Vieques Protester Freed
- Share via
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Puerto Rican senator was released from a federal detention center Saturday after serving a 40-day sentence for trespassing on military land to protest U.S. Navy bombing on the island of Vieques.
Norma Burgos, who favors U.S. statehood for Puerto Rico, was greeted by dozens of well-wishers outside the detention center in suburban Guaynabo.
“I thank you deeply for your support, that you have understood what I want for Puerto Rico, because I love this country too much to allow it to be mistreated or for its people to be mistreated,” said Burgos.
In July, U.S. District Judge Hector Laffitte imposed a 40-day sentence on Burgos, saying that as a lawmaker she set a dangerous example. Laffitte then added 20 days, but the extra time was thrown out by an appeals court.
Actor Edward James Olmos was sentenced Friday to 20 days for trespassing on Vieques.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
In this episode, we discuss the history here, what lessons were learned — and not — and how that can inform what we we do this time around as we attempt to rebuild Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.
This week’s episode covers the sentencing and future legal proceedings for “The Ketamine Queen” — the doctor who pled guilty to supplying Matthew Perry with ketamine.
This week, “A Matter of Degrees,” hosted by Dr. Leah Stokes & Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, discuss how insurance companies are failing to accommodate for the impacts of climate change.
