Jim Byrne of Tucson, who helped organize the calls, said, “The U.S. government freeing Simon Trinidad will add to the process of achieving a lasting peace with justice in Colombia. It is time for the president to act.”

The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera said in their statement, “Ricardo Palmera, popularly known as Simon Trinidad in Colombia, is a political prisoner of the U.S. government. Simon Trinidad is being tortured in solitary confinement in the Florence, Colorado supermax prison.”

Negotiations between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government are making slow but steady progress. The U.S. recently sent a special envoy to work with the Colombian government as they talk with FARC. Now Simon Trinidad is needed to add momentum to the process. Trinidad participated in past peace negotiations and is an important leader to many of the poor, farmers, and working-class Colombians.

“I just sent this announcement out to the Latin American Solidarity Committee (LASC) list in Milwaukee so hopefully we can generate some more calls. The LASC has always worked for peace and social justice,” posted Babette Grunow after making her call to President Obama at the White House.

For more information, https://www.facebook.com/SupportTheColombiaPeaceProcess or www.freericardopalmera.org

#DenverCO #AntiwarMovement #FARCEP #Colombia #RicardoPalmera #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #SimónTrinidad #Americas

Please call the White House and say: “I want President Obama to support peace in Colombia, to free Colombian political prisoner Simon Trinidad. Simon Trinidad belongs at the peace negotiating table not in solitary confinement.”

Explanation:

We support the Colombian Peace Process and the people’s movements of Colombia in the struggle for peace with justice. We call for an end to the repression of the Marcha Patriótica and other social movements and groups in Colombia now.

We demand the U.S. release Simon Trinidad

Ricardo Palmera, popularly known as Simon Trinidad in Colombia, is a political prisoner of the U.S. government. Simon Trinidad is being tortured in solitary confinement in the Florence, Colorado supermax prison. Trinidad beat the U.S. government in three out of four court trials.

As the negotiations between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government continue in Cuba, Simon Trinidad is needed in the process. Trinidad participated in past negotiations, represents the people’s movement history, and is essential to the outcome. The FARC-EP is demanding Trinidad (Ricardo Palmera) be present at the peace talks table. For a lasting peace with justice in Colombia, the U.S. government must release Simon Trinidad.

We demand an end to Plan Colombia

We oppose the U.S. interference and military intervention in Colombia, called Plan Colombia. We demand the U.S. government stop funding, arming, training, and directing the Colombian military. Bring the U.S. military advisors and troops in Colombia home now, and end the extraditions of Colombians to the U.S.

The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera at www.Freericardopalmera.org

#UnitedStates #PoliticalPrisoners #RicardoPalmera #PeoplesStruggles #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #SimónTrinidad

We support the Colombian Peace Process and the people’s movements of Colombia in the struggle for peace with justice. We call for an end to the repression of the Marcha Patriótica and other social movements and groups in Colombia now.

We demand an end to Plan Colombia

We oppose the U.S. interference and military intervention in Colombia, called Plan Colombia. We demand the U.S. government stop funding, arming, training, and directing the Colombian military. Bring the U.S. military advisors and troops in Colombia home now, and end the extraditions of Colombians to the U.S.

We demand the U.S. release Ricardo Palmera

Ricardo Palmera, popularly known as Simon Trinidad in Colombia, is a political prisoner of the U.S. government. Palmera is being tortured in solitary confinement in the Florence, Colorado supermax prison. Palmera beat the U.S. government in three out of four court trials.

As the negotiations between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government continue in Cuba, Ricardo Palmera is needed in the process. Palmera participated in past negotiations, represents the people’s movement history, and is essential to the outcome. The FARC-EP is demanding Ricardo Palmera (Simon Trinidad) be present at the peace talks table. For a lasting peace with justice in Colombia, the U.S. government must release Ricardo Palmera.

The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera at www.Freericardopalmera.org

#UnitedStates #Colombia #RicardoPalmera #PeoplesStruggles #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #PoliticalRepression #PoliticalPrisoners

Over the past six months the revolutionaries of FARC have held exploratory talks with Colombian government representatives of President Santos. Negotiations will take place in October in Oslo, Norway, to be followed by more negotiations in Havana, Cuba, with Venezuela and Chile acting as observers. The FARC is advancing a people’s agenda that includes land reform for family farms, good jobs, healthcare, education, housing and the eradication of poverty. There is a great need for guarantees concerning the assassination and murder of trade unionists, community organizers and political candidates.

Tom Burke of the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera said, “The U.S. government has no right to put Colombian revolutionaries on trial or in prison. The U.S. should pursue the crimes against and murders of union workers, poor peasants and indigenous people by Chiquita, Coca-Cola, Drummond Coal and big U.S. oil companies. The U.S. government ignores those crimes while militarily fighting the FARC and wrongfully punishing revolutionary leaders like Professor Palmera. The U.S. government should set Ricardo Palmera free immediately so he can plan a role in negotiations.”

The current FARC/Colombian government agreement advocates “Bilateral and definitive cease of fire and hostilities,” so the FARC proposed a bi-lateral cease-fire this week. President Santos immediately rejected it and demanded a one-sided cease-fire by FARC. President Santos’ negative response makes it likely these negotiations will be a contentious process.

The last time peace negotiations took place in 1998-2002, the FARC continued to wage war against the Colombian military. A decade before that, the FARC called a ceasefire in the mid-1980s while negotiating. This ceasefire led to the formation of Colombia’s most successful left political party, the Patriotic Union. However the Patriotic Union suffered close to 5000 assassinations and murders at the hands of the Colombian military and government death squads over the next few years. It was at this time that Ricardo Palmera left the Patriotic Union and joined the FARC in fighting the corrupt Colombian government. The U.S. government continues to spend nearly $1 billion per year funding, arming, training and directing the Colombian military.

#Colombia #RicardoPalmera #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #RevolutionaryArmedForcesOfColombiaPeoplesArmyFARCEP #PoliticalPrisoners

Burke’s presentation dealt extensively with the U.S.-funded war against trade unionists and farmers that is being conducted in Colombia. He detailed atrocities such the mass murder of trade unionists and the use of chemical herbicides to decimate crop production in the countryside.

Having provided Utah Valley University students with a background in Colombian politics, Burke went on to explain the plight of Ricardo Palmera, a peace negotiator for the FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group. Palmera was kidnapped and brought to the U.S., given an unfair trial and is currently being held in the Supermax prison in Colorado.

“Ricardo Palmera is a hero in every since of the word. He has devoted his entire life to the fight to free Colombia from exploitation and oppression,” said Burke.

Burke also spoke about the campaign of repression being carried out by the FBI against members of the Twin-Cities Anti-War Committee, the Colombia Action Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera, the Palestine Solidarity Group and Students for a Democratic Society.

Burke encouraged solidarity with these activists, who have been the subject of raids and grand jury subpoenas and spoke of the need for activists across the country to be vocal in denouncing the grand jury witch hunt.

Burke’s visit to Utah Valley University has helped raise awareness about these issues and encourage the students here to join in the struggle to free Ricardo Palmera and stop FBI repression.

#OremUT #InJusticeSystem #Colombia #RicardoPalmera #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #PoliticalPrisoners #TomBurke #September24FBIRaids #Americas