Rubén Ángel Berríos Martínez (born June 21, 1939) is a Puerto Rican politician,

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

attorney, writer, and current president of the

Puerto Rican Independence Party The Puerto Rican Independence Party (, PIP) is a social-democratic political party in Puerto Rico that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States. Those who follow the PIP ideology are usually called ''independentist ...

(PIP). A former three-time

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, Berríos is a perennial PIP candidate for

Governor of Puerto Rico The governor of Puerto Rico () is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. Elected to a 4 year-term through popular vote by the residents of the archipelago and island, ...

. He led the Navy–Culebra protests that succeeded in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

abandoning the use of the Puerto Rican island of Culebra for military exercises and was a leader for the Cause of Vieques.

Biography

Berríos was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. He attended high school at Colegio San Ignacio (class of 1957). He received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in business administration and economy from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in 1961, his

juris doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

and master's degree in law from

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

, and his

doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in international rights from

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. He also did some post-doctoral research in Sweden. His first wife was Swedish and his son Rubén Axel was born in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. He has been a tenured professor of law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law since 1967. Berríos became president of the Independence Party PIP when he was thirty-one years old and has been president of it five times during fifty years. Under his leadership, the PIP adopted a

democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing economic and political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-mana ...

program. Although he has had limited success at the voting booth regarding his candidacy for the post of

in 1976, 1980, 1988, 2000 and 2004 — losing every time to either the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) or the New Progressive Party (PNP) candidate — he, nevertheless, has enjoyed great electoral success regarding his candidacy to the Senate, receiving more votes than any other candidate in the Puerto Rican senatorial elections of 1972, 1984, 1992 and 1996. In 1972, the thirty-three-year-old Berríos was elected to his first term as an at-large senator. He was also re-elected to at-large senatorial seats at the Puerto Rican Legislative Assembly on three additional occasions: 1984, 1992, and 1996. Berríos founded the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

(COPPPAL), is a member of the Executive Council of the Latin American Human Rights Association (ALDHU), and Honorary President of the

Socialist International The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism, consisting mostly of Social democracy, social democratic political parties and Labour mov ...

(SI). He has published the books ''The Independence of Puerto Rico: Cause and Struggle'', ''Puerto Rico: Nationality and Plebiscite'', and ''Towards Puerto Rican Socialism'', and has collaborated with various publications enjoying wide international prestige such as

Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...

. In 2015, Nicaraguan President

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; ; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician and dictator who has been the president of Nicaragua, co-president of Nicaragua since 18 February 2025, alongside his wife Rosario Murillo. He was the 54th an ...

named Berrios as his political advisor. In May 2025, the

Party awarded the José Francisco Peña Gómez Prize to Ruben Berrios, for his cause in the sovereignty and independence of Puerto Rico. Berríos is widely admired by many in Puerto Rico, including those who do not follow his political ideology. In 1984, for example, he received 84% of the general vote in his candidacy for senator.

Political views

Berríos believes that there should be a change in the U.S. maritime laws that force Puerto Rico to import and export goods only via U.S. ships. Such laws increase the price of products entering or leaving the island. He also believes that the U.S.

Selective Service The Selective Service System (SSS) is an independent agency of the United States government that maintains a database of registered male U.S. citizens and other U.S. residents potentially subject to military conscription (i.e., the draft). ...

laws should not apply to Puerto Rico without the consent of the Puerto Rican legislature.

Civil disobedience

In 1971, Berríos led the Navy-Culebra protests that criticized the

's use of the Puerto Rican island of Culebra for military exercises. He squatted in Culebra's Flamenco Beach for three days. He was then arrested and imprisoned for three months. In part because of his efforts, the U.S. Navy abandoned its facilities in Culebra. On May 8, 1999, Berríos began

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

inside the U.S. Navy bombing practice grounds in the island of

Vieques, Puerto Rico Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island, Culebra barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico, and together with Culebra, Puerto Rico, Culebra, it is geographically part of the Spanish Virgin ...

(see Navy-Vieques protests). He stayed in the Gilberto Concepción de Gracia encampment — baptized in honor of the PIP founder — for 362 consecutive days, enduring both camp devastations due to storms and declining health due to a new diagnosis of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

. In December 1999, he resigned his Senate seat due to the uncertainty and prolongation of his stay at the encampment. On May 4, 2000, the encampments were evacuated by federal marshals and

United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

, and Berríos was arrested. Berríos' arrest was televised island-wide in Puerto Rico. Five days later, Berríos reentered the Vieques target practice grounds. As a result, he was arrested and went to trial at the

United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico (in case citations, D.P.R.; ) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San ...

, in San Juan, and sentenced to six hours of detention. Similar to what Berríos Martínez had done in Culebra thirty years before, Berríos did not recognize the jurisdiction of the American judicial forum in Puerto Rico during his trial for the Vieques trespassing, and did not present any legal defense. Speaking to Berríos Martínez, the sentencing judge said, "Odd as it may seem to you, we both are on the side of democracy on this one; you are complying with your conscience. I am also complying with mine." With the continuation of bombing practices by the U.S. Navy, Berríos announced his intention to enter the restricted grounds for a third time. He stayed for five days in the target practice area, before being arrested violently and forced to lie on a hot gravel road for an extended period of time after being handcuffed with his hands to his back with the other PIP members that accompanied him at the U.S. Navy bombing range. This time, convicted for the fourth time (one in Culebra and three additional civil disobedience arrests) by a United States District Court, Berríos was sentenced to four months in prison. The U.S. Navy abandoned its facilities in Vieques on May 1, 2003, by order of President George W. Bush.''New Battle on Vieques, Over Navy’s Cleanup of Munitions.''
Mireya Navarro. 6 August 2009. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2013.

Positions held

* Currently a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, School of Law (2006) * Candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico (1976, 1980, 1988, 2000, 2004) * Lawyer * President of

(1970 to present) * Professor of Law at the University of Puerto Rico (1967–1971) * Senator of Puerto Rico (1972–1976, 1984–1988, 1993–1996)

Writings, books, speeches

Berríos has authored the following works and speeches: * ''The Independence of Puerto Rico: Cause and Struggle''. Speech before the United Nations about colonialism in Puerto Rico, August 1973 * ''Towards Puerto Rican Socialism''. Puerto Rico * ''La Independencia de Puerto Rico: Razón y Lucha'', 1984 * ''Puerto Rico's Decolonization''. Foreign Affairs, Council on Foreign Affairs, 1997 * ''Un Mapa Para la Ruta'' (''A Road Map''), 2004.

References

* Puerto Rican Independence Party (1998). ubén Berríos: Cápsula Biográfica Puerto Rico. * ''Puerto Rico Herald''
Biography: Rubén Berríos
Puerto Rico.

External links

''Portraits of Notable Individuals in the Struggle for Puerto Rican Independence''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berrios, Ruben 1939 births Living people People from Aibonito, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Independence Party politicians McDonough School of Business alumni Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico Puerto Rican socialists Leaders of political parties Yale Law School alumni Puerto Rican party leaders Alumni of the University of Oxford Stockholm University alumni Puerto Rican prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola alumni Puerto Rican independence activists International law scholars University of Puerto Rico faculty 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico