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

We hail with revolutionary fervor the long-overdue release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the indomitable Lebanese resistance fighter who, after 41 years of unjust imprisonment in the dungeons of the French state, walks free at last. His liberation is not a gift from the oppressors – it is a victory wrestled from the jaws of imperialist vengeance through decades of struggle, solidarity, and resistance.

A stalwart champion of the Palestinian cause, Abdallah engaged in the struggle as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (LRAF).

As confirmed by Al Akhbar, the Paris Court of Appeal finally concluded Abdallah’s legal ordeal on July 18, 2025, clearing the way for his release on July 25—more than four decades after the French state, in collusion with U.S. and Zionist interests, sought to bury him alive for his role in the anti-imperialist and Palestinian liberation struggle.

Georges Abdallah is not merely a former political prisoner—he is a living symbol of revolutionary resilience, unyielding patience, and principled commitment to the people’s right to freedom, democracy, dignity, and national independence. Despite being eligible for parole since 1999, Abdallah refused to renounce his convictions. He did not beg for mercy—he stood firm, proud, and uncompromising, even when the prison walls sought to crush his spirit.

His release is not a closure—it is a clarion call. It ignites the flame of struggle against imperialism, Zionism, and all reactionary forces. It affirms the justness of armed and unarmed resistance against occupation, colonization, and exploitation. It is a tribute to the martyrs and comrades who gave their lives for liberation and a reminder that the struggle continues until all chains are broken.

We welcome Georges Abdallah’s return to Lebanon with clenched fists and open arms. The sea of red flags, Palestinian banners, and revolutionary songs that greeted him are testament to the enduring unity of the peoples’ struggles across borders. His freedom belongs not only to Lebanon, but to Palestine, to the oppressed masses of the Arab world, and to all those who resist imperialist domination.

As we celebrate this moment, we issue a renewed and militant call to action: Free all political prisoners! Intensify the global resistance! Fight imperialism in all its forms! Let the legacy of Georges Abdallah inspire new generations to rise, organize, and resist without compromise.

Signed,

International League of Peoples’ Struggle

#International #Lebanon #ILPS #PoliticalPrisoners #PFLP #LRAF #GeorgesAbdallah #Palestine

San Jose, CA – On the evening of Monday, April 21, 30 people gathered at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center for the Mumia Freedom Tour hosted by the Freedom From Frame-Up Foundation. The focus of the event is to center the wrongful imprisonment of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a prolific journalist and Black Panther political prisoner, who has been held captive in Pennsylvania prisons for over 43 years.

Jamal Ibn Mumia, Abu-Jamal’s eldest son who is spearheading the foundation’s tour and campaign, started off the event with an energizing and unifying chant, “Free Mumia!”

Mumia expressed that a reinvigorated campaign is needed to fight for Abu-Jamal’s freedom and win his unconditional release from prison. The Mumia Freedom Tour will continue in other locations in the U.S. to garner broad public support. Mumia reminded the attendees saying, “as revolutionaries, we unify – that’s what makes us strong cuz our message is justice not for a few, but for all.”

The first part of the program featured a screening of Manufacturing Guilt – A Short Film About Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Case, telling the story of how Abu-Jamal was framed for the killing of a police officer and ,through an egregious absence of due process, was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. The screening also detailed how there was no evidence presented that incriminates Abu-Jamal.

After the short film, Rachel Wolkenstein, a previous lawyer for Abu-Jamal’s case, spoke about the grave injustice that he faced for his initial sentencing saying, “Mumia was the only [victim] in the United States to actually be sentenced to death for his association with the Black Panther Party. No previous criminal charges except for this one.”

The evening continued with a spoken word performance from Oakland artist Epitome and a fundraiser for the Mumia Freedom Tour, which will make stops around the Bay Area before continuing across the country.

#SanJoseCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #MumiAbuJamal

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, April 19, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids to commemorate Palestine Prisoners’ Day. The event began with a teach-in on the history of Prisoners’ Day and its importance to the national liberation struggle.

Afterwards, people began writing letters to two groups of recipients. First, letters were drafted to the Filton 18. This group of activists were arrested in Britain for targeting an Elbit Systems facility and have been subjected to solitary confinement and interrogation while they await trial.

When asked why it’s important to support international activists, Tamara Miller from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) stated: “The Filton 18 risked their lives and their futures for the Palestinian people. Anyone who is opposing genocide needs to know their story. They are just regular people, a welder, a pre-school teacher, a script writer, students and parents. Supporting them with letters of solidarity, love and hope is the least we can do.”

Letters were also written in support of the Nobel Peace Prize nominations of Jeff Halper, Issa Amro, and the California Hunger Strikers – the first two being Palestinian liberation activists and the later being a group of eight prisoners who, through use of hunger strikes in 2011 and 2013, made important strides for multinational prisoner unity within California Prisons and jails.

