Return to Left Curve no. 23 Table of Contents
1998: A Report on the Conditions of Incarceration of the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and the Campaign for Their Release, Mindful of the Release of Political Prisoners Throughout the World
For most of the 15 Puerto Rican political prisoners, 1998 was their 18th year in prison. The passing of time doesn't make it easier: the ever-increasing petty and not-so-petty restrictions imposed by hostile keepers, the passing of loved ones, more missed birthdays, graduations. The conjuncture of a campaign with broad support and growing momentum, with the vociferous debate about the status of Puerto Rico on this 100th anniversary of U.S. occupation, led to the Clinton administration's commitment to make 1998 the year to decide on the long-pending petition for immediate and unconditional release of all 15 prisoners. The following overview - detailed, but by no means exhaustive - of the year with the prisoners and the campaign, juxtaposed (in italics) with accounts of what has happened with political prisoners in the rest of the world, will hopefully move you to push forward, with renewed energy and drive, the campaign for their release, such that the president will fulfill the commitment to make the decision.
In January, a new warden at USP Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, personally confronted Edwin Cortés, challenging him about his alleged influence over the Spanish-speaking prisoners, and threatening to lock him in segregation. The same day other supervisory staff likewise confronted him about prisoners' requests for a Spanish-speaking television station, asserting they thought Edwin was responsible for what they called this "organized effort" and threatening that if anything happened, they would place the blame squarely on his shoulders. The following day, guards thoroughly searched the cells occupied by Edwin, Alberto Rodríguez and Ricardo Jiménez.
The USP Lewisburg warden's assistant told a local newspaper, in a feature article about the prison, that Ricardo is one of their "notorious inmate[s]," at the same time admitting his political status, calling him a "political dissident from Puerto Rico's independence movement." Mocking staff then greeted him as "Mr. Notorious." Juan Segarra Palmer was transferred, at his request, from FCI Marianna, Florida, to FCI Coleman, Florida. After ten days in segregation, he was placed in the general population.
Media reports confirmed that in Lompoc, California, where Adolfo Matos has been held for the past 12 years, rates of lung cancer and respiratory disease are higher than normal, due to the high use of agricultural pesticides. That could explain Adolfo's development of a serious asthmatic condition.
The Bruderhof communities began regular pastoral visits with Alejandrina Torres at FCI Danbury, Connecticut. However, USP Marion, Illinois, spurned their efforts to interview Oscar López for an upcoming book about veterans.
Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, wrote to president Clinton urging the prisoners' release, noting that on the 100th anniversary of the relationship between the two countries, "many hope for signs of reconciliation. Your presidential decree of clemency for these prisoners would be such a sign."
Chicago's pro-independence community and the campaign for the prisoners' release remained under attack by the government, with public hearings alleging misuse of school funds, federal grand juries subpoenaing activists, an indictment and the threat of more.
Oscar turned 55, marking the 16th birthday in prison, while the campaign in Puerto Rico celebrated his birthday with a lively gathering.
In February, staff at USP Lewisburg placed Alberto in segregation, holding him there a week, supposedly for writing a letter critical of the warden.
Rev. José Torres, Alejandrina's husband and Carlos Alberto's father, was hospitalized in Chicago for his out-of-control blood pressure.
Authorities at FCI Oxford, Wisconsin, required Carlos Alberto to submit to urinalysis and breathalyzer testing. The tests, of course, were negative.
At FCI, El Reno, Oklahoma, immediately following a visit, Elizam was required to submit to a "random" urinalysis. It, too, was negative.
Doña Ina Ortíz de Jesús, Elizam's 76 year old mother who resides in Puerto Rico, underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker.
Officials at USP Marion banned United Church of Christ minister Nozomi Ikuta from future visits with Oscar, asserting that her visit was not pastoral, but political. They also approved Oscar for graduation to the pretransfer unit.
A United Church of Christ delegation including the Bishop of Northern California visited the compañeras at FCI Dublin, California.
The Catholic church in New York City where Dylcia Pagán grew up held three masses in her honor, and her son Guillermo attended and addressed those gathered. The church also sent a letter to the president seeking her release.
