Portal:Puerto Rico/Selected biography/18

Dolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor (November 19, 1919 – August 1, 2010) was an active advocate for Puerto Rican independence. She was born and raised in Lares, Puerto Rico, where she joined the Liberal Party. In 1941, Lebron migrated to New York City, where she joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, gaining influence within the party's leadership. In 1952, after Puerto Rico's official status was changed to "Commonwealth", the Nationalist Party began a series of revolutionary actions, including the Jayuya Uprising. As part of this initiative, Pedro Albizu Campos ordered her to organize attacks in the United States, focusing on locations that were "the most strategic to the enemy". She became the leader of a group of nationalists, who proceeded to attack the United States House of Representatives in 1954. Lebron remained imprisoned 25 years, when Jimmy Carter issued pardons to the group involved. During the following years she continued her involvement in pro-independence activities, including the Navy-Vieques protests. (more...)