President Obama, Throughout your presidential term, the people of Puerto Rico, our politicians, political parties, media, celebrities, teachers, writers, journalists, workers, have united behind one common cause: the freedom of Oscar López Rivera. Rivera has been imprisoned for more than 34 years, many of those years in solitary confinement. Whatever your stance into his wrongdoing, we can safely conclude he has done his time. He does not pose a threat, and he deserves to be home with his family to live in peace the rest of his years.
Please, President Obama, do what is right and release Oscar López Rivera before your term ends. With the election results, now more than ever, we need you to hear the voice and plead of the Puerto Rican people.
Response to Petition
A response to your petition on Oscar Lopez Rivera
Thank you for using the We the People platform.
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the President the authority to grant "Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States." For more than 100 years, presidents have relied on the Department of Justice and its Office of the Pardon Attorney for assistance in the exercise of this power. Requests for executive clemency for federal offenses should be directed to the Pardon Attorney, who conducts a review and investigation, and prepares the Department's recommendation to the President. Additional information and application forms are available on the Pardon Attorney's website.
The President takes his constitutional power to grant clemency very seriously, and recommendations from the Department of Justice are carefully considered before decisions are made. The White House does not comment, however, on individual pardon applications. In accordance with this policy and the We the People Terms of Participation -- which explain that the White House may sometimes choose not to respond to petitions addressing certain matters -- the White House declines to comment on the specific case addressed in this petition.
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Gracias por usar la plataforma We the People.
El Artículo II, Sección 2 de la Constitución le otorga al Presidente la autoridad para conceder "Suspensiones de condenas e Indultos por delitos contra Estados Unidos." Durante más de 100 años, los presidentes han confiado en el Departamento de Justicia y en su Oficina del Abogado de Indultos para que les ayuden en el ejercicio de este poder. Las solicitudes de clemencia ejecutiva para delitos federales deben ser dirigidas al Abogado de Indultos, quien lleva a cabo una revisión e investigación, y prepara la recomendación del Departamento para el Presidente. Información adicional y formularios de solicitud están disponibles en la página web del Abogado de Indultos.
El Presidente se toma muy en serio su poder constitucional para conceder clemencia, y las recomendaciones del Departamento de Justicia son consideradas cuidadosamente antes de tomar decisiones. Sin embargo, la Casa Blanca no hace comentarios sobre las solicitudes individuales de indultos. De acuerdo con esta política y con los Términos de Participación de We the People -- que explican que la Casa Blanca a veces puede optar por no responder a las peticiones sobre ciertos temas -- la Casa Blanca declina a hacer comentarios sobre el caso específico referido en esta petición.