Authorities at FCI Allenwood, Pennsylvania, released Antonio Camacho Negrón on mandatory supervised release after he completed 10 years of his 15 year sentence. Friends, family and the independence community welcomed him with open arms, first in Philadelphia, then in Puerto Rico. Arriving on the island, greeted by leaders of the campaign for the release of the political prisoners, by former political prisoners and national heroes, and by political and civic leaders, Antonio told the press, "I am happy to be back, but no one can be entirely happy while Puerto Rico remains a parcel, a little colony, of the United States." He also announced that he would not comply with the conditions attached to his release, denouncing their purpose as humiliating. The conditions included, among others, reporting to federal authorities within 72 hours of release and then reporting his whereabouts and employment, periodic meetings with probation officers, submitting to random urinalysis, limited travel, prohibited association with other former political prisoners. Although he simultaneously announced, "I'm not going to go back to living clandestinely," federal law enforcement hounded him, following him as he toured the island to speak at universities and other forums.
In February, as a result of the Pope's historic visit to Cuba, the Cuban government released 299 prisoners, including dozens of political detainees. The U.S., having insisted that the release be unconditional, waited to pass judgment to learn if a condition of release would be exile.
In March, Amnesty International's International Secretariat from London wrote to the director of the Bureau of Prisons inquiring about Oscar, stating, "Amnesty International believes that prolonged isolation and cellular confinement can have a damaging effect on the physical and mental health of those subjected to it and believes that no prisoner should be subjected to long term isolation. Furthermore, Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the allegations that Oscar Lopez' conditions of confinement are dictated by his political beliefs and affiliations."
USP Lewisburg staff marched Edwin, Ricardo and Alberto, each separately, to a locked grille at the side of the segregation unit while rifling through legal mail under the guise of searching it for suspected contraband, telling them only later that the canine patrol sniffed drugs. Staff told Edwin that if contraband was detected, he would be walked straight to segregation. Of course no contraband was detected, but the staff enjoyed the opportunity to flex its muscles. Lewisburg officials informed Rev. Nozomi Ikuta that she would not be permitted pastoral visits with Edwin because she represented a different faith than the one he belongs to.
The Pro-Independence University Federation [FUPI] approved a resolution calling for the release of the prisoners.
In Washington, D.C., thousands of people attended "Jericho," a gathering to rally support for all political prisoners and prisoners of war in U.S. prisons. Family members and committees from several cities represented campaigns for the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners.
Rev. José Torres, Alejandrina's husband and Carlos Alberto's father, was again hospitalized in Chicago for the same blood-pressure problem.
Attorney Eduardo Villanueva Muñoz traveled from Puerto Rico to California for legal visits with Carmen Valentín, Dylcia Pagán, Lucy Rodríguez and Alicia Rodríguez.
Elizam Escobar was one of twelve artists in "Puerto Rican Equation: Puerto Rican artists ponder on 100 years since the 1898 invasion" at Hunter College in New York.
Juan Segarra marked his 48th birthday; Edwin, his 43rd; Carmen, her 52nd, while the campaign in Puerto Rico convened a mass at Jesús Mediador in their names, with their families present.
In March, during president Clinton's trek through post-colonial Africa, he celebrated the world's most famous (now former) political prisoner Nelson Mandela. Emerging from the Robben Island prison where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, Mr. Clinton said, "Though you were locked in prison for a long time, you opened others' minds and hearts" and expressed his awe that Mr. Mandela had survived "without having his heart turned to stone, without giving up his dream for South Africa." Addressing South Africa's Parliament, Mr. Clinton said, "Mr. President, for millions upon millions of Americans, South Africa's story is embodied by your heroic sacrifice and your breathtaking walk out of the darkness and into the glorious light." At a state dinner, Mr. Clinton again saluted president Mandela, "for the power of your leadership and the power of your example."
In April, federal officials arrested an unarmed Antonio. Without giving him the opportunity to consult with his attorneys, authorities whisked him away immediately to the Miami Federal Detention Center [FDC]. FDC staff took him to court in Miami, where a magistrate judge ordered his return to Puerto Rico for hearing. A court clerk, instructing the magistrate that he had no jurisdiction over the parole matter, refused to write or enter the order. Charged with violating the conditions of his release by failing to report to the U.S. probation office within 72 hours of his release, he was held pendingthe Parole Commission's hearing. In the process of arrest and transfer, Antonio's prescription eyeglasses were broken, and he could not see to read. It would take months for the prison to get him new glasses.
