I don’t know that he did. Defenders of the act pointed to his age and spun it as burying some old hatchet with Puerto Ricans. Like showing them respect by releasing their old warrior, bygones being bygones and all.
But that story really failed if you remember that the vast majority of Puerto Ricans of that era were not in favor of independence. Independence always polled less than 5%. He wasn’t Puerto Rico’s valiant decolonization warrior. He was a man that used extreme violence to try to fight for something that Puerto Ricans repeatedly and soundly rejected in fair and open democratic processes. He was fighting against the expressed interest of Puerto Ricans, and using bombs to do it.
And what is really key is he never repented. He always considered himself a political prisoner and anti-colonial hero. Still does, I’m sure.
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If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.