“Frecuentemente se escuchan de horribles abusos de los derechos humanos en todo el mundo, pero a sólo dos horas de distancia se encuentra una de las violaciones más graves de los derechos humanos, que se encuentra en la prisión federal de máxima seguridad de Florence”, afirmó Mark Burton al inicio de su presentación sobre su cliente, el revolucionario colombiano Simón Trinidad.

Denver, CO – “You often hear of horrific human rights abuses around the world but just two hours down the road is one of the grossest violations of human rights, located at the federal supermax prison in Florence,” stated Mark Burton to open his presentation about his client, Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad.

Burton went on to describe to the attentive student crowd the inhumane conditions of the prolonged solitary confinement suffered by those who “are attempted to be thrown away and forgotten.” Although most of the world views prolonged solitary confinement as psychological torture, the U.S. does not.

With the death of Senator Piedad Cordoba, Colombia lost a great leader and friend of the people. For Simon Trinidad, Colombian revolutionary and prisoner of the U.S. empire, it was the sad loss of a valuable advocate.

Piedad Cordoba was found dead at her home by bodyguards on January 20, likely due to a heart attack. This was after a long life of struggle for the freedom of the Colombian people.

On January 2, 2004, under the orders of the U.S. government and the CIA, Ecuadorian and Colombian forces kidnapped and arrested Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad. 20 years detained and imprisoned is 20 too many. That needs to change immediately, and conditions are better than ever for activists in the U.S. and Colombia to push for his freedom.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Committee to Free Simón Trinidad.

On June 19, Gustavo Petro won the second round of the Colombian presidential election with over 50% of the vote. This is a historic victory because Colombia, unlike many other South American countries, including neighboring Venezuela, doesn’t have a history of leftists winning office.

Tucson, AZ – Despite massive amounts of corporate media propaganda, police crackdowns and right-wing violence, Colombians elected leftist Gustavo Petro as president in a runoff election on June 19. The new vice president is Francia Marquez Mina, an Afro-Colombian woman. This is the first time Colombia elected a president who is not from either the mainstream liberal or conservative parties.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from revolutionary and anti – imperialist organizations and parties in support of the people’s movement in Colombia. Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is among the signers.

On May 17, a U.S.-backed Colombian commando unit, acting like bounty hunters, illegally crossed into the Venezuelan state of Zulia to murder Colombian rebel leader Jesus Santrich. Like the criminal gangsters they are, the commandos cut off his left finger to verify his identity to claim the $1 million bounty cosponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Colombian President Ivan Duque.

Milwaukee, WI – On the sunny afternoon of May 10, members of the Milwaukee’s Colombian community, activists and supporters gathered at Walker’s Square Park on the Southside to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Colombia in the wake of the violent repression. Nearly 40 people joined the protest, including members of the Red Condor Collective, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, The People’s Revolution, and Our Wisconsin Revolution.