Free Peltier?

Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research & Education TURNINGVolume 12 Number 3 Fall 1999THE $2/newsstands TIDE In this issue: Puerto Rico*Shut Down the WTO!*ARA Mumia*Exchange on Zionism*Big Mountain*Police Brutality Free Peltier? People Against Racist Terror*PO Box 1055*Culver City 90232 310-288-5003*ISSN 1082-6491*e-mail: <[email protected]> PART'S Perspective: Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War Released Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre! The forces of liberation and decolonization, and the campaign to free political emerged from prison gates for the first time in as much as 19 years. The campaign prisoners and prisoners of war held by the U.S., have won a tremendous victory. had united even Puerto Ricans who identified with commonwealth and statehood Eleven Puerto Rican political prisoners and prisoners of war were released from U.S. parties behind the demand for freedom for the independentistas. Prior to their release, prisons in September, under a conditional clemency by President Clinton. We must over 100,000 people marched in San Juan to demand that Clinton eliminate the savor the victory, and also deepen our understanding of how it was won and how it unjust and insulting conditions he was placing on their release. can be built on. An ecstatic crowd celebrated the released freedom fighters when they arrived in Edwin Cortes, Elizam Escobar, Ricardo Jimenez, Adolfo Matos, Dylcia Pagan, Puerto Rico. As TTT was going to press, the prisoners were scheduled to appear Alberto Rodriguez, Alicia Rodriguez, Ida Luz Rodriguez, Luis Rosa, Alejandrina together at a rally in Lares on September 23, commemorating the Grito de Lares, the Torres, and Carmen Valentin, were justly welcomed as heroes and patriots by the call for Puerto Rican independence from Spain. This act further challenged and Puerto Rican people. Each was greeted by family members and supporters as theyobviated some of the unjust restrictions Clinton imposed in his clemency offer. But much remains to be done. Puerto Rican prisoners and POW’s which has been carried revealed. Internationally renowned people Second, we must re-double our efforts to free political prisoner Juan Segarra Palmer, who out since the capture of some of them in such as Bishop Desmond Tutu and the UN the remaining imprisoned freedom fighters also accepted Clinton's conditional Evanston Illinois almost two decades ago itself endorsed the call to free the Puerto Zenaida Lopez said her brother Oscar "was "clemency," must serve 5 more years. also deserves tremendous credit. That Rican prisoners. Clinton realized that in total agreement" with the decision of the Antonio Camacho Negron, previously campaign built on the 1979 success of the frustrating this campaign ran the risk of 11 others to take the conditional clemency. paroled and then returned to prison for movement to free the Puerto Rican pushing the Puerto Ricans further towards Lopez directly told Ricardo Jimenez to "go refusing to abide by parole restrictions, is still Nationalist prisoners, Cancel Miranda, Lolita the camp of pro-independence struggle and home." But he and the other remaining imprisoned, having declined Clinton's offer Lebron, Irvin Flores and others, for whom opening further fissures in the U.S. itself in Puerto Rican prisoners must now become a to forgive a fine. So is Oscar Lopez Rivera, some of the current prisoners campaigned in favor of de-colonization for Puerto Rico. focus of the struggle. And that struggle must serving a 55-year sentence, who rejected the years before their own captivity. In be even more intimately connected to the Clinton's offer to serve 10 more years prior to particular, the National Committee to Free Rather than any calculation about the decolonization and self-determination of release. POW Carlos Alberto Torres, serving Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and political value of the release for Hillary in a Puerto Rico. Clinton was forced to act a 70-year sentence, was described by the Prisoners of War persevered in the face of US Senate run, what probably made up because of the strength of the Puerto Rican White House as the leader of the "Fuerzas condemnations of the FALN as terrorists, Clinton’s mind was the re-emergence of movement and its allies. But he was able to Armadas de liberación Nacional," (FALN) COINTELPRO operations against it by the armed struggle on the island. The recent pick and choose whom he would release and and denied even a conditional clemency FBI, occasional political divisions among period has seen organizing from what conditions he would try to impose offer. Jose Solis, recently imprisoned in an Puerto Rican independentistas in the U.S., clandestinity, connected to struggles over because there has not been a significant, FBI frame-up, was apparently not considered and all other obstacles. Certainly other forces Vieques and the mass, worker-led movement widespread anti-colonial movement in the for clemency. Also still behind bars is also played a key role, particularly the forces and general strike against privatization of the U.S. agitating against the empire and in favor Haydee Beltran, arrested with a number of in Puerto Rico itself who made the prisoners phone system. Clinton’s fear of NOT of independence for Puerto Rico It is the the others. She had asked that her case not be household words and symbols of Puerto releasing the prisoners was well-founded in U.S. flag which flies illegitimately over included in the campaign to free political Rican identity. the political climate in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico: the U.S. military, particularly prisoners and POW's, but clearly the the Navy, which illegally occupies Puerto campaign to win the freedom of the Puerto What probably pushed the campaign for This fear on Clinton's part reflects the Rico, and therefore it is the U.S. people who Rican independentistas remaining in release over the top was the convergence of importance of understanding that the U.S. is must step forward to oppose U.S. captivity must now include her. And the the issue of the freedom fighters' unjust an empire, with all the vulnerabilities that colonialism in Puerto Rico. eleven who were released still face captivity with the demand to get the U.S. empires have. Every empire in history has illegitimate restrictions on their ability to Navy out of the Puerto Rican island of crumbled to dust because it is impossible to This is not only out of a sense of obligation, associate with each other and with other Vieques. Both issues, intimately connected to sustain indefinitely the domination over but out of an understanding that the leaders of the Puerto Rican independence the colonial domination of Puerto Rico by the colonized people. Control over Puerto Rico oppressive power that the U.S. government movement such as Rafael Cancel Miranda, U.S., achieved near-unanimous support has been a strength of the US empire, such and corporations exert in Puerto Rico is the one of the Puerto Rican Nationalist prisoners among the Puerto Rican people after decades as projecting its military strength into the same power that victimizes, oppresses and released unconditionally by Pres. Jimmy of patient agitation, led by independentistas. Caribbean, but it is turning into a weakness. exploits people inside the U.S. as well. In an Carter 20 years ago. Puerto Ricans of all party affiliations and This becomes an insoluble contradiction. The empire, there are no citizens, only subjects. positions on the status question were US corporate efforts to privatize the Puerto Defeating the empire in Puerto Rico will help WHY AND HOW THE VICTORY increasingly militant in their demand that Rican telephone system led to a general liberate us all. WAS WON their freedom fighters and national symbols strike initiated by the telephone workers be released and that the U.S. Navy stop union. The mobilizations over that issue, Finally, we need to understand and apply the Despite the conditions, the release represents bombing Vieques and return the land to along with Vieques and the prisoners' anti-colonial, anti-imperialist lessons of the a breakthrough in the struggle to gain Puerto Rican control. When Puerto Rican release, has led to the re-emergence of armed successful campaign to free many of the recognition that the U.S. holds political boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad won the struggle and organization in clandestinity in Puerto Rican political prisoners and POW's. prisoners and P.O.W.'s. "We think this is an welterweight boxing title from Oscar de la Puerto Rico. For Emperor Clinton, these The campaign was fundamentally grounded unprecedented, historic moment," said Hoya, a man at his shoulder was waving a were worrisome developments. in the colonial case of Puerto Rico and attorney Jan Susler, who represented the flag with the slogan "Pa: Para Vieques" — attracted adherents out of campaigns to prisoners and won them an unprecedented Peace fo r Vieques. Faced with this unanimity WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE confront the colonial conditions and conference call to discuss Clinton's offer. on both issues among Puerto Ricans, Clinton indignities experienced by the Puerto Rican "[T]he president of the United States ... was forced to conclude that the cost to the First of all, we must support and defend the people in their homeland and in the U S., so recognize[d] that men and women who have U.S. in Puerto Rico o f not acting was greater released prisoners in their efforts to that the prisoners came to represent the dedicated their lives to the freedom of their than any political price he might pay in the participate in and advance the struggle for dignity and pride of the Puerto Rican people.

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