the assassination attempt. Juan would finally receive his bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, ... log in or subscribe to read full text