Puerto Rican Women Nationalist vs. U.S. Colonialism: An Exploration of Their Conditions and Struggles in Jail and Court

This article examines the legal ramifications experienced by several women members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party as a result of their militant opposition to U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico. These women participated in the 1950 uprising in Puerto Rico or, in the case of Lolita Lebrón, the Nationalist Party\u27s 1954 attack on the U.S. Congress. The article explores their sentences and conditions in prison from a gendered perspective. It also suggests that several of the women were tortured while in prison. The article concludes that the women drew strength from their political commitment to Puerto Rican independence and their close bonds with each other. As a result, their time in prison did not diminish their dedication to establishing an independent nation