Palestine Prisoners Day has been celebrated every year on April 17 since 1974. It marks the date when Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first prisoner to be exchanged between Palestine and the occupation, was released.

As of April 2025, close to 10,000 political prisoners are being held in Israeli dungeons and 3500 more are being held on “administrative detention” – a blatant trick to detain people without charging them.

Asked as to why it’s important to honor Palestine Prisoner’s Day in the U.S., Michelle Ender from PSGR stated, “The experience of incarcerated Palestinians highlights the absolute horrors of the illegal Israeli occupation, but more importantly, showcases the unwavering resilience and strength of the resistance. From tent walls to prison walls, the Palestinian people continue to fight for their right to exist.”

“We have a lot to learn from the Palestinian prisoners’ struggle.” Ender continued. “The U.S. has the largest prisoner population in the entire world. It overwhelmingly imprisons Black and other nationally oppressed people while forcing them to work for close to no pay in private prisons. Now we’re seeing the Trump regime illegally sending folks like Kilmar Abrego Garcia to jail in El Salvador. We have to stand up for all political prisoners.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PoliticalPrisoners

San Jose, CA – On April 19, around 30 people gathered at the Arab American Cultural Center in San Jose for an educational community event to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day. The event focused on the case of famed Palestinian political leader and longtime political prisoner Marwan Bargouthi, who has been imprisoned by Israel on false charges for over 20 years due to his role as a leader during the Second Intifada.

Palestinian Prisoners Day, commemorated annually on April 17, was established in 1974 as a day dedicated to the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners and support for their rights. According to the most recent available statistics from this past December, 9619 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli custody, Bargouthi among them.

The evening began with a screening of Tomorrow’s Freedom, a documentary which tells the story of Bargouthi and his family, as he endures harsh prison conditions and organizes his fellow prisoners in a hunger strike. The film also shed light on Bargouthi’s long history as an organizer and leader in Palestine, beginning with his days of student activism at Birzeit University, his work as a politician in the 1990s, and his role as a leader of the Second Intifada in 2000-01.

Bargouthi was arrested by Israel in 2002 and subject to an unfair trial, resulting in a five consecutive life sentences. The film follows his wife and sons as they navigate Israel’s discriminatory prison visitation system, advocate for his freedom internationally, and suffer the pain of his absence in their family. The film culminates with Bargouthi undertaking a hunger strike with his fellow prisoners in protest of their living conditions, as his family worries for his health.

After the film, organizers held a question and answer session with Bargouthi’s niece, Areej Bargouthi, who provided updates and answers about his case via Zoom. “There is not any kind of communication with my uncle [since 2022], through me or the whole family,” she explained. “Not even phone calls, or visiting the jail at all.”

“They don’t have any rights. They don’t have the right to see their families,” Areej Bargouthi stated. “They used to have a break, around 45 minutes, to walk outside. Now they don’t have anything. They give them just a small piece of bread with a few olives for the whole day, and that’s it. Prisoners come out having lost 50 or 60 pounds.”

The evening’s discussion was particularly timely, as Israel’s assault on Gaza has halted the prisoner exchanges that took place during the ceasefire. These prisoner exchanges resulted in the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including Palestinian political leader Khalida Jarrar of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and caused speculation that Marwan Bargouthi may be a candidate for release in future prisoner exchange negotiations.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PoliticalPrisoners

San Jose, CA – 30 community members gathered at the San Jose Peace and Justice center, February 22, to celebrate the release of Leonard Peltier from prison and his return home.

Peltier, a leader of the American Indian Movement, had been the longest-held political prisoner in the U.S. After five decades of constant advocacy from activists worldwide calling for his release, Peltier finally returned home on February 18 after former President Biden commuted his sentence just before leaving office.

Members of the community gathered to watch a video of Peltier's welcome home celebration, hosted by the NDN Collective on the Turtle Mountain reservation, in North Dakota. After the video, the crowd assembled outside to watch a series of spoken word, dance and musical performances to celebrate the occasion.

Donna Wallach, a leading organizer with Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley, said, “I’m so happy. I won’t say I never gave up but I always had it in my mind that he was going to get free. If he could struggle from inside for all that he’s been through then who am I to give up on his freedom? He sacrificed 50 years for unity and for freedom for indigenous people and their sovereignty.”

Wallach continued, “I think he will be a force to unite all the tribes together to lead the land back movement. Even with this horrendous administration we have right now – this is the struggle for sovereignty, land back and indigenous recognition.”

Bob Jung of Vigil for Gaza said, “This is great, people fight for social justice and it seems like there’s very few times we win and it’s time to really savor this.” Jung continued, “I’d like to see all the allies coming to support each other – whether it’s the American Indian Movement, immigration, or what’s going on in Palestine.”