At FCI Danbury, where Alejandrina is held, staff implemented a new requirement for how prisoners were to make their beds, but failed to adequately notify the prisoners of the change. As discipline for failing to comply with the new policy, Alejandrina was moved from a cell to a cubicle. The captain at USP Lewisburg, along with other "intelligence" staff, summoned Edwin to warn him he was identified as a "leader of the FALN" and as having influence over some segments of the population.
Many of the prisoners and their supporters fasted on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the April 4, 1980 arrests, as the campaign for their release convened vigils in Puerto Rico and throughout the U.S., including at the United Nations.
Elizam experienced the outbreak of chronic urticaria, a most uncomfortable allergic reaction, causing hives, itching and swelling, generally emerging at night. The night staff told him not to bother them for medical attention, even after medical providers told him he should seek attention at night when the symptoms appeared.
Oscar's interview with an Associated Press reporter was published in mainstream newspapers throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.
In Puerto Rico, the third Poets' Encounter was dedicated to two poets and to Elizam, with a commitment to dedicate every successive Encounter to Elizam until his release.
José Rivera, Chair of the Black and Hispanic Caucus of the New York City Council, wrote an eloquent, moving letter to president Clinton encouraging him to see the prisoners in the same light as he personally witnessed president Mandela, telling him: "Let my people go!" The President personally replied, stating, "I wanted to let you know that I do appreciate the seriousness of your concerns regarding political prisoners."
Elizam's work was seen alongside the work of Juán Sánchez and Ramón López, at the opening of "Images of Invasion" at the Pedro Albizu Campos Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture in Chicago.
Alberto turned 45; Ricardo, 42.
In April, in spite of unionist opposition claiming that early release of prisoners will "restart the guerrilla war," the British government released nine members of the IRA. All of them had been convicted of possessing arms and explosives. The release was seen as a measure to encourage Republican support for the peace process. Once Clinton emissary George Mitchell successfully brokered the peace accords - which included provisions that all political prisoners be released within two years, - President Clinton welcomed him to the White House and publicly praised his efforts.
Continuing its history of releasing Palestinian political prisoners as an incentive to the peace process, the Israeli government freed several Palestinians, including a man suspected of being one of the ranking leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
President Clinton announced that he was "enormously pleased" with the arrival in the U.S. of China's most prominent political prisoner, a goal his administration had worked hard to accomplish. But the administration would keep the pressure on China "to release more dissidents and to review the sentences of thousands of political prisoners," in exchange for easing economic sanctions.
Meanwhile, at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, the U.S. sponsored a resolution rebuking Cuba, insisting that it "promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms" and "release numerous persons detained for activities of a political nature." Apparently the rest of the commission did not feel the need for such a rebuke, as the resolution was voted down.
Iran released over 5,000 Iraqi prisoners of war in exchange for Iraq's release of over 300 seized in the Gulf War.
In May, due to Lewisburg's renovations of its decaying cellhouses, Ricardo was held in segregation for over a week for refusing a direct order when, without warning, staff cut short the time to find cellmates to double up with. His commissary privileges were also revoked for 30 days.
Authorities at FCI Oxford once again required Carlos Alberto to submit to urinalysis and breathalyzer testing. The tests, again, were negative. Oscar was placed in Marion's segregation unit under investigation for a fight the jailers knew he was not involved in, ransacking his cell in the 24 hours he was absent and destroying much property, including his art work.
White House officials express that the administration hopes to decide in 1998 on the pending application for the prisoners' release.
Antonio Martorell's exhibit, "Como Unión,"opened at the Museum of Art and History in San Juan, dedicated to the prisoners.
Several towns in Puerto Rico passed resolutions supporting the prisoners' release, including those with a pro-statehood majority.
ProLibertad sponsored a jazz and rap concert in New York City.
Edwin received a certificate of competency in the field of Electrical Occupations and passed the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) exam.
Alicia and Oscar figured prominently in an independently produced radio documentary, which aired on Chicago's public radio station, about the Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago where they lived and worked.
Elizam observed his 50th birthday, and the campaign in Puerto Rico convened a gala evening to mark the occasion, replete with music and poetry, surrounded by Elizam's paintings.
In May, as part of the peace process, Britain temporarily released seven IRA political prisoners from their prison cells so they could attend the Sinn Fein assembly. Four of them had been 24 years in prison.
