Oscar Lopez Rivera stood strong amid his controversial appearance at the NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Prior to his appearance, Rivera was set to be honored as a National Freedom Hero. The announcement was met with backlash amongst major corporations (Coca Cola, AT&T) and New York residents alike.
Lopez decided to decline the honor and in a statement, the parade’s board said, “We are looking forward to marching with Oscar López Rivera and respect his decision to walk up Fifth Avenue, “not as an honoree but as a humble Puerto Rican and grandfather”. Now we can focus again on important issues and the plight of Puerto Rico.”