BPA

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In the early morning hours of January 12th 1981, twenty-five detonations were heard coming from the ramp at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, located in the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR). It was a terrorist attack. The result? Ten A-7D aircrafts and a single F-104 destroyed, with a total of $45,000,000 in damages. It was the largest attack on the US military since the Vietnam War. The culprits? All members of a separatist domestic terrorist group called Ejercito Popular Boricua (English: Boricua Popular Army or BPA, EPB) more commonly known as Los Macheteros (“The Machete Wielders”); a nickname that conjures images of the improvised group of Puerto Ricans that banded together to defend and fight the United States Army when they invaded during the Spanish-American War. BPA’s main ideology is a free Puerto Rico, free from the colonial status that United States has on PR, and for PR to become its own sovereign state. Although BPA is not as active as it once was, they still promote and will fight for PR’s independence. But to understand the history and origins, ideologies, and goals of BPA we must go back in time to recognize why such a group even exists.

The Island is used to battles and struggles for independence. Even going back as far as the 16th century when the Conquistadors had control of the island, the Indigenous people that lived on the Island called Taínos, united and revolted against the Spaniards. But only armed with spears, and bows they were no match for the flintlock weapons, cannons, and steel breastplate of the Conquistadors. In time the Spaniards all but wiped out the Taíno population and culture, and took control of the Island. Remnants of Taíno genes still exist due to the in...

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.... They have not committed an attack since 1998, when they took responsibility of the explosion at one of the power plants. Not many information is known about the new leadership, and some even speculate that the group has disbanded; only having few people here and there still rallying under Los Macheteros banner. But they are still out there, there are still citizens that want to secure independence from the United States by any means necessary, all they need is a spark to ignite the powder keg again, and a charismatic leader to rally the group. But whatever they do and however people want to call them; terrorist or heroes, their name has been forever stained with blood by the actions and orders of Ojeda. Even if his intentions were noble, by wanting a free country for his people, it does not justify the killing of unarmed military personnel, and innocent civilians.

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