Nigeria's military government announced the release of 142 prisoners, including some recognized by the U.S. as political prisoners. A Clinton State Department spokesman told the media, "What we've done is call for the release of all political prisoners, repeatedly," as a demonstration of a "genuine transition to civilian, democratic rule."
Immediately following the fall of the Suharto government in Indonesia, political prisoners were freed.
In June, Ricardo was abruptly transferred from Lewisburg, where he had spent close to 13 years. He was not permitted to pack any of his belongings, and thus lost much of his property. The trip was marked with pain in enduring not just metal handcuffs, but a black plastic box placed on top of them to even further restrict movement. On arrival at USP Terre Haute, Indiana, he had to make a new place for himself in a completely new setting.
Just as abruptly as Ricardo was moved from Lewisburg, so was Alberto, who had not been outside prison walls in 12 years. Destined for USP Beaumont, Texas, Alberto was held for 16 days in isolation at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City. Arriving at Beaumont, Puerto Rican prisoners embraced him, providing him with his basic needs. The unrequested transfer to such a distant location further isolates Alberto, making visits with his fiancée and family more difficult and expensive.
Officials at USP Marion moved Oscar to the pretransfer unit, where he was able to move without being handcuffed and escorted, and go to the dining room for meals instead of being fed in the cell.
A substantial delegation of the prisoners' children and grandchildren held impactful, emotional meetings with representatives of the White House and the Department of Justice, calling on them to release their loved ones. Recognizing the historical significance of 1998, White House representatives inform us that the administration wants to decide this year on the pending petition.
The New Independence Movement attended the Conference of the Non-Aligned Nations in Durban, South Africa, where they raised support for the prisoners' release, discussing the issue with world leaders.
They also handed to President Mandela a letter seeking his endorsement for the prisoners' release, signed by Puerto Rican independence leaders and former political prisoners.
The youth of the Puerto Rican pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party called for the release of the prisoners.
In Chicago, several boroughs in New York, and other cities, support committees leafletted, sponsored floats and collected signatures on letters to the President during Puerto Rican Day Parades.
ProLibertad sponsored a jazz benefit concert and a salsa dance in New York City.
The Houston Chronicle featured an interview with Oscar in a front page report entitled "Prisoners of Conscience."
In Chicago, Don Bernardo Rodríguez, father of Lucy and Alicia, underwent two surgeries to remove pressure on his brain due to a hematoma which caused stroke-like symptoms and nearly cost him his life. During his six week hospitalization, they were not able to maintain regular contact with him.
Carmen Valentín's sister Eva, whose diabetes led to organ failure, passed away.
Alejandrina observed her 59th birthday.
In June, Nigeria's new military leader ordered the release of nine of his country's most prominent political prisoners, including those convicted of treason, in order to "facilitate the process of national reconciliation and reconstruction." Later in the month, the government released 17 more political prisoners.
In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission listened as high officials of the apartheid regime earned amnesty for revealing their crimes, including a decorated colonel distinguished as "one of apartheid's most notorious killers," and scientists who conspired with government officials to develop plots to kill anti- apartheid leaders and their movement followers.
Indonesia released around a dozen East Timorese political prisoners, imprisoned for their independence struggle, in connection with discussions to resolve the status of that country.
In July, in the midst of a summer heat wave, Alejandrina and the 1,200 other prisoners at FCI Danbury went without water for 24 hours when a valve was left open and the prison had no emergency plan in place. An official's response to a question about bottled water evoked, "You can't just go buy it for 1,200 inmates. Federal purchasing requirements are very complicated."
Activities surrounding the July 25 commemoration of 100 years of U.S. colonial occupation of Puerto Rico generated much media attention about the prisoners, and their voices were heard at the rally in Washington as well as on "Latino USA" on National Public Radio and WBAI radio in New York. In Washington, after congressional representatives Luis Gutiérrez and Nydia Velázquez held a press conference to open the weekend festivities and to call for the prisoners' release, thousands from all over the U.S. joined the prisoners' families, marching in front of the White House, convening a rousing religious service - where the Bruderhof children's songs brought people to their feet - and march, and hearing messages from and about the prisoners as well as a concert with Roy Brown. In New York, thousands of supporters gathered at the United Nations, while in San Francisco, supporters held a week long series of cultural and political events, a march and rally, and an interfaith vigil. In Guánica, Puerto Rico, thousands gathered to protest continued U.S. occupation and to demand the prisoners' release, while from the podium speakers echoed this theme. The First International Congress in Solidarity with the Independence of Puerto Rico passed a resolution supporting their release, as did the International Youth Congress in Support of Independence for Puerto Rico. The group, comprised of representatives of the Permanent Conference of Latin American Political Parties and the Socialist International, and countries throughout Latin America and Europe, expressed that their release would be welcome as a "gesture of justice and good will" in relation to resolving the status of Puerto Rico.
