TITO KAYAK ARRIVES IN NEVIS TODAY(JULY 24TH 2012)

Tito Kayak aims to arrive in Nevis on July 24th 2012, to celebrate his birthday and successful travel from Venezuela to Nevis by kayak.

Who is Tito Kayak? Activist, Adventurer, Freedom Fighter, Alberto de Jesus Mercado has embarked upon yet another journey to support a cause that he passionately believes.  In an attempt to bring bring attention to the plight of "Oscar Lopez  Rivera", a fellow Community Activist with Puerto Rican roots who has been incarcerated in the United States of America for thirty-one years.  Alberto Mercado is symbolically navigating his kayak 1400 miles along the same route that was traveled by Arawaks from Venezuela to the Greater Antilles as a gesture of solidarity and courage in the fight for freedom and justice.  http://emorales7.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/tito-kayaks-repeating-islands/

Oscar Lopez Rivera has been accused of being a leader of the Puertorican Nationalist Group "Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional (F.A.L.N.) said to be responsible for more than one hundred bombings.  Alan Prendergrast reported in the "Denver Westword News" July 12th 1995 that Mr. Rivera was sentenced to 55 years in 1981 for "Seditious Conspiracy" (Attempting to over-throw the American Government in Puerto Rico) and received and additional fifteen years in 1990 for an attempted prison escape, which he claims was fabricated.  Mr. Rivera claims that he had no involvement in the bombings or deaths. http://www.westword.com/1995-07-12/news/end-of-the-line/ 
Mr. Rivera has sacrificed his life to liberate his people and demand respect for Human Rights and Freedom for all.

Alberto Mercado an environmentalist a heart, has a long list of peaceful protests and excursions on his activist resume, which became labelled as civil disobedience with his 1999 protest of the U.S. Navy bombing zone in Vieques Puerto Rico located in the North-Eastern Caribbean.  In March 2000, he participated in a protest ot stop the Northern Coast of Scotland from being used by the U.S. Navy as a bombing ground.  On November 5th 2000, Tito Kayak and fellow activists put a Flag of Puerto Rico on the Statue of Liberty's Crown in New York City.  Then, on June 13th 2005 Alberto was arrested after climbing the flag pole at the United National Head Quarters in New York to change their flag to the flag from Puerto Rica while they were having a meeting with the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization to discuss the political status of Puerto Rico.  He was ordered to spend sixty days in prison or pay a $600.00USD fine.  His supporters raised $90% of the money on his behalf to show their support http://www.workers.org/2005/world/tito-kayak-1027.

Now "Tito Kayak" is kayaking through the Caribbean Region to raise awareness for Oscar Lopez Rivera and St. Kitts and Nevis will be a part of his legacy.  On June 21st 2012 he started his journey in Venezuela and since then has visited Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe.  His ultimate goal is to reach Washington to ask President Obama for a pardon for Oscar Lopez Rivera.  If you want to show your support to "Tito Kayak" you sponsor him at http://amigosdelmarpr.com/contacto or you can sign the petition to liberate Oscar Lopez Rivera at http://amigosdelmarpr.com/firma-la-peticion-sign-petition or continue to follow his journey at http://www.facebook.com/kayakeandoporlalibertad 


TRAVEL HISTORY 

1994 Virgin Gorda, Tortola Jose Van Dyke, St. John, St. Thomas, Culebra, Viques, Naguabo
19955 First back to Puerto Rico

1995 Naguabo, Vieques-Culebra-St. Thomas-Fajardo

1996 Second back to Puerto Rico

1997 First attempt to reach the Dominican Republic

1998 First trip to the Dominican Republic

Vieques to Naguabo Remada 1999 to establish the first civil disobedience camp in Vieques

2003 Virgin Gorda trip to the Dominican Republic

2006 Santa Cruz, Vieques, Puerto Rico's north coast, turn to the Dominican Republic Barahona port (500 miles)

2007 three-day Cruise Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, St Thomas, St John, Culebra, Vieques, Fajardo. This trip was made with a Puerto Rican Kayak built by the Companies Vasallo.