Drusie Kazanova of San Jose Against War, which is a member organization of the International League of People’s Struggle, read the ILPS statement on Peltier's release. “While Biden was the one who signed the act to commute Leonard’s sentence, it is not due to any goodwill from the former president who poured endless amounts of money into the genocidal war on Palestine, sold off indigenous lands to fossil fuel corporations and led a campaign of massive state repression against peoples’ movements in the U.S. and abroad,”

Kazanova continued, “It was the mass movement that held high the demand to free Leonard while exposing the imperialist system for keeping him imprisoned unjustly for a crime that was widely known to have been charged under falsified evidence.”

After the performances the event included a open mic segment for community members to speak their mind in honor of Peltier’s freedom.

Wallach expressed the desire to continue organizing to shine a light on other political prisoners such as Mumia Abu Jamal, The Holy Land 5 and many others.

#SanJoseCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #LeonardPeltier

Fight Back! is circulating this timely statement from the Committee to Free Simon Trinidad.

Call President Biden at 202-456-1111 and ask him to “Free Simon Trinidad!” Call between 11am-3pm Eastern, from Tuesday, December 10 to Thursday, December12.

Leave your message to “Free Simon Trinidad!” on the White House comment line. Now is the time to call before President Biden leaves the White House in January 2024.

Say: “I call on President Biden to ‘Free Simon Trinidad’ so he can return home to Colombia and strengthen the ongoing peace process. 20 years in lock down is too long. Please honor the request of Colombian President Petro for Simon Trinidad’s return. Trinidad was ordered to testify at the special court of justice (JEP) in Bogota, Colombia. Give the gift of peace these holidays! Free Simon Trinidad!”

Who is Simon Trinidad?

Known popularly as Simon Trinidad, he is a Colombian revolutionary and political prisoner of the U.S. held in the Supermax Prison in Florence, Colorado. The U.S. government extradited, held four trials, and now imprisons Trinidad under his birth name of Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda (BPO No. 27896-016).

Simon Trinidad was a leader and peace negotiator for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC-EP). Prior to that, he spent his life organizing people for progressive causes and social change, including with the Patriotic Union (UP) political party.

What will he testify about at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP)?

Just as he did over the course of four trials in a Washington D.C. Federal Court, Trinidad will speak about his role in the FARC-EP revolutionary movement and then be cross-examined.

He can also detail the political violence against the Patriotic Union (UP) in the 1980’s and 1990’s when more than 4000 party activists, candidates, and elected officials were kidnapped, murdered, and assassinated. The Colombian government and right-wing repression closed the electoral avenue to change in this period. As a political candidate, Trinidad himself was a victim of this terror campaign and it caused him to join the rebel fighters of the FARC-EP at the age of 37.

Why ask President Biden now?

President Biden has the power to release Simon Trinidad in the last days of his term in the White House. It appears as a “now or never moment” for Trinidad and Colombia. We want Trinidad to return home to serve an important role: support and strengthen the ongoing Colombian peace process.

Biden is very familiar with U.S. policy in Colombia. Biden introduced Plan Colombia to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. war plan that spent 10 billion dollars to cause misery, poverty and death in Colombia. Joe Biden was then Vice President under President Obama when the U.S. supported the 2016 Peace Accords between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC-EP).

What does Colombia’s President Petro want?

Today, the ongoing Colombian peace process with the FARC-EP and the Colombian government faces great challenges. Once back in Colombia, Trinidad will participate in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a court backed by the Obama and Biden administrations to create justice and reconciliation.

Trinidad was left out of the peace negotiations between the Colombian Government and FARC-EP which resulted in an uneasy and sometimes faltering peace after 2016. A peace where the far-right paramilitaries continue to murder hundreds of former FARC-EP fighters who trusted the peace process by laying down their arms. The violence of the far-fight continues to claim labor and community leaders every single week to this day. Because of the lack of unity and trust, guerrilla groups like the ELN continue to fight in the countryside, and new ones, remnants of the FARC-EP are appearing.

What can we do?

The ongoing imprisonment of revolutionary Simon Trinidad is a violation of the sovereignty of Colombia. We can help end his imprisonment and now is the time.

Colombia’s President Petro and solidarity activists in the U.S. see Trinidad’s freedom and testimony as a way to reinforce the current peace efforts. Bringing Simon’s historical and institutional knowledge to the special court of the JEP would allow the country to hear and think about a better future. The weight of Simon Trinidad’s absence is heavy, and his leadership is sorely missed by those who he can rally, as well as others who he might persuade.

Freeing Simon Trinidad to face court proceedings under the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia will show consideration and goodwill from Biden as President of the United States. It will also strengthen the will of those who advocate for democracy in Colombia and in the U.S.