The Santa Barbara News Press interviewed Adolfo and featured him on its front page under the caption "A Soldier For Our Freedom."
As part of its exploration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Puerto Rico, Spanish television Antena 3 interviewed Juan and aired a segment featuring him.
FCI Danbury officials threatened to place Alejandrina in segregation because a thoughtful journalist seeking a telephone interview with her had sent her a money order, believing that, as in most of the federal prison system, she would have to pay for her own call. Prisoners are not permitted to accept compensation for media coverage. The letter accompanying the money order clearly specified it was for the telephone and not for compensation. To avoid complications, Alejandrina returned the money order.
National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," which was to have aired an independently produced radio documentary featuring Alicia, postponed the piece and has not committed to a certain date.
Elizam participated in "Ame-Rican Borders: Puerto Rican artists ponder on 100 years since the 1998 invasion" at Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia.
Lucy observed her 48th birthday.
In July, the British agreed to release 400 political prisoners, including members of the IRA in prison for their clandestine efforts to end British colonial control over Ireland.
In Nigeria, with the consensus of the country's political, civic and traditional leaders, the secretary general of the United Nations was negotiating the release of approximately 250 political prisoners, seen as key in the "transition to democracy."
South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission pardoned and released four men serving 18 year sentences for the political murder of a white U.S. student in 1993.
In August, after twelve years in total isolation at USP Marion, Illinois, and ADX Florence, Colorado, the Bureau of Prisons finally relented and transferred Oscar López to USP Terre Haute, Indiana, a maximum security open-population prison. Before placing him in the general population, however, a captain told him that in the event of any demonstrations at the prison, he would lock Oscar in segregation. After a week in segregation, Oscar was placed in the same unit with Ricardo. They celebrated a warm reunion after 18 years apart.
Officials at USP Lewisburg placed Edwin on special monitoring status, the "High Accountability Movement Pass System," requiring him to check in with staff every two hours. In the ten years Edwin had previously spent at Lewisburg, he was never placed on such restrictive status. The reason provided: "you are a high ranking member of the FALN ... a disruptive terrorist organization."
When Edwin passed a Time magazine to another prisoner at breakfast, a lieutenant at USP Lewisburg, claiming he suspected he had passed drugs, forced both of them to strip. He was undoubtedly disappointed, as no drugs had been passed, and none were found.
During a post-visit strip search of Alejandrina, an officer at FCI Danbury who touched her ear and shoulder and verbally threatened her had her placed in segregation when Alejandrina told her not to touch her and not to wave her finger menacingly in her face. She was released to the population a week later.
At the United Nations Decolonization Committee's annual hearing on the status of Puerto Rico, many presentations called for the release of the prisoners as part of the decolonization process.
The Latino caucus of the American Federation of Labor [AFL-CIO] passed a resolution calling for the prisoners' release.
The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement [AFL-CIO], San Francisco Chapter, also passed a resolution supporting the prisoners' release, and submitted their resolution to the organization's annual convention.
The Labor Party passed a similar resolution.
The Masonic Lodge in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, sent to President Clinton a resolution urging him to release the prisoners.
Temple University press published The Puerto Rican Movement: Voices from the Diaspora, edited by Andrés Torres and José Velázquez, including essays by and about the prisoners and the historical context of their struggle.
A delegation from the United Church of Christ Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries, including Rev. Dr. Tom Dipko, visited with Lucy, Alicia, Carmen and Dylcia at FCI Dublin.
Carmen, Dylcia, Lucy, Alicia, Elizam and Oscar participated in an exhibit dedicated to Doña Isabel Rosado at the Galería Isabel Rosado in Chicago.
Elizam exhibited in "100 en la sien: 10 artistas ante el 98," at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
Luis Rosa, arrested at the age 19, the youngest of the prisoners, turned 38 - half of his life behind bars.
