The once-imprisoned U.S. activist Lori Berenson arrived in the United States on Tuesday for the first time since her 1995 arrest in Peru. Berenson was allowed to leave Peru along with her two-year-old son Salvador to spend the holidays with her parents in New York City. She was paroled last year after serving 15 years of a 20-year sentence for aiding the outlawed Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. After she landed, Berenson declined to speak with reporters. Her mother, Rhoda Berenson, made a brief statement.

Rhoda Berenson: “This is not a political time for us. This is a time for family and friends. Everybody is excited about meeting Salvador, so he’s going to be front and center.”

Reporter: “Rhoda, how is your Spanish?”

Rhoda Berenson: “I don’t have any. That’s exactly how it is. But Salvador can mumble words in both languages.”