The Committee to Free Simon Trinidad!

info@freesimontrinidad.org and https://freesimontrinidad.org

#International #Colombia #SimonTrinidad #PoliticalPrisoners #Feature

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. “Addameer” is Arabic for conscience.

The Israeli occupation authorities have been isolating administrative detainee Khalida Jarrar in solitary confinement at Neve Tirtza isolation ward in Ramla prison for the 100th consecutive day under severe and inhumane conditions. On August 12, 2024, prison authorities stormed her cell at Damon prison and transferred her to an undisclosed location before informing her she was being moved to solitary confinement. Since then, Jarrar has remained in isolation with no explanation for the decision. Yesterday, it was revealed that her isolation period had been extended until December 17, 2024.

Jarrar has been confined for 100 days in a tiny isolation cell measuring only 2x1.5 meters, equipped with a small bathroom containing a toilet and shower. She suffers from breathing difficulties due to the lack of oxygen in the cell, which enters only through a small window. The prison administration provides her with food of extremely poor quality and in very limited quantities, ignoring her health condition, which requires a special diet. To this day, the occupation authorities have not provided her with her prescription eyeglasses or allowed her to receive books.

About a week ago, the Ramla prison administration abruptly changed the lighting system in her cell, keeping the light off during the day and on throughout the night, making it nearly impossible for her to sleep under the constant glare. This has further exacerbated her suffering in her already cramped and harsh living conditions. Moreover, the prison administration has denied her access to many essential items for personal hygiene, and she remains without her medical eyeglasses.

The policy of isolating detainees in Israeli occupation prisons is one of the oppressive practices used to punish prisoners. Detainees in solitary confinement are held in extremely small cells lacking even the minimum humane conditions, such as proper ventilation and adequate lighting. Isolation is employed as a tool of punishment and psychological torture, depriving prisoners of contact with the outside world and denying them basic necessities such as books and family visits. Detainees often endure prolonged periods of isolation that can last months or even years, without being charged or given a fair trial, leading to severe physical and psychological suffering.

Khalida Jarrar is a former prisoner and administrative detainee who has spent approximately five and a half years in Israeli prisons under administrative detention or fabricated charges. She was most recently arrested on December 26, 2023. Jarrar is a human rights and feminist activist and a former member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Addameer calls for the immediate release of Khalida Jarrar, who is arbitrarily detained without charge. The organization urges third-party states to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to end their targeting of Palestinian human rights defenders and their use of arbitrary administrative detention.

#AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #Addameer #PoliticalPrisoners

“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.

Burton continuó describiendo a la atenta multitud de estudiantes las condiciones inhumanas del aislamiento prolongado que sufren aquellos a quienes “se intenta desechar y olvidar”. Aunque la mayor parte del mundo considera el aislamiento prolongado como una tortura psicológica, Estados Unidos no lo considera así.

Trinidad llevó una vida relativamente cómoda como profesor y banquero en Colombia cuando su interés en trabajar para cambiar a Colombia lo llevó al movimiento electoral de la Unión Patriótica. Lamentablemente, la Unión Patriótica sufrió violencia masiva por parte de los escuadrones de la muerte de extrema derecha en los años 80. A la edad de 37 años, Simón escapó a las montañas para unirse al ejército popular de las FARC-EP. Continuó su papel como educador en la organización revolucionaria y sirvió como negociador de paz.

Las FARC-P lucharon por la nueva Colombia y en su momento controlaron casi un tercio del país, lo que representó un serio desafío para la oligarquía colombiana. Durante muchas administraciones, Estados Unidos buscó inclinar la balanza a favor de la élite rica. Esto tuvo su expresión más grave en el Plan Colombia, que financió, armó, entrenó y comandó a las fuerzas militares colombianas, bajo el disfraz de la “guerra contra las drogas”, en tácticas antiinsurgentes.

A fines de 2003, una operación de inteligencia coordinada por Estados Unidos secuestró a Trinidad en Ecuador y, finalmente, el presidente de extrema derecha Álvaro Uribe trabajó con Estados Unidos para extraditarlo y enfrentar una serie de cargos falsos.

Se necesitaron cuatro juicios y varios cambios en los cargos para condenar a Simón por secuestrar a contratistas militares estadounidenses que realizaban vuelos de reconocimiento sobre el territorio de las FARC-EP. Todavía no hay evidencia real para probar el caso de Estados Unidos. El gobierno de Estados Unidos le dio efectivamente una sentencia de cadena perpetua de 60 años.

A pesar de las graves injusticias, el clima político actual tanto en Colombia como en Estados Unidos presenta las mejores condiciones para liberar a Simón Trinidad desde su captura.