In August, as a result of United Nations brokered discussions hoping to resolve the Indonesian colonial occupation of East Timor, the Indonesian foreign minister, acknowledging his government's amnesty for political prisoners, said he expected that imprisoned independence fighter Xanana Gusmao would be released "as part and parcel of an overall solution to the East Timor question."
In September, Oscar's daughter Clarisa traveled from Puerto Rico to have her first contact visit with him in twelve years. Accompanied by Lucy Rodríguez' son Damián, the first day of the planned three-day visit went without incident. The next day, however, the prison had initiated a new technology to screen visitors. The Ion Track Itemiser supposedly detected contraband on Clarisa and Damián - who had been in contact with no contraband - and prison officials turned them away, saying they could return only after 48 hours, by which time Clarisa would be on her way back to Puerto Rico.
Alejandrina, who had experienced inordinate delays in obtaining medical attention for several conditions, was finally given medical exams, and only as a result of her attorney's letter to officials.
U.S. congressional representatives Gutiérrez, Velásquez and Serrano, along with state, municipal and local elected officials and Puerto Rican community leaders, sent a letter to President Clinton seeking a meeting to discuss the release of the prisoners.
An ecumenical religious delegation met with the compañeras at FCI Dublin.
Hebe Pastor de Bonafini, one of Argentina's courageous Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, visited Puerto Rico to address the Bar Association and to meet with the campaign for the prisoners' release.
While addressing a conference at the Central University of Bayamoón on Puerto Rican theology, Don Pedro Casaldáliga, a Catholic bishop from Brazil, read a sonnet and offered a message of hope and solidarity for the prisoners.
The campaign's coordinator, Dr. Luis Nieves Falcón, represented the campaign at the International Encounter for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Latin America, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Those in attendance committed to meet with U.S. ambassadors in their respective countries to seek the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners.
The Nicaraguan People's Assembly of God, a grouping of lay and Christian institutions, passed a resolution supporting the release of the prisoners.
Eduardo Villanueva dedicated his election as President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association to the political prisoners.
On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the arrest of the Macheteros, Juan was interviewed by an EFE reporter, and articles appeared in the San Juan Star and El Vocero.
In connection with the Critical Resistance conference in the Bay Area, Rafael Cancel Miranda and José López visited with Carmen, Dylcia, Lucy and Alicia. Not only did they speak at the conference about the prisoners, but Pacifica Radio carried their voices across the country. Workshops at the conference not only featured the prisoners' case and the campaign for release, but at one, women political prisoners, including the Puerto Rican women, participated by telephone.
Elizam's exhibit "Series Alternas" opened at Casa de Arte y Cultura Calles y Sueños in Chicago.
Carlos Alberto turned 46; Adolfo, 48.
In September, the British government released six prisoners pursuant to the peace accord. "Most of those released had served only a third of their sentences for a range of crimes, ranging from extortion and 'gross bodily harm' to bombings and attempted murders."
In Beirut, for "pure humanitarian reasons," the Israeli-allied militia released "one of Lebanon's most prominent prisoners" after ten years in prison for shooting and wounding the militia's leader. Emerging defiant and without regret, Soha Bishara proclaimed, "It was our duty to liberate our land.... from the start I did not consider it a crime."
President Clinton and the U.S. Congress presented South Africa's President Nelson Mandela with the Congressional Gold Medal - its highest honor - "for ending apartheid and promoting reconciliation in South Africa."
The Taliban militia freed five Iranians "in a gesture to ease tense relations" and in the hopes that Iran would free some of its Taliban prisoners.
In October, at his home in Lajas, Puerto Rico, Adolfo's father died of a sudden, massive heart attack - the same way Adolfo's mother had died in 1994. The prison was on lockdown, and Adolfo had no access to the telephone. Although a chaplain permitted him to make a brief call to his family, prison officials promptly denied the request to attend the funeral, refusing to even offer a reason. Even though the lockdown ban on visits was in effect, the chaplain facilitated a visit from a Chicago compañera, who had planned to see Adolfo before learning of his father's death.
The Parole Commission convened its violation hearing with Antonio, eight months following his arrest. Although he was charged with only a technical violation--failing to report - and no new "criminal" conduct, and although the Commission's guidelines call for a prison sentence within the range of four to eight months, the hearing examiner recommended four years. At the site of the hearing in Puerto Rico, the campaign held a militant picket. At Miami FDC, where he has had no access to fresh air, sunshine, or outside recreation, he awaits the Commission's final decision.
