SELECTED WORKS
Investigation on events of February 23, 1936
By P. Albizu Campos
In the wake of the assassinations perpetrated at the Police Headquarters of San Juan, we made the public declaration that Nationalism had ordered an investigation into the causes of that brutal act. In the exposition of the theory enunciated by the defense in the case of Pearson, it was also made public that the “massacre” of Río Piedras on October 24, 1935, the assassination of Beauchamp and Rosado at the Police Headquarters of San Juan on February 23, 1936, the assassination of Angel Mario Martínez in Utuado, by the Police, and other attacks against the citizen life perpetrated by the police, were part of a conspiracy of the Government of United States in Puerto Rico to intimidate the entire nation through terror and assassination; and we offered direct proof to sustain that theory. Mr. Judge De Jesús, upon motion of the prosecutor, Mr. Romaní, dictated a resolution that obliged the defense to circumscribe itself to the bloody events of October 24 in Río Piedras. From this resolution, which we deem mistaken, we took due exception in its opportunity.
Today, required by the Grand Jury to appear before it by virtue of suggestions emanating from testimonies already given before said body, we placed at its disposal the entire result of the investigation of Nationalism carried out until now regarding the truth of what happened on February 23 at the Police Headquarters of San Juan and regarding the responsi-bility of the persons involved in said assassinations.
El Mundo, March 26, 1936, ps. 1 and 15.
We have placed in the power of the Grand Jury the key that in our judgment will find those responsible. The Grand Jury that is currently investigating the responsibilities involved in the events of February 23, is a body of intelligent men and civic valor who at all times reveal their firm decision to demand responsibilities from all those who have them in this act that continues to move the entire national conscience. That is all I can say about my appearance before the Grand Jury and I believe that I must maintain reserve regarding points that are in the power of that body to arrive at the truth of what happened.