“Necesitamos un diálogo entre el presidente Petro y el presidente Biden sobre el importante papel que puede desempeñar Simón en el tribunal único conocido como la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz creada por los históricos Acuerdos de Paz de 2016. La experiencia de Simón como víctima de la violencia política en los años 80 y su conocimiento institucional de la guerra civil pueden movilizar y unir a muchos colombianos para apoyar el tambaleante proceso de paz”, agregó Burton.

Desde la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz a fines de 2016, las paramilitares de extrema derecha han continuado la violencia al matar a más de 1.300 líderes sociales y varios cientos de excombatientes de las FARC-EP que aceptaron deponer las armas. Mientras los escuadrones de la muerte aterrorizan a quienes trabajan por la paz, Simón Trinidad, un reconocido negociador de paz, languidece en una prisión en las montañas de Colorado.

El pueblo de Colombia está harto de la vieja forma de hacer las cosas. Años consecutivos de huelgas nacionales desafiaron el orden gobernante y trajeron una ola de cambios a la presidencia y vicepresidencia con la elección de Gustavo Petro y Francia Márquez. Claramente, la necesidad de paz con justicia y reconciliación es central en las mentes de los colombianos, ya que miles de personas se manifestaron en una vigilia en memoria de todas las víctimas de la extrema derecha desde la aprobación de los Acuerdos de Paz.

Con el apoyo social y político en Colombia y menos de 100 días en el mandato del presidente Biden, el momento de liberar a Simón Trinidad es ahora.

La multitud, compuesta por muchos capítulos de Estudiantes por una Sociedad Democrática (SDS) Nacional en colegios y universidades, rugió de aplausos cuando Burton concluyó con su compromiso de hacer “todo lo que sea posible y necesario para liberar a Simón Trinidad”.

El segundo día de la convención, SDS una vez más votó para apoyar el llamado del Comité Nacional para la Libertad de Trinidad con una resolución que describe la historia y la importancia de apoyar la paz con justicia en Colombia, y el papel central que Simón Trinidad debe desempeñar en eso.

La última sección de la resolución comienza así: “Simón Trinidad está ganando impulso popular ya que ahora tiene acceso a su abogado colombiano después de una demanda exitosa contra el gobierno de Estados Unidos. Necesitamos que el presidente colombiano Petro exija el regreso de Simón Trinidad en coordinación con la JEP. Necesitamos que el presidente de los Estados Unidos libere a Simón Trinidad. Pedimos a todas las fuerzas progresistas que difundan el llamado y exijan: ¡Libertad para Simón Trinidad!”.

Para obtener información sobre Simón Trinidad y la campaña para liberarlo, visite: www.freesimontrinidad.org

#International #Colombia #SimonTrinidad #PoliticalPrisoners #SDS #StudentMovement

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.

Trinidad led a relatively comfortable life as a professor and banker in Colombia when his interest in working to change Colombia brought him to the electoral movement of the Patriotic Union. Sadly, the Patriotic Union suffered massive violence from far-right death squads in the 1980s. At the age of 37, Simon escaped to the mountains to join the people’s army of the FARC-EP. He continued his role as an educator with the revolutionary organization and served as a peace negotiator.

The FARC-P fought for new Colombia and once controlled nearly one-third of the country, presenting a serious challenge to the Colombian oligarchy. The U.S. across many administrations sought to tip the scales in favor of the rich elite. This saw its most serious expression in Plan Colombia, which funded, armed, trained and commanded Colombian military forces, under the guise of the “War on Drugs,” in anti-insurgency tactics.

In late 2003, a U.S.-coordinated intelligence operation kidnapped Trinidad in Ecuador and eventually far-right President Alvaro Uribe worked with the U.S. to extradite him to face a number of bogus charges.

It took four trials, and various changes in charges, to convict Simon of kidnapping U.S. military contractors who were doing reconnaissance flights over FARC-EP territory. There still remains no actual evidence to prove the U.S.’s case. The U.S. government effectively gave him a life sentence of 60 years.

Despite the grave injustices, the current political climate in both Colombia and the U.S. present the best conditions to Free Simon Trinidad since his capture.

“We need dialogue between President Petro and President Biden about the important role Simon can play in the unique court known as the Special Jurisdiction for Peace created by the historic 2016 Peace Accords. Simon’s experience as a victim of political violence in the 80s and his institutional knowledge of the civil war can rally and unite many Colombians to support the faltering peace process,” added Burton.

Since the signing of the Peace Accords in late 2016, far-right paramilities have continued the violence by killing well over 1300 social leaders and several hundreds of former FARC-EP fighters who agreed to lay down their arms. As the death squads terrorize those working toward peace, Simon Trinidad, a recognized peace negotiator, languishes in a prison in the mountains of Colorado.

The people of Colombia are fed up with the old way of things. Consecutive years of national strikes challenged the ruling order and brought a wave of change into the presidency and vice presidency with the election of Gustavo Petro and Francia Marquez. Clearly, the need for peace with justice and reconciliation is central on the minds of Colombians, as thousands demonstrated a remembrance vigil of all the victims of the far right since the passing of the Peace Accords.