USP Terre Haute officials summoned Oscar to the lieutenant's office, where the head of the canine patrol ordered Oscar to strip, surrender his underwear, and rub a piece of gauze over his body to collect his scent. The officer then placed the gauze and underwear into a plastic bag and menacingly told Oscar that if he ever escaped, the dogs would hunt him down.
Officials at USP Terre Haute informed Rev. Nozomi Ikuta that she would not be permitted pastoral visits with Oscar or Ricardo because, in their view, her visits were "political" and not religious.
Oscar and Lucy, who have been corresponding with each other from their various prisons, given their recognized common-law relationship, must reapply for permission to communicate each time one of them is transferred. Although Oscar was transferred two months earlier, permission had yet to be accorded.
At Lewisburg, authorities wrongly accused Edwin of possessing contraband. It was prescription medication that belonged to his cellmate. They later expunged the report.
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archbishop of the Detroit Diocese of the Catholic Church, visited the compañeras at FCI Dublin.
During a peace demonstration at the Pentagon, members of Resistance in Brooklyn participated in a sit-in, in support of the prisoners' release, blocked the road and were arrested for civil disobedience. CNN aired excerpts of Dr. Nieves Falcón's speech at the rally.
At a related peace conference in Washington, workshops about the prisoners and the colonial case of Puerto Rico were included.
In connection with the debate about the status of Puerto Rico, many groups and individuals called for the prisoners release, including Congressman Gutiérrez, the
Conference of Religious Persons of Puerto Rico, the youth organization of the New Independentist Movement.
Edwin's father underwent triple bypass cardiac surgery in San Juan, at the same time his mother was receiving treatment for her arthritis.
Luis, and the entire population at USPLeavenworth, were locked down for a week, forcing him to postpone long-planned family visits.
Gloria Mock traveled from Puerto Rico to Florida to visit with Juan.
The Permanent Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Political Parties (COPPPAL) sent a letter to President Clinton urging the prisoners' release, both as "a humanitarian act and as a demonstration of good will toward the necessary decolonization of Puerto Rico." Said Senator Rubén Berríos, "If President Clinton was wondering what the entire hemisphere was thinking about this issue; now he knows."
An expanded "Images of Invasion," with Elizam as one of three artists, opened at Chicago's School of the Art Institute, a venue rarely offered to Puerto Rican artists.
Alicia became 44 years old; Dylcia, 52; Antonio also turned 52.
In October, a U.S. federal judge granted bail to three members of the IRA who were being held pending extradition to Britain for their escape from British prisons, where they were serving time for murder and possessing explosives. The U.S. judge opined that these three would likely be released under the terms of the peace accords.
Israeli President Netanyahu and Palestinian President Arafat met with Clinton administration mediators at the Wye River retreat: protesters in Palestine demanded that the release of its prisoners be a priority in the discussions.
In a conciliatory gesture, the Spanish government transferred four Basque ETA political prisoners to prisons in the Basque region, where they could be closer to their families and communities.
In November, staff upped the ante on Oscar's special monitoring status. Instead of requiring him to check in within fifteen minutes of the hour every two hours, staff on one watch permitted no grace period; and, although they know quite well who Oscar is, require him to state his name and prison number. They do not provide him with, nor do they make available for purchase, any watch with an alarm setting.
The National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners, Comité 98, and other support groups convened demonstrations for the prisoners' release at many of the prisons where the prisoners are held. At Miami's Federal Detention Center, where Antonio has been held since his rearrest, officials locked him in segregation for seven days and threatened to punish him for anything that should take place. At USP Lompoc, officials placed Adolfo in segregation, although he had violated no prison rule. Likewise, at USP Leavenworth, officials placed Luis in segregation immediately following the gathering near that prison and held him there for 11 days.
At Lewisburg, authorities accused Edwin of committing a "safety" violation when, as all prisoners routinely do, he hung a sheet in front of the cell window at the time he was using the toilet. They later expunged the report.
FCI El Reno authorities placed Elizam on special monitoring status for his visits, although they readily admitted that nothing had ever happened in the 12 years he has been having visits there to warrant the increased vigilance. "He's on the 'hot list'," was the sole justification offered.
The campaign in Puerto Rico made the prisoners' presence felt at the International Puerto Rican Book Fair, staffing a kiosk with literature and art, videos and information.
