Ida Luz Rodríguez (born July 7, 1950) is a Puerto Rican nationalist and former member of the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (FALN), a paramilitary organization that sought independence for Puerto Rico from the United States. She was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison for charges including seditious conspiracy, and was released early after President Bill Clinton granted her clemency in 1999.
Early Life and Education
Ida Luz Rodríguez was born on July 7, 1950, in Las Marías, Puerto Rico. Her family emigrated to Chicago when she was two years old. She studied psychology and sociology at Northeastern Illinois University. She participated in community organizing around jobs, housing, and education, and worked at a hospital in the Puerto Rican community. She also worked at the Puerto Rican High School and with the Committee to Free the Five Nationalists. She has a son named Damian.
Arrest and Conviction
Rodríguez was arrested on April 4, 1980, in Evanston, Illinois, along with 11 other individuals linked to the FALN. The group had been connected to more than 100 bombings or attempted bombings between 1974 and 1980 in pursuit of Puerto Rican independence. None of the bombings of which they were convicted resulted in deaths or injuries.
At trial, Rodríguez and the other defendants declared themselves prisoners of war and refused to participate in the proceedings. She was sentenced on February 18, 1981, to 75 years in federal prison for seditious conspiracy and related charges. Her sister, Alicia Rodríguez, was also among those convicted.
Imprisonment and Clemency
While incarcerated, Rodríguez completed her bachelor's degree and continued studying psychology, health, and environmental issues. Had clemency not been granted, her scheduled release date was 2014.
On September 7, 1999, President Bill Clinton extended a clemency offer to Rodríguez and 11 other Puerto Rican nationalists. Clinton stated that the sentences were "out of proportion to the nationalists' offenses." Statistics indicated the sentences were nearly 20 times greater than sentences for similar offenses by the general American population. Clinton cited Reverend Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter as influential in his decision. Rodríguez was released from prison on September 10, 1999.
Human Rights Concerns
Reports of human rights violations against FALN prisoners included placement in prisons far from families, alleged sexual assault by prison personnel, denial of adequate medical attention, and isolation in underground cells. Amnesty International and a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee criticized the conditions, which were found to violate the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. In the case of Baraldini v. Meese, a federal judge found that the exceptionally restrictive conditions of detention were "an exaggerated response" and violated prisoners' First Amendment rights.
Political Prisoner Status
Rodríguez and the other FALN members declared themselves combatants in an anti-colonial war against the United States and invoked prisoner of war status, arguing that U.S. courts lacked jurisdiction. The U.S. government did not recognize this status. Numerous national and international organizations categorized her incarceration as political imprisonment. In 2006, the United Nations called for the release of remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners in U.S. prisons.
