nov 1, 1950 - Truman Assassination Attempt

Description:

A retaliation for US cooperation in repressing 1950 nationalist revolts on the island and failed attempt on the life of U.S. President Harry Truman. Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, from New York, carried out the attack on Blair House, where President Harry Truman was living during renovations at the White House. In the firefight between the Nationalists and police and Secret Service officers, Torresola mortally wounded a White House Police officer, who killed him in return. Collazo was wounded and stood trial; convicted, he was sentenced to death, but Truman commuted his sentence to life.


After the assassination attempt, Truman pushed for a "status referendum" and accompanying "constitution." In March 1952, the people of Puerto Rico voted overwhelmingly, nearly 82%, in favor of the new constitution establishing the Commonwealth. Nationalists considered the outcome of the vote a political farce since the referendum offered no option to vote in favor of independence or statehood, restricting the choices to only two: a continuation of the colonial status existing at that time and the proposed new commonwealth status.

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