With social and political support in Colombia and less than 100 days in President Biden’s term, the time to free Simon Trinidad is now.

The crowd, made up of many chapters of the National SDS on colleges and universities, roared their applause when Burton concluded with his commitment to do “all that is possible and necessary to free Simon Trinidad!”

On day two of the convention, SDS once again voted to support the call from the National Committee to Free Trinidad with a resolution that outlines the history and importance of supporting peace with justice in Colombia, and the central role Simon Trinidad must play in that.

The last section of the resolution begins: “Momentum is building for Simón Trinidad as he now has access to his Colombian lawyer after a successful lawsuit against the U.S. government. We need Colombian President Petro to demand the return of Simon Trinidad in coordination with the JEP. We need the United States President to free Simon Trinidad. We ask all progressive forces to spread the call and demand: Free Simón Trinidad!”

For information about Simon Trinidad and the campaign to free him please visit: www.freesimontrinidad.org

#International #Colombia #PoliticalPrisoners #SimonTrinidad #SDS #StudentMovement #Feature

Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the Israeli occupation for the abduction of Abla Sa’adat from her home in the West Bank. Abla Sa’adat is a steadfast opponent of apartheid Israel and the wife of Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

As resistance has intensified, so has repression. Israel currently holds about 10,000 Palestinians in prison, many without charges or anything resembling due process. Israeli prisons are hellscapes where torture is routine and the murder of prisoners by their jailers is commonplace. Zionist newspapers quote Israeli politicians calling for mass executions of those being held, and yet have the nerve to boast of their “values and morality.”

The genocide of Palestinians has been going on for close to a year. More than 41,000 are confirmed dead and many more are unaccounted for. This crime against humanity is facilitated by the U.S., by Biden and Harris, who send the money and weapons to make it happen.

Last year, on October 7, the world witnessed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a bold move by the Palestinian resistance to strike a blow for liberation. Since then, the power and tenacity of the Palestinian liberation movement has inspired people around the world. It is a beacon of hope to oppressed people everywhere.

In the coming weeks, there will be many protests and events in solidarity with Palestine, demanding an end to U.S. aid to Israel and that institutions of higher education cut all ties with Israeli apartheid. Progressives and revolutionaries should go all-out in building these demonstrations. They are absolutely needed. Authorities may try to interfere and respond with repression—those who do should be viewed with contempt and met with defiance.

The prisoners of Palestine are heroes. They are behind bars because they dare to fight for freedom.

Stand with the prisoners and demand their release!

Free Abla and Ahmad Sa’adat!

#International #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #PFLP #PoliticalPrisoners #AhmadSaadat #FRSO #Statement #Feature

San Jose, CA – Over two dozen people gathered in San Jose to demand the freedom of political prisoner Leonard Peltier on the 49th anniversary of the shootout at Pine Ridge, June 26. Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement who has been wrongfully imprisoned since 1978 after being framed for the killing of two FBI agents during the shootout.

Donna Wallach of the Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley began the program by describing the details of Leonard Peltier’s story. She recounted the brutal oppression that the Oglala Lakota people of Pine Ridge faced during the “Reign of Terror,” a period of intense violence, exploitation and attempts at land privatization during the years before the shootout. She spoke about how Leonard Peltier, as a leader of the American Indian Movement, resisted such oppression and organized his people to fight for their liberation. As a result, the U.S. government targeted him with political repression, as it so often does to leaders of national liberation movements.

The program continued with a land acknowledgement by Julie Dominguez, Muwekma-Ohlone tribal ambassador. The Muwekma-Ohlone are the indigenous people native to San Jose and the surrounding areas. She spoke about the oppression that her people have faced, from missionization by the Spanish up through their present-day struggle for federal recognition by the U.S. government.

Brian Smith of the Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley next read the statement written by Leonard Peltier for this year’s commemoration of the shootout.

Peltier wrote, “Oppression is rising, running like black mold through every facet of society. We must stand together and let society know that Indigenous lives are not cheap. The lives of our oppressed brothers and sisters are not cheap. All people are worthy of basic human dignity,” and “Colonialism has all but destroyed us. We must do nothing less than transform society into a place where human beings are not disposable.”

The next speaker was Dolly Robideau, Peltier’s aunt. She spoke about the ongoing repression that Peltier faces within the criminal justice system, from denial of parole to the withholding of medical treatment. She said, “I may be naive, but it recently occurred to me and seems abundantly clear to me that this is all about revenge with a capital ‘R’. It seems quite evident that justice has very little, if anything, to do with the criminal justice system’s treatment of Leonard.”

Tim Matson from South Bay Indigenous Solidarity then read dozens of names of those killed during the Reign of Terror on the Pine Ridge reservation. Trujillo Miguel Angel Vazquez and Patricia Vazquez performed songs and poetry about Leonard Peltier and Wounded Knee. Sharat Lin performed a dance in honor of Leonard Peltier and indigenous resistance around the world.

Next, Salem Ajluni, local Palestinian American activist, spoke about the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation against brutal oppression by Israel and its U.S. backers. He drew parallels between the struggles of Palestinians and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, in facing land theft and genocide.

Drusie Kazanova of Freedom Road Socialist Organization then gave a speech about the political repression faced by national liberation movements and their leaders. “As the crisis of imperialism sharpens, the U.S. government and its proxies have responded by cracking down hard upon national liberation movements and their leaders, from Leonard Peltier, to former Black Panther Mumia Abu Jamal, to General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmad Sadaat,” she continued, “Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with all peoples fighting for national liberation – both within the U.S. and abroad. We demand the release of all political prisoners that are part of the movements demanding self-determination for their peoples.”

Several members of Malaya South Bay also spoke about political repression within the Philippines, particularly targeting those resisting the Marcos-Duterte regime and fighting for Philippine national liberation against U.S. corporate and military interests.

On July 2, the United States Parole Commission announced that they once again failed to recommend Leonard Peltier, who is 79 years old, for release. In a statement released by Peltier’s lawyers, they pledged to appeal the decision, and quoted the words of Frederick Douglass: “What have those [that] I represent to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?”

#SanJoseCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #InjusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #LeonardPeltier #Feature

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.

Piedad Cordoba was a labor lawyer, activist and politician who stood for the independence and sovereignty of Colombia. She opposed U.S. intervention and Wall Street rule. She wanted a Colombia that was free and served the needs of the Colombian people instead of foreign corporations and billionaires. Like Presidents Chavez and Maduro in Venezuela, she was a Bolivarian revolutionary who wanted freedom from U.S. domination.

Last Saturday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro praised Senator Cordoba as one who “fought all her mature life for a more democratic society.”

As far back as 1997, Cordoba was a staunch opponent of laws allowing the extradition of Colombians to the U.S. She argued that Colombians uphold and rely on their own laws and courts to dispense justice, and that extradition violates Colombia’s legal sovereignty.

She was involved in humanitarian exchanges of prisoners between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army. Officially recognized as a go-between by the Colombian government of Alvaro Uribe, she was brave and effective. She worked with President Chavez of Venezuela and former Argentine President Kirchner on these projects.

Cordoba was a Colombian senator from 1994 to 2010, elected repeatedly with the left wing of the Liberal Party. Bold and outspoken, she publicly exposed Colombian President Uribe and many leading conservative politicians for having financial and political ties with the drug cartels and far-right paramilitary groups like the AUC. All this was known to the U.S. government.

The senator loudly opposed the U.S. war plan, Plan Colombia, which brought poverty, misery and death to Colombia’s countryside. Introduced to the U.S. Senate by Joe Biden in 1999, Plan Colombia spent more than $10 billion during the presidencies of Bush and Obama. Like other U.S. interventions, it was designed to roll back the gains of the expanding and advancing People’s Army. It also greatly expanded the war in Colombia, especially increasing the killing of trade unionists, peasant, indigenous, Afro-Colombian leaders, and many innocent civilians.

One of the more hideous results of Plan Colombia was the more than 1400 “false positives”. These were young people abducted and murdered by Colombian military officers, who were paid for every FARC rebel body they could produce. As both an intimidation tactic and financial gain, this wicked policy incentivized Colombian military leaders to coordinate the kidnapping and massacre of noncombatants, claiming them to be FARC members. Colombian military officers were trained in the United States at the notorious School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia.

President Uribe retaliated against Cordoba by stripping her senate seat first in 2005, and again in 2010. The Colombian Supreme Court restored her rights in 2016 due to a lack of evidence against her. This lifted an 18-year ban from holding office and she ran for the presidency in 2018. The recent election victory of President Petro allowed her to reclaim her senate seat.

Senator Cordoba campaigned in Colombia to free Simon Trinidad, currently held prisoner by the U.S. in a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. She visited Simon Trinidad in the Washington D.C. jail during the time when he faced four trials and was sentenced to 60 years in prison by a U.S. federal judge.

Trinidad was a FARC insurgent fighting a civil war in his own country, where the U.S. government was intervening to fund, arm and direct a war. The U.S. government was angry because three of its military contractors had been captured and held by the FARC. Trinidad’s imprisonment is seen as retaliation, even though the FARC has since signed a peace agreement and disbanded in 2016.

Piedad Cordoba lived a long life of struggle, dedicated to the people of Colombia. She was unstoppable: having been kidnapped by the AUC right-wing paramilitaries, exiled to Canada for over a year, surviving at least two assassination attempts, and still forcing the Colombian and U.S. governments to answer for their corruption and crimes. Piedad Cordoba’s legacy in Colombia will live on in the people’s movements for democracy and freedom from U.S. domination.

With the sad passing of Senator Piedad Cordoba, there will need to be a renewed effort to find leaders in Colombia who defend the sovereignty and independence of Colombia. The Colombian court formed by the Peace Accords, the Special Jurisdiction of Peace (JEP), has formally asked the U.S. government multiple times to allow Trinidad to participate. In September 2023, the Amnesty and Pardon Chamber of the JEP announced Trinidad as a member to appear before their transitional justice court. Weeks later Cordoba sent a letter to President Petro urging him to create the conditions for Trinidad to appear stating. “It would be very important for the country to know the truth about this former FARC member, who is willing to provide the whole truth.”

Perhaps President Gustavo Petro can honor Piedad Cordoba by finishing her work to “Free Simon Trinidad”? A fitting tribute would be for President Petro to request that President Biden send Simon Trinidad home to participate in the Colombian peace and reconciliation processes.

#International #Colombia #SimonTrinidad #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #Feature

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.

A member of the revolutionary organization and army of the people, the FARC, since 1987, Trinidad was a leading thinker and peace negotiator. Acting in that role, Trinidad’s and the FARC’s peace-seeking efforts have been routinely sabotaged by the U.S. government and the far-right Colombian oligarchy.

How does a Colombian revolutionary fighting for his own people, in his own country, end up on trial in the U.S.? After four sham trials in Washington D.C., Trinidad was sentenced to 60 years solitary confinement in the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

As Trinidad languished under repressive “Special Administrative Measures” in Colorado, the Colombian peace process bypassed him and was ratified in 2016. This was despite international solidarity activists and the FARC demanding Trinidad be freed to help Colombia navigate the difficult peace. The Colombian Peace Accords did lead to the creation of a special court, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). Now the JEP courts are calling for the U.S. government to allow Simon Trinidad to participate. The JEP wants to question Simon Trinidad in an effort to bring clarity, truth and justice.

There is a transformed political landscape in Colombia with a progressive, former guerrilla, former prisoner holding office. President Gustavo Petro is showing initiative and independence. Petro’s foreign minister, a conservative, is just the person to ask the U.S. government under President Joe Biden to repatriate Simon Trinidad back to Colombia. It is a good move to advance the continuing struggle for peace.

It is in these conditions that the movement to “Free Simon Trinidad!” finds itself. The situation is far more favorable than before. However, “where the broom does not reach, the dust will not sweep itself.”

We need to continue to organize and support Colombian requests to repatriate Simon Trinidad and pressure President Biden to oblige. To date, the JEP has yet to receive a response from the U.S. government since its first communication in March 2023 that it wants access to question Trinidad. Forces are in motion in Colombia, and activists in the U.S. need to do our part to demand freedom for an unjustly imprisoned revolutionary.

Let 2024 be the final year of U.S. imprisonment for Simon Trinidad!

#International #Colombia #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #SimonTrinidad #FARC #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

San Jose, CA – On June 26, around 35 people gathered at Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park in San Jose to honor political prisoner and American Indian Movement leader Leonard Peltier. The event was organized by Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley and Indian Health Center Silicon Valley on the 48th anniversary of the historic shootout at Oglala on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The rally was emceed by Donna Wallach, chair of Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley and longtime community organizer.

Julie Dominguez, Muwékma Ohlone Tribal Ambassador, commenced the event with a tribal land acknowledgment on behalf of the Muwékma Ohlone Tribe. Dominguez spoke about the Muwékma Ohlone’s relationship with the land of the South Bay area and its spiritual significance for her people. She also noted that the Muwékma Ohlone people are not merely a relic of the past, but are alive and thriving today in the San Jose. She reported that Muwékma Ohlone Tribal Chairwoman Charlene C. Nijmeh recently visited Washington D.C. to advocate for federal acknowledgment of the Muwékma Ohlone Tribe, but there is currently no path forward to achieve that demand.

California Spirit Ride Team members who recently participated in the 500 Mile American Indian Spiritual Marathon then led the crowd in an inspiring performance of the Leonard Peltier Honor Song.

The next speaker was Carol Robideau, White Earth Chippewa and Leonard Peltier's aunt. She spoke about how she was one of the legions of indigenous children forcibly separated from her family and tribe via predatory adoption practices in 1949. She did not even realize she was Leonard Peltier’s aunt until she reconnected with her family and tribe in 1994. Robideau recounted her fear that she may never be able to reunite with Peltier in-person, saying, “The horrible truth is, to me, that no matter which party has been in power over all of these years, there is no justice, no matter who is in charge.”

Brian Smith then read a statement written by Leