Puerto Rico: Independence Is a Necessity

by Rafael Cancel Miranda

"Our people are becoming aware of their own strength, which is what the colonial powers fear," explains Puerto Rican independence leader Rafael Cancel Miranda. In two interviews, Cancel Miranda--one of five Puerto Rican Nationalists imprisoned by Washington for more than 25 years until 1979--speaks out on the brutal reality of U.S. colonial domination, the campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoners, the example of Cuba's socialist revolution, and the resurgence of the independence movement today. Photos. Political prisoners in U.S. prisons in 1998. Now with enlarged type. Also available Farsi, Spanish

Genres: Nonfiction

38 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafael Cancel Miranda was a Puerto Rican independence fighter and fighter for all the oppressed peoples. He served many years in prison, and then became one of the outstanding activists in Puerto Rico and in the US, which he visited frequently because of the huge Puerto Rican population here. He died in 2020 and is greatly missed, but the interviews in this pamphlet will continue to spread his ideas and his enthusiasm.

See America's Revolutionary Heritage, for essays "Historians and the belated rise of American imperialism," and the "Spanish-American War" for historical context.

Also see The First and Second Declarations of Havana.

[Austin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick 36 page pamphlet about Cancel Miranda's life and why he is such a bad-ass. Absolutely worth the $5 price. Learn about a section of history that was completely swept under the rug.

[Austin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick 36 page pamphlet about Cancel Miranda's life and why he is such a bad-ass. Absolutely worth the $5 price. Learn about a section of history that was completely swept under the rug.