The Parque Pedro Albizu Campos (English: ''Pedro Albizu Campos Park'') is a passive

recreational Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure ...

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

in the city of

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

. It was dedicated on 12 September 1991, to the memory of Puerto Rican

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

leader

Pedro Albizu Campos Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891Luis Fortuño Janeiro. ''Album Histórico de Ponce (1692–1963).'' p. 290. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta Fortuño. 1963. – April 21, 1965) was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the leading fi ...

by the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos was born in Ponce on 12 September 1891. He was raised in Ponce and lived most of his life there as well.

Location

The park is located in sector Tenerias of Barrio

Machuelo Abajo Machuelo Abajo is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Magueyes Urbano, Portugués Urbano, and San Antón, Machuelo Abajo is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are ...

, at the location where the house stood where Albizu Campos spent much of his youth. It sits on a 5-

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

lot bordered by

Rio Bucana Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

on the east end, Puerto Rico route

PR-1 Puerto Rico Highway 1 (PR-1) is a highway in Puerto Rico that connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road heads east and follows a somewhat parallel route along the southern coast of the island heading towards Salinas. At S ...

on the south, Pedregal Street on the north, and Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos street on the west. It is near the intersection of Ponce By-pass Road (

PR-2 Puerto Rico Highway 2 (PR-2) is a road in Puerto Rico that connects the cities of San Juan and Ponce. At 156 miles (230 km) long, it is Puerto Rico's longest singled-signed highway. The road runs counter-clockwise from San Juan to Ponce. ...

), Miguel Pou Boulevard (

), and Comercio Street (

PR-133 Puerto Rico Highway 133 (PR-133) is a major access road in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road is 1.2 miles long and consists of three segments called (moving eastward) "Calle Comercio" (a.k.a. "Calle Francisco Parra Duperón"), "Avenida Cuatro Calles" ...

). The park is found at N 18.00999 W 66.59377 (18.00999, -66.59377). There is a full-body statue of Dr. Albizu Campos as the centerpiece of the park. The statue is the work of Ponce sculptor Rafael Lopez del Campo.Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002.'' Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 374. The park was built in response to the initiative of the group Ponceños de Verdad and the support of the general public.

Use

Though a general use passive park, the park is also home to various civic and political activities relating to the ideals of autonomy, self-government and independence for Puerto Rico.

Stones

Among the features of the park is a set of twelve stones set on the ground in a two-by-six vertical formation. The stones contain the names of the last twelve known survivors of the 1937

Ponce massacre The Ponce massacre was an event that took place on Palm Sunday, March 21, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, when a peaceful civilian march turned into a police shooting in which 19 civilians and two policemen were killed, and more than 200 civilians ...

. In addition to the name the survivor, the person's date of death is also engraved on each stone. Also engraved are a Christian cross and the letters "

RIP Rest in peace (RIP), a phrase from the Latin (), is sometimes used in traditional Christian services and prayers, such as in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist denominations, to wish the soul of a decedent eternal rest and peace. ...

" (Rest in Peace). The names and dates on some of the stones have faded away due to exposure to the weather elements. The names and dates on the twelve stones are as follows: * Rafael Soto Moreno, 21-6-74 * Samuel Aponte Morales, 23-10-(77?) * Pedro L. del Valle Almodovar, (3?)-Nov-80 * America Rivera Jimenez, 26-2-92 * Jovita Nieves, 4-11-72 * Andres Santiago, 27-7-91 * (undecipherable) Irizarry, 1-6-93 * (undecipherable) Santiago, 2-5-93 * Juanita Vega, Feb-9-74 * Jovita Santiago Santiago, Dic-4-78 * Antonia Rodriguez Torres, Dic-2-79 * Nelson Cedeño Ramos, 25-10-82

References

{{Reflist Parks in Ponce, Puerto Rico Urban public parks Parks established in 1991 1991 establishments in Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico Barrio Machuelo Abajo

Location

Use

Stones

See also

References