Over 200 activists, colleagues, and loved ones gathered on Saturday, July 5, to render tribute to Rita Elena Zengotita Ramos and celebrate her 80th birthday. The occasion, which took place at the Bar Association of Puerto Rico, was a complete surprise to Rita.
Various speakers spoke of her solidarity with different causes throughout her life, from marginalized and low-income groups to draft resisters to her lifelong commitment to freeing The Puerto Rican Nationalists and political prisoners. One of the visual highlights of the event was a slideshow featuring pictures from the different epochs of Rita’s political, social, and cultural activism, from the 70s to the present.
Among the former political prisoners present were: Alicia Rodríguez, Félix and Luis Rosa, Edwin Cortés, Adolfo Matos Antongiorgi, Carlos Alberto Torres, and Oscar López Rivera. José López, Executive Director of the PRCC, could not attend but was represented by Clarisa López Ramos, Oscar’s daughter. Juan Enrique Segarra Palmer was also present, as was Jan Susler, attorney for many of the political prisoners, and Luis Alejandro Molina, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.
The program began with an introduction by Marilú Carrasquillo and an excellent summary of Rita’s achievements by her daughter-in-law, Maribel Rodríguez. The National Songstress of Puerto Rico, Chabela Rodríguez, serenaded Rita with the Puerto Rican birthday song, and was followed by Attorneys Eduardo Villanueva, Carlos Mondríguez and Kevin Miguel Rivera. Various other speakers pleased the crowd with poetry, music, and more messages dedicated to Rita. José “Cheo” Marti, noted poet, recounted the anecdote of how he met Rita in 1979, when she was in the middle of defending herself from a frame-up. Speakers also highlighted Cheo’s devotion and love for Rita throughout the decades.
Rita’s son, Carlos Alvárez Zengotita, then took the podium to surprise his mother with snippets of interviews of Rita’s family and comrades that will comprise his project, a full-length video about Rita’s life.
Carlos Quiles, author and poet, wrote an original poem about Rita and read it at the event. We include it below.
The evening closed with music by Raíces Latinas and was followed by Orquesta Criolla Nacional de Puerto Rico Mapeyé.
MATRIA
Para Rita Zengotita, en su cumpleaños 80
Estrella de cinco puntas
tienes vibrando en tu frente,
y un triángulo efervescente
que en tu corazón los juntas.
Con cinco franjas conjuntas,
elementos de tu enseña,
flotas en la borinqueña
patria por la que has luchado
y a la que te has entregado,
patriota puertorriqueña.
Qué fundamental conciencia
de lucha y de sacrificio
ese sagrado tu oficio
de entrega y de persistencia.
Has dictado la sentencia
de muerte al colonialismo,
combates el pesimismo
con tu voluntad de frente
para defender tu gente
y salvarnos del abismo.
Mujer revolucionaria
de una fuerte convicción
que con alma y corazón
vives en llama incendiaria.
Llama justa y necesaria
por el camino que vas
y donde quiera que estás
estás con acierto y tino
alumbrándole el camino
a los que vienen atrás.
Rita, mujer libertaria,
de luz y de claridad,
Rita, solidaridad,
en la lucha, voluntaria.
Patriota extraordinaria.
Madre Patria, Madre Rita,
que en nuestra tierra bendita
de libertad es esencia
con prestancia y resistencia;
Matria Rita Zengotita.
Carlos Quiles
2/julio/2025
2:13 pm, en Guavate
