Lolita Lebrón led the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party’s March 1, 1954, attack on the US Congress to bring world attention to US colonialism of the island. She recounted, “[Pedro] Albizu Campos [Nationalist Party president] named Lolita Lebrón … leader of the attack. He named me and I was Albizu Campos’ top delegate in the New York chapter. No one was above me. That’s how it was.” She added, “I don’t want to say I was a victim, but I was affected by machismo.” The other members of the commando unit were male Nationalists, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Andres Figueroa Cordero, and Irvin Flores. For Lebrón, being a woman leader was difficult. My compañeros were men and I was the only woman … They fell under so much pressure thinking they were men; they were the ones who gave the orders. on anything. I love these men. They are magnificent … [but] they were from a time when men ruled supreme.” Continue reading below…
Women_Gender_and_the_Puerto_Rican_Nation
