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Olga Viscal Garriga
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'''Dr. Olga Viscal Garriga''' (
May 5,
1929 – June
1995), born in
Brooklyn, New York, was a public
orator and
political activist.
Image:Olga_Viscal_Garriga.JPG right|200px|thumb|'''Dr. Olga Viscal Garriga during her trial'''
Olga was the 4th great-granddaughter of Don Juan Dabán, Governor and General Captian of
Puerto Rico from
1783-
1789 89. Her parents moved to New York in the early
1920's and she was 1 of 7 children. Olga's parents, Francisco Viscal Bravo and Laura Garriga Gonzalez, returned to Puerto Rico and settled in
San Juan, Puerto Rico Rio Piedras where she was raised and educated. Olga was witness to the discrimination of Puerto Ricans in New York and strongly disagreed with U.S. Policies limiting human rights, freedom of speech, and self determination in Puerto Rico.
Olga enrolled in the
University of Puerto Rico where she earned her Doctorates Degree in
Political Sciences. During the late
1940's and while finishing her PhD., she became a student leader and spokesperson of the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Partys branch in Rio Piedras. The Party was headed by
Dr.Pedro Albizu Campos, and favored the forceful expulsion of the
United States from Puerto Rico.
Olga who befriended Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos was a talented orator and political activist. Although she was not directly involved in any violent act in
1950, Olga was arrested because she participated in a demonstration that turned deadly in
Old San Juan, after
U.S. Forces opened fire on the demonstrators. In the violent confrontation between the "Nationalists" and the "Forces" of the
United States, a demonstrator was killed. She was detained in "La Princesa" jail. During her trial in the federal court room in "
Old San Juan", she was uncooperative with the
U. S. Government prosecution and refused to recognize the authority of the U.S. over Puerto Rico. She was sentenced to 8 years in prison for contempt of court and was released after serving 5 years.
After her release from prison, Olga went to
Cuba, where she was the Puerto Rican representative to the Cuban Parliament. As such, she met with
Fidel Castro,
Che Guevara and
Albert Einstein. She was a very religious
Catholic, who became disillusioned with Castro's politics and his
atheist policies. After publicly criticizing Castro, she escaped from Cuba with the help of her younger sister, Irma.
Olga Viscal Garriga died in June 1995 in
San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was the mother of 3 children, Pedro, Olga and Maria Luz.
Olga was the inspiration for the main character, "Antigonia", in the play "''La Pasín segun Antigonia Perez''" (The Passion of Antigonia Perez), written by Puerto Rican playwright
Luis Rafael Sanchez.
See also
*
List of famous Puerto Ricans
Category:1929 births Garriga, Olga Viscal
Category:1995 deaths Garriga, Olga Viscal
Category:Puerto Rican politicians Garriga, Olga Viscal
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