Senator Rubén Berríos, upon being elected President of the Latin American and Caribbean Section of the Socialist International, declared, "From my position now in the Socialist International, I am going to insist on the freedom of the political prisoners and the demilitarization of Puerto Rico."
ProLibertad convened an organizers' conference and Walk for Freedom in New York City.
Latina magazine published an article featuring Dylcia, Carmen, Alicia and Lucy, quoting at length from interviews with each of them.
Telemundo in New Jersey aired a four-segment series on the prisoners, featuring Edwin and Alejandrina, interviewed especially for these segments. The series is to be aired in Puerto Rico and Chicago as well.
The Jersey City, New Jersey, city council passed a resolution calling for the release of the prisoners.
The Pakistani and Indian Associations at Harvard and MIT, convened for a conference on state violence, passed a resolution calling for the prisoners' release.
At a meeting in Puerto Rico of theologians from all over Latin America, Dr. Nieves Falcón made a presentation about the prisoners, and 35 theologians committed to ask their parishioners to write to the U.S. President to urge the prisoners' release.
The Communist Party of Canada passed a resolution urging the release of the prisoners.
New York City Councilman José Rivera published an article calling for the prisoners' release in Viva, the bilingual supplement to the New York Daily News.
Articles about the prisoners, including interviews with key figures in the campaign and with family members, appeared in hip-hop magazines The Source and XXL.
A Chicago Magazine article examined the role of the political indictment of professor José Solís in the context of the ongoing attacks on Chicago's pro-independence Puerto Rican community and the campaign for the prisoners' release.
"Iberoamérica pinta," the UNESCO-sponsored exhibit traveling to more than 20 countries, opened at Museo de las Américas in Viejo San Juan, with Elizam as the only Puerto Rican among the 63 artists who illustrated Periolibros. At the time of the opening, an interview with Elizam appeared in El Nuevo Día.
"The Role of Paper: Affirmation and Identity in Chicano and Boricua Art" opened in San Juan, including two of Elizam's posters. He participated in another exhibit which opened in San Juan, "100 años después... 100 artistas contemporáneos: reflexiones en torno a la presencia norteamericana." An interview with Elizam appeared in the University of Chicago student paper, Free Press.
In November, the Israeli government committed to releasing 750 Palestinian political prisoners, as part of the peace agreement facilitated by the Clinton administration. Two hundred fifty prisoners were then released, though Palestinians protested that Israelis released too many social prisoners in place of political prisoners. The government of Cuba freed two political prisoners for "humanitarian reasons" after the Spanish foreign minister urged their release.
In December, the Puerto Rican Bar Association announced its report concluding that the status vote on December 13 does not comply with international law mandating decolonization, and that the U.S.'s holding the fifteen political prisoners is contrary to the decolonization process. The Bar Association expressed its intention to present its conclusions to the United Nations at the 1999 hearings of the Decolonization Committee.
The National Committee took a break from its annual Christmas fundraising to collect money for the prisoners' commissary funds and presented a workshop in Chicago at "Stand Together for Human Rights: the Midwest Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
ProLibertad and LaTea sponsored an evening of music and poetry in New York City.
For the 10th, the National Committee, church leaders, elected officials, family members and supporters have planned an ecumenical service at the chapel of the United Nations, to be followed by a rally at the U.N.'s Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, where 100 prominent national and international personalities will convene for a ceremonial signing of a declaration of support for the prisoners' release, to be sent to President Clinton. ProLibertad has also planned an activity at the United Nations.
At the same time, the campaign in Puerto Rico has planned a picket at the U.S. courthouse, as well as a television program to air on the university station.
Front page news in Puerto Rico read, "At the point of a Presidential pardon," citing New York City Councilman José Rivera's "open letter that the White House has indicated that a decision about amnesty could take place before the end of 1998."
The prisoners prepare for the holidays, for most of them the 18th season apart from their families and communities.
Will the Clinton administration fulfill its commitment to act in this historically significant year and decide on the pending application for the unconditional release of Antonio, Edwin, Alejandrina, Luis, Alberto, Dylcia, Adolfo, Alicia, Ricardo, Juan, Elizam, Lucy, Oscar, Carlos Alberto, and Carmen?
Will you join in the ongoing efforts to urge their release?
- Jan Susler, December 5, 1998
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Jan Susler is an attorney for the People's Law Office in Chicago, IL.