Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Committee to Free Simón Trinidad. His birthday is July 30.

Colombian revolutionary Simón Trinidad has lived 75 years on this earth and his last 21 have been spent as a prisoner of the U.S. Empire. Once a valuable thinker and peace negotiator for the FARC-EP, four sham trials based on bogus charges saw a U.S. federal court eventually sentence Trinidad to 60 years in the Federal Supermax prison in Florence, CO. The terms of his imprisonment included the psychologically challenging isolation of Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) and the restrictive access to legal support. His U.S. lawyer battled and helped win him access to his Colombian lawyer working on his cases in the U.S.-support Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) handling peace, justice, and reconciliation.

The international campaign to support has yielded messages of solidarity from freed Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Rivera Lopez, a Nobel Peace laureate and numerous human rights activists from over 18 countries. The magistrate from the JEP, who also ruled Trinidad free of the charge of rebellion, have asked that the U.S. return him to share his knowledge and experience of the country’s past. He is seen as a key asset to the peace process.

A landmark event occurred in the fall of 2024 when current Colombian president Gustavo Petro made a formal request that the U.S. release Trinidad into Colombian custody. Outgoing U.S. president Biden did not commute nor pardon before he left office.

As Simón Trinidad remains strong and endures the conditions in the empire’s prison, we salute his courage to have served his people and continue to present the best of Colombia’s revolutionary heritage. We urge all progressive forces and supporters of human rights to demand that President Trump free Simón Trinidad.

Join us on X and social media platforms to use #FreeSimonTrinidad in your posts and stories and tag @FreeSimonTrinidad

#International #Colombia #PoliticalPrisoners #SimonTrinidad #NCFST #Feature

Fight Back! is circulating the following call for a Twitter storm in solidarity with Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad, a political prisoner held by the U.S. government in the Florence, Colorado supermax prison. The National Committee to Free Simon Trinidad

Please join our “Twitter Storm” on July, 30, 2023, from 9am to 9pm Eastern time. We are celebrating the 73rd birthday of Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad and demanding the U.S. government commute his sentence so he is free to return to Colombia.

The Committee is calling for a Twitter Storm with the following instructions:

1) On Twitter, start a new tweet:

Upload the Simon Trinidad flyer (the image above) and the information

2) In the text box, write “FreeSimonTrinidad” and tag U.S. President Biden “@POTUS” and Colombian President Petro “@petrogustavo”. Please also tag the Colombian court asking for Trinidad’s return “@JEP_Colombia”

3) Repeat as many times as you can to push the #FreeSimonTrinidad into trending

Who is Simon Trinidad?

Simón Trinidad is a Colombian revolutionary and political prisoner of the U.S. empire. He will pass his 73rd birthday in solitary confinement in a federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. Simón Trinidad, born Ricardo Palmera, is imprisoned following a bogus extradition to the United States in 2004. Trinidad was convicted on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to 60 years in a Washington D.C. courtroom because he was fighting in Colombia for the freedom of his own country. This year he is being requested by the Special Peace Jurisdiction Court (JEP) in Colombia to help move his country towards peace with justice. With the incoming Petro-Marquez administration and strong mass movements, the conditions have changed in favor toward Trinidad’s release and role as a peace negotiator. Now is the best and probably only chance he will have to be set free and contribute.

On his 73rd birthday, revolutionary and progressive forces are calling for a Twitter Storm, in Spanish a Twitazo, that will tag President Biden to do the right thing and set him free.

“Now is the best and probably only chance Simon Trinidad will have to be set free. He can make great contributions to peace with justice in Colombia. His voice is an important one for the future of all Colombians. We need action now!” said Tom Burke with the Committee to Free Simon Trinidad in Michigan.

#UnitedStates #PoliticalPrisoners #SimónTrinidad

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

Simón Trinidad, a Colombian revolutionary and political prisoner of the U.S. empire, will have his 72nd birthday in solitary confinement in a federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. Simón Trinidad, born Ricardo Palmera, is languishing in prison after a bogus extradition to the United States in 2004, convicted on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to 60 years. He has been requested by the Special Peace Jurisdiction Court (JEP) in Colombia to help rebuild his country toward a peace with justice. With the incoming Petro-Marquez administration and strong mass movements, the conditions have changed in favor toward Trinidad’s release and role as a peace negotiator.

On his 72nd birthday, revolutionary and progressive forces are calling for a Twitterstorm, in Spanish a Twitazo, that will tag President Biden in the following Tweet format:

#FreeSimonTrinidad @POTUS @SimonTrinidadLi

Free Simon Trinidad!

U.S. out of Colombia!

#UnitedStates #Colombia #PoliticalPrisoners #RicardoPalmera #SimónTrinidad

In response to the call for birthday greetings for political prisoner Simon Trinidad, The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera received a video message from freed Puerto Rican political prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera unjustly spent 35 years in U.S. prison for fighting for the independence of his homeland. Below is the transcription of the video message:

“I want to take this moment to wish a Happy Birthday to comrade Simón Trinidad. He is one of the heroes of our countries. He is one of the heroes who is imprisoned because he wants to fight for the independence and sovereignty of Colombia and for a better, more just world. I know that he is imprisoned in very difficult conditions because I was imprisoned there as well. I know it all too well. But, I know that he will endure all those difficulties in a place like that. I also know that he will not allow and has not allowed the U.S. government to break his spirit.

“I believe this moment is the time to say: this comrade, a revolutionary, a man who has dedicated the majority of his life to fight for a better, more just world – that he must be free, completely free. With his freedom, Colombia can continue fighting for their country and a better world. That is something that all of us must do, and if we want it, we have to stop the interference of the U.S. government in our countries.”

Simón Trinidad is languishing in the Florence, Colorado Supermax prison after a bogus extradition to the United States in 2004, convicted on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to 60 years. The Colombian revolutionary and political prisoner of the U.S. empire will have his 70th birthday in solitary confinement in a federal Supermax prison.

Organizers are asking people to email their birthday greetings for Simón to simontrinidadlibre@gmail.com before his birthday on July 30. On his birthday, the group is calling for a Twitterstorm, in Spanish a Twitazo, that will then post the greetings on their Twitter account @SimonTrinidadLi and ask people to use this Tweet format:

#FreeSimonTrinidad @realDonaldTrump

#UnitedStates #RicardoPalmera #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #PuertoRicanPrisoners #SimónTrinidad #OscarLopezRivera

En repuesta a la llamada por deseos por el cumpleaño del president politico Simón Trinidad, El Comité Nacional a Liberar Ricardo Palmera recibió un mensaje de video del preso politico Puerto Riqueño, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera injustamente pasó 35 años encarcelado en los EEUU por luchando la independencía de su patria. Abajo está la transcripción de su mensaje.

“Quiero tomar este momento para desear al de feliz cumpleaño compañero, Simón Trinidad. El es uno de los héroes de nuestros países, uno de los héroes que está preso porque quiere luchar por la independencía, la soberanía de Colombia y por un mundo mejor y más justo. Yo sé que [el cárcel] es un sitio difícil dónde está preso porque estuve ahí, lo conozco bien. Pero, yo sé que él se va aguantar todo lo difícil que es ese lugar. Y que no va a permitir, no ha permitido, que el gobierno estadounidense rompe su espiritú.

Creo en este momento de decir que este compañero, un revolucionario, un hombre que ha dedicado la mayor de su vida por un mundo mejor y más justo, él debe estar libre, en completa libertad. [Con él] se puedan seguir luchando por su Colombia y un mundo mejor. Algo que todos y todas debemos que hacer y si queremos parar la ingerencia del gobierno estadounidense en nuestros países.

Simón Trinidad está languidiciendo en Florence, Colorado en una Supermax prisión Federal déspues una extradición falsa en 2004, convicto por cargas falsas, y sentenciado por 60 años. El revolucionario Colombiano y preso politico del Empirio de los EEUU se va a pasar su 70 cumpleaño en confinamiento solitario.

Organizadores piden a las fuerzas progresivas y populares a mandar por email su deseos por su cumpleaño de Simón a simontrinidadlibre@gmail.com antes su recharges de cumple, el 30 de Julio. En está fecha el grupo está llamando por Twitazo en el Twitter con este formato:

#FreeSimonTrinidad @realDonaldTrump

#EstadosUnidos #RicardoPalmera #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #SimónTrinidad #OscarLopezRivera

Colombian revolutionary and political prisoner of the U.S. empire, Simón Trinidad, will have his 70th birthday in solitary confinement in a federal Supermax prison. Simón Trinidad, born Ricardo Palmera, is languishing in the Florence, Colorado Supermax prison after a bogus extradition to the United States in 2004, convicted on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to 60 years.

Organizers with the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera are asking people to email their birthday greetings for Simón to simontrinidadlibre@gmail.com before his birthday on July 30. On his birthday, the group is calling for a Twitterstorm, in Spanish a Twitazo, that will then post the greetings on their Twitter account @SimonTrinidadLi and ask people to use this Tweet format:

#FreeSimonTrinidad @realDonaldTrump

The signing of the 2016 Peace Accords has not made life more peaceful for working-class and poor Colombians. Paramilitaries, many times in coordination with the Colombian government, have killed nearly 800 social leaders from trade unions, environmental groups and indigenous rights organizations. To add to that, they have killed around 200 ex-combatants from the FARC as well. The election of ultra-right President Ivan Duque in 2018 has only led to an intensification of the murders, disappearances and intimidation.

That situation will only get worse with the recent arrival of a U.S. Security Force Assistance Brigade. It must also be noted that the SFAB is in eastern Colombia on the border with Venezuela, to coordinate activities among Colombian military, cartels and paramilitaries for the purposes of terrorizing Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution and movement toward socialism.

As these conditions unravel the Peace Accords, we demand that President Trump free Simón Trinidad and return a respected peace negotiator so that Colombia can chart a course for peace with justice.

Free Simon Trinidad! U.S. out of Colombia!

#UnitedStates #RicardoPalmera #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #SimónTrinidad