This is an interview with "Las Meet "Las Marianas"- Puerto RicanMarianas," women members of the Taller de Arte y Cultura in Women Build New Organizations Adjuntas, taped on Aug. 24, 1986. We spoke to Tinti Deya-Massol, Evelyn Perez, "Bechi" Torres, and Noemilda Velez (photo 1 to r) Free Puerto Rico!: You are an organization of women in the Taller de Arte y Cultura; can you tell us about your work and bow you came together as a group? B: We began by coming to the Taller de Arte y Cultura, and then we decided to form a group of wo- men who were part of the Taller to struggle shouldcr-to-shouldcr with our men. One day we decided to Newsletter of the New Movement in Solidarity call the group "Las Marianas" in with Puerto Rican honor ot Mariana Bracetti. Who Independence & Socialisnij was she? She was the one who November sewed the flag of the (irito de Lares. Free 1986 (The (irito dc Lares, Sept. 23, 1868, was the attempted uprising to de- clare an independent Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico! <-'d-) As more women were joining the Taller, we wanted to make our group bigger and support each other in dealing with our overall Trial Begins Dec 8 for Jaime, problem, the 2020 Plan. To struggle to a tiny maximum-security court- against the 2020 Plan not over the Oscar, Kojo room inside the Metropolitan Cor- heads of our men, but hand-in-hand rectional Center in Chicago to begin with them against the problems of The US government is taking proceedings on charges of conspir- this society. One of the main prob- every measure possible to stop the acy to effect the escape of Oscar lems is the plan for mining. We arc work of the Puerto Rican inde- and other prisoners from the totally opposed to mineral exploit- pendence movement. Right now Leavenworth F'ederal Penitentiary ation of Puerto Rico. And we arc- the government is pursuing a and conspiracy to purchase and willing to do whatever is necessary "continuing investigation" that has transport weapons and explosives. alongside the men, to struggle to charged a leader of the National The government has tried to stop this Plan. Committee to Free Puerto Rican isolate and weaken the prisoners I'PR!:Wby did you build an orga- P()\Vs with conspiracy. The case, in this case: Oscar has been video- nization for women? Through it in which the government claims taped while being strip-searched, you struggle against the 2020 Plan, a conspiracy including Puerto Rican and Kojo and Oscar were each but what Jo you project as your and New African prisoners and given only a third of the written direction in organizing? Arc there several North Americans, has been materials they needed on the case, particular issues for women that the excuse for violations of human while the prison guards read the you arc addressing? rights through a very high level of other third. The government has F: Well, the majority of us surveillance and spying. The Na- not even specified when it will women have to work in order that tional Committee has learned that hand over the thousands of pages our families have enough to eat. the Puerto Rican independence of documents they claim as We decided that although we were movement is the number one "proof" of the conspiracy. Federal all — men and women -- meeting priority of the FBI. Judge Hart expressed his "hope" together as part of the Taller, it On October 1, Puerto Rican that all materials would be made women met together, we could POW Oscar Lopez-Rivera, New available to the defendants and that bring more women into the work. African Political Prisoner Kojo the MCC would provide adequate We set up a series of activities like (s/n (trailing Brown), and National arrangements for the defendants to sewing or embroidery, a whole lot Coordinator of the National Com- prepare themselves, but was un- of activities where we learned to do mittee to Free Puerto Rican POWs, willing to make a more specific different things from each other. Jaime Delgado, were again brought cont. on p. 3 cont. on p. 4 First New Movement Work Brigade Goes to Puerto Rico In August and September, some struggle will not end until the the industrial "parks" being built members of the New Movement got entire 2020 Plan is defeated by around Ponce. Alexis Massoi the opportunity to see first-hand a free Puerto Rico. showed the New Movement how the US colony of Puerto Rico We were able to meet with several /ones which have been really works. We visited the is- many groups which form the Taller, developed for industrial, mining land in two work brigades, to learn including students who work in the and military use: land "frozen" about current conditions and to high schools to resist US military in the mining areas, barred for make a video documenting the recruitment and to show positive any use because of mining plans; facts of the 2020 Plan. The August alternatives for Puerto Rican youth, a water treatment plant that ad- group participated as delegates to and Las Marianas, a group which mits it is already unable to pro- the Encuentro Cariberio, a confer- incorporates women into the strug- cess the toxic chemicals that ence in support of Human Rights gle through cultural projects and it was created to handle; new and National Sovereignty in the education. The women of Las Mari- DuPont plants to make the same Caribbean and Latin America, anas and other women we inter- type of chemical herbicides that where we heard representatives of viewed pointed to the contin- caused the Bhopal disaster. Women 27 countries. The conference high- uing fight against forced steri- from Mayague/ told us they arc lighted the Puerto Rican POVVs and lization and to the importance being poisoned by toxic gas leaks Political Prisoners, climaxing in a of women in the struggle to in the pharmaceutical and cloth huge demonstration through the liberate the island. factories there. We talked to local streets of San Juan in support of We could see that Puerto Rico fishermen and community residents the independence activists arrested already bears the scars of the who are organizing to fight the in- on August 30, 1985. The second implementation of the 2020 Plan. stallation of Voice of America trans- New Movement work group parti- Near Adjuntas, we saw a super mitters in Cabo Rojo. In organizing cipated in the Grito de Lares cele- highway which is being built to to protect their health and environ- bration on September 23 and inter- handle heavy mining equipment. ment, local people have become viewed many activists. The visits We saw the US Army Corps of aware of the military role the US made us see that Puerto Rico is Engineers building a dam at has planned for this region of truly a Latin American nation, and Maragucz above the city of Ponce. Puerto Rico. We saw this in many we North Americans have to act to The construction has already dis- local struggles: Puerto Ricans are end the colonial control of Puerto placed 2500 families, in order uniting local issues into a larger Rico by this country. to generate electricity to supply cont. on p. 3 We focused our work on the 2020 Plan, which is already putting into place the infrastructure for a new stage of exploitation. The New Movement traveled to many "development sites" with Alexis Massoi of the Taller de Arte y Cultura of Adjuntas. The Taller has been at the forefront of the national struggle against the 2020 Plan. While the New Movement was in Puerto Rico, the Taller scored an important victory in their campaign to stop the strip- mining of the mountainous re- gion where Adjuntas is located: the colonial government an- nounced it would not permit mining, and said it would buy back the land from US mining companies to put it to agri- cultural and recreational use. Although this decision is a direct response to the massive organi- September 23, Lares — Hundreds assembled from all over the island to commemo- zing done by the Taller, Massoi rate the 118th anniversary of the first declaration of an independent Puerto Rico. and others pointed out that the The National Committee to Brigade from p. 2 Trial Begins from p. 1 Free Puerto Rican POWs has pub- understanding of the nature of order. He did order the trial to begin lished an analysis of this important colonialism on their island. When on December 8. Although Jaime case in their journal, Libertad. The we visited the squatter community Dclgado is out on bond, it is diffi- following is an excerpt from their of El Tuque, outside Ponce, we met cult for the three defendants to pre- explanation: people who have had to sci/e land pare themselves for this case under "While the ongoing attack clearly because of the lack of housing. the unprecedented restrictions the follows the FBI's decision to make They arc now struggling for water, MCC claims as "security measures." the Puerto Rican independence electricity and roads, and the colo- This include videotaping of any movement its number one priority, nial government is scheming to win persons who wish to witness the several things have become increas- their support by offering such proceedings, as well as metal ingly apparent. Chief among these services bit by bit. But in Villa detector searches conducted twice is the prosecution's motive behind Sin Micdo, in the northeastern on each person. Legal counselors the decision to drop all charges corner of the island, 350 comba- have reason to believe that even against companeras Viola Salgado tive and united families arc showing their conversations with the defen- and Dora Garcia-Lopez, originally that they can develop their com- dants have been subject to electronic arrested with Jaime Delgado on munity by themselves. They surveillance, a violation of what is July 3, 1986 in an exaggerated survived the assault by TAG squads considered "privileged communi- show of force. and National Guard that threw cation." The government has either been them off their land in 1981, and Despite these efforts by the forced by the weakness of its case are constructing a new Town US, the prisoners and Jaime have to drop the charges or — in a deadly Without Fear. remained strong. POW Oscar game of cat and mouse — is biding We saw what many Puerto Ricans Lopc/.-Rivcra reaffirmed his right its time while increasing surveillance think is a model of US plans for the to POW status under international in hopes of bring charges against island — the small island of Vieques, law, and Kojo also rejected US other compneros (including Viola where two-thirds of the land has jurisdiction over New Africans. and Dora) with a superseding indict- been taken for a US Navy base. We Oscar wrote about his reactions to ment at a later date. Given the met with local anti-Navy activists, abuses at the arraignment, Sept. 5: nature of the prosecution's argu- including Carlos Zcnon of the "despite the disagreeable experience ments, we can only assume the Vieques Foshermcn's Association. that I endured — insults and abuse worst. " He told us the US Navy is now at the hands of my jailers, practicing in the waters of Vieques even being videotaped while strip- WELCOME HOME, FELIX ROSA! in small PT-type boats, and he sug- searched — seeing the faces of so gested these would be used in ag- many loved ones dispelled the bad Puerto Rican political prisoner, gression against Nicaragua. The times 1 suffered. There was no Felix Rosa, also the brother of POW people of Vieques continue to justice in their alleged court, but Luis Rosa, was released on Friday, resist the Navy's plans, and they among a handful of human beings, October 17, from the Illinois State refuse to relinquish their island there was much sensitivity, respect Correctional Center at Lincoln, IL. despite Navy efforts to displace and love." He was met by a delegation of his them. family and community that in- cluded MLN Grand Jury resister m Julio Rosado and members of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican POWs. Felix had served six years in Illinois prison. He, of all the Puerto Ricans jailed for independence activities in the US, has served the longest sentence. His steadfastness in the face of continual harrassment inside the prison system has been a model for his community. We join in welcoming him back to his community, who provided him with a rousing welcome with music and greetings from many other prisoners, on the night of his release. August 30— Demonstration in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in support of the 16 Puerto Rican independence activists arrested 1 year ago. WYVVWWWWWWWWWWVV community and they weren't bad Marianas from P. i as others said they were. I went and We also learned about the 2020 I liked this movement, because it Plan and integrated ourselves and has been a movement that has other women into the Taller. liberated me from many things. B: For example, we'd get to- There are many things that are like gether and share our handicraft phantoms or fantasies; little by little skills, but then for new women, we'd you start seeing reality. We're not also always have an informal talk just confined to four walls, but we about the 2020 Plan how it have to see the reality all around us. would affect us. That's how we did That's why we're trying to draw it. We're like the ants: put one in more women into our work. the line and the others follow. So Women's Clinic (in I'.nglish) in the central mountain zone of Puerto Rico — a popu- we grew pretty big. lation control outpost and not a service "/ went and I liked this movement, for women to preserve their health. because it has ... liberated me from FPR!:Wc would like to ask about many things." some examples of how being part of this struggle has affected and has also had great women. Because N: You've asked me questions changed you. those same social and economic that I've never had a chance to think N: Puerto Rico, because of its conditions make people think the about before. There is one thing historical and social situation and only distinguished Puerto Ricans I'd like to add, about our work in its Spanish heritage, has a particu- are men. Even schools help create Las Marianas and the Taller. So lar vision of women. It is different this image. They never tell us any- many people ask us why we call from women in other continents. thing about women. Here at Casa ourselves an institute for art and They tell us women from the very Pueblo, we've brought historians culture when we are struggling beginning that the woman is for the and done research to give women against mining. And gradually I've home, to cook, to sew, to knit. this information. come to think that one of our most The man is the one on the street. B: The woman tends to get important responsibilities is the The man can participate in any hidden. How can we say the men stuggle to preserve our culture and kind of activity, but not the woman. are all-important when in this our language, just so that we can So. we had the problem of how to century — when we are living — the continue to live as a nation. We bring other women of our com- women arc making great strides and have to have a territory in common, munity to be active and enter the carrying out an important role? we have to defend our territory and Taller. How could we develop our Now a man works 8 hours and then not allow the mining, because that own ways and methods to raise the leaves his work, but women don't would destroy our territory. If it consciousciousness of women of leave their work ever. If they arc is destroyed, where would we base what we were facing as a society. supposed to make a home, then our culture. So then we wouldn't So we'd have a sewing workshop they never are off the job. have any culture either — therefore here at Casa Pueblo and women N: When the Taller began, the no nation. could say, "See, they're having a only women were Tinti and I. Both B: Why did I join Las Marianas? sewing circle. Let's go." If we had Bechi and Kvelyn here are examples Well, in grade school — I went to said "We're giving a speech about of women who have had to over- school originally in the US — they mineral exploitation," women come obstacles to be part of Las always had us pledge allegiance and would have said "No, that's for the Marianas and the Taller. sing the national anthem. Here in men." Kvcn though the situation B: In my case, it was that I Puerto Rico they don't do this. Kvcn the so-called Puerto Rican for women is changing slowly, this got interested. This was before anthem isn't the right one. The vision of men and women is the we had this house, and there were right one was written by Lola strongest in the interior of Puerto two offices. I had gotten to know Rodriguez de Tio and is very Rico —especially this mountainous Tinti before that, but I never came revolutionary. Here, during the region where we are. This is where to activities, because they always governorship of Luis Ferre, about the idea of different functions for tried to make people afraid of the twenty-five years into the Common- man and women is most rooted. Taller by saying they were bad — wealth, he rewrote the words to Another way we've tried to you know, like communists. But what we have now. struggle is by looking at women then one night one of the women FPR!: We have seen in the2020Plan who have been very important in told me about a night where there that there is a very high rate of our history. We started with was going to be a poetry reading. sterilization of women. Do you Puerto Rican history, with Mariana I'm a person who would go to any- encounter this as a problem among Bracctti, Julia de Burgos, so that cultural activity, because I like women here? we'd all realize that Puerto Rico those things. So I saw they were hasn't had just great men, but it offering cultural activities for our cont. on p. 5 feel terrible, because I wanted Marianas from P. 4 to have children - to experience Rights Conf. from p. 6 T: Yes, we do. Right now we the birth of my three. But they US aggression. The abuela from gave me no alternative but these are not working around this issue, Argentina told us that nearly half since we arc at a stage of building caesarcans. It's like they say I'm a million people had disappeared not as much of a woman because our work. But we are sponsoring a during the 4 successive military program next month where a they delivered the babies by dictatorships, and that the Argen- woman psychologist working on cacsarean. tine government still was not this issue is going to speak. We al- "One of our most important cooperating fully to prosecute the ways speak about sterili/.ation as responsibilities is the struggle to criminals or their masters. In Gua- genocide against our people when preserve our culture and our temala, the entire Maya Quiche ever we talk about the 2020 Plan. language, just so that we can con- population is being forced into B: The fact is that the center of tinue to live as a nation." "model villages" along the lines the island is where sterili/.ation is suggested by the US after its exper- the highest. Since there is so little ience of Viet Nam. All the dele- T: What F.velyn is telling you work here, many women say, "I gates united in condemning US shouldn't have children." The about is exactly what happens to intervention in Nicaragua and F.I government presents sterili/.ation as women who are stcrili/ed. A study Salvador. (Salvadoran delegates an economic alternative. But in has just been made here in Puerto were not able to attend, because Rico. One of the consequences of reality, when the government has the US announced they would be sterili/.ation is a big drop in the to evict people to start the mining, sent back to the Duartc government feeling of self-worth among the they'd rather have fewer people to of F.I Salvador — to face death or women. A very negative reper- evict. imprisonment.) cussion on the family, and it The Conference was a victory comes directly from this system for the Puerto Rican independence " an important point to tell our they have imposed on us. movement as well; delegates from north american sisters is that the F: An important point to all the countries are taking the woman is very important all around tell our north american sisters is message home that Puerto Rico is the world." that the woman is very important a sister Latin American nation, and all around the world. It's very that 88 years of US colonialism E: Also, Puerto Rico is number important for the women to have not taken away its desire to one in the rate of Caesarcan deli- struggle along with the men. Not be free. Delegates called for free- veries. During the cacsarean, it is for women's liberation that means dom for Puerto Rico and for all much easier and more practical to conquering the men, but for the the Puerto Ricans imprisoned for stcrili/.e the women. They almost liberation of the women to work the struggle to win that freedom. did the same thing to me, for together in the struggle with the In particular, the delegate from example. They gave me 3 C-sections men, a struggle we must join. Mexico agreed to add the demand and sterili/ed me. They made me That's where Las Marianas come of all the delegates to the request think that I shouldn't have more. from. that the Mexican government grant Now they do C-sections for any- B: See, here in Puerto Rico and political asylum to Puerto Rican thing. You go in for an X-ray or other Latin American countries, the freedom fighter (luillermo Morales, an exam and they want to get out man's machismo is what makes him and that he not be extradited to the knife. Some women they tell think he's superior and the strong the US. The conference as a whole that their baby is too big for regular one. But if we're all struggling passed resolutions calling for an end birth, or that the umbilical cord is together, and if the woman is to colonialism in the Americas by in the way, or whatever, as they working outside the home, then if 1992, the 500th anniversary of the told my sister-in-law. Others, of the man comes home first, he can "discovery" of America. That day course, arc necessary sometimes. cook and do what's needed. If I 500 years ago began the process of Right now there is tremendous help you, you help me — we are coloni/ation, but it also began the criticism about caesarcans. trying to develop a circle where birth process of all the Caribbean B: In fact, they gave me a love and solidarity are the basis of and Latin American nations. By caesarcan also. Now they tell the system. We're equal and just as 1992, we North Americans also me 8 or 9 vears later that I can't capable in culture, in work, in agree, all those nations should be risk another caesarean and the everything. But the struggle is not free of control b the US as well. doctor otters to sterilize me. to just get on top. 1:: Sometimes I feel terrible F.: No, but the struggle isn't because someone says to me, "You really just in the home. It's at the don't even know what it's like to level of our whole country. If we have a child, since they just put don't struggle together, we can't you out and cut out the baby." I ever defend our nation. So, on •mrnt with the struggle! Latin American Human Rights Conference Held in Puerto Rico Human-rights activists from 26 Latin American and Caribbean nations met in Puerto Rico at the end of August for the first Carib- bean and Latin American Con- ference for I luman Rights and National Sovereignty. The three- day conference, called by the Uni- tary Committee Against Repression (CUCRE), the Committee United for Kcumenical Action (CASEP), and noted Puerto Rican patriot Rafael Cancel Miranda, was dedi- cated to the 30 Puerto Rican P()\Vs and political prisoners in US pri- sons and — in the case of Guillermo Morales — in Mexico. Puerto Rican clergy, labor, independence organi- Delegate from Kolivia listens as Rosalinda Sato of C.UC.RI-. speaks to the Caribbean and l.iitin American ('.(inference on Human Rights and \ational zations sent 35 delegates, including Sovereignty on August 29 in I'ueito Rico the MLN and the National Commit- tee to Free Puerto Rican POWs. eluded Dominican labor lawyers, to control its economic and poli- Members of the New Movement a Haitian human-rights lawyer and tical life. The Hondurans and the were invited as solidarity delegates a Cuban church worker. Most Puerto Ricans both called for an from the US. were from non-governmental orga- end to the US use of their countries One of the grandmothers of the nizations. In the case of the as bases of aggression against their Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, representative from the Guatemala sister nations, and to US militari- a priest from Bolivia, a Colombian Human Rights Commission, she has zation of their societies. In almost lawyer representing political pri- to carry out her \vork in exile in every one of the countries of the soners were some of the South Managua. Americas, there are numerous poli- American delegates; a Honduran The delegates soon found many eal prisoners or disappeared, usually labor lawyer, a member of the problems in common. Repeatedly those who struggle to maintain National Assembly of Nicaragua, delegates criticized the US and the their indigenous or national cul- and a Panamanian human-rights International Monetary Fund for ture against exploitation by inter- worker were among the Central the most basic violations of their national economic control and Americans. The Caribbcans in- human rights -- the riiiht of a nation cont. on p. 5

The New Movement in Solidarity with Puerto Rican Independence and Socialism is a national organization that works to dcvcli.p understanding anil support for the struggle of the Puerto Kican people — invaded and seized In the US military in 1898 - to liberate their nation and to establish an independent socialist society. As North Americans, we in the New Movement work under the leadership of the Movimiento de Liberacion Naeional Puertorriqueno, a US-based organi/ation of Puerto Kican patriots. The New Movement chapters arc involved in many activities against US colonialism and US military intervention. We have written material, slide anil film programs on such topics as the 2020 Plan, the history of Puerto Rico and the independence movement. A new slide program entitled, "The Independence Movement through the f.ycs of Puerto Rican Women" is now available. Please write or call the chapter nearest you to set up a program and discussion. CHICAGO - Box 295, 2520 N. Lincoln, Chicago, II. 60614 Tel (312)278-6706 SAN FRANCISCO - 3543 18th St., No. 17, San Francisco, CA 94110 Tel(415)561-9055 NHW YORK - POI5 2512,Cadman Pla/a, Brooklyn, NY 11202 Tel(212)243-0202

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