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Such words raised concern on the U.S. mainland and in the island commonwealth, where the independence movement has won few votes and terrorism none. Puerto Rican Governor Carlos Romero Barceloó an ardent proponent of statehood, had opposed the release of the prisoners and pointedly left San Juan for a visit to the mainland to avoid the whole fuss over their return. Their release coincides with the campaign that will culminate in Puerto Rico's first presidential primaries, to be held in February and March of 1980. With straight faces, White House aides deny any link between the release of the prisoners and the island's 41 Democratic convention delegates. Said one aide, speaking of the freed prisoners: "We didn't figure they'd been reformed ... but the fact is they are less a cause célèbre outside [of jail] than inside."
President Carter told Hispanics last week at their annual congressional caucus dinner: "I freed them because I thought 25 years was enough." Amid both catcalls and cheers from the audience, he added that the four nationalists had been jailed for their criminal acts, not their political ideas.
Politics in Washington, however, was far from the minds of cheering Puerto Ricans. Even some of those who oppose the words and deeds of the four nationalists were rather pleased by their release. Said one activist: "For Puerto Ricans, the nationalist ex-prisoners represent, even for those of us who are not Independistas, people who lived by principle, people who placed the cause of freedom for Puerto Rico above themselves." Said Commonwealth Founder Luis Muñoz Marin: "I share the deep satisfaction for this clemency that all Puerto Ricans must feel."
If reelected, Governor Romero has promised to hold a plebiscite in 1981 to let Puerto Ricans choose between the present commonwealth, statehood and independence. And despite the emotional uproar over the nationalists' release, the pro-independence forces have never won more than 19% in an election—their last tally, in 1976, was less than 7%. As for his Administration's feelings about Puerto Rican statehood—pro-statehood forces won 48% of the vote in the last election —Carter told the congressional caucus dinner last week: -"I would support whatever decision is made by the people of Puerto Rico."