Gov. Cuomo Pulls Out of Puerto Rican Parade, Which is Honoring Terrorist
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that he is not marching in next month’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, but he did not directly address the controversy surrounding parade organizers’ decision to honor a Puerto Rican terrorist recently freed from prison.
“The governor’s support and long-term affection for the Puerto Rican community remains unwavering; unfortunately he will not be marching in this year’s parade,” said spokeswoman Dani Lever in a statement. The statement did not mention parade honoree Oscar Lopez Rivera, a member of a terrorist nationalist group whose sentence was commuted by former president Barack Obama.
The decision by Puerto Rican Day Parade organizers to honor Lopez Rivera has prompted sponsors including Coca-Cola, JetBlue and AT&T to pull out of the June 11 march up Fifth Avenue.
Parade organizers have said they stand by their decision to honor Lopez Rivera as “Procer de la Libertad” — National Freedom Hero.
The 74-year-old Lopez Rivera has thousands of supporters who see him as a political prisoner, jailed for seeking independence for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, both Democrats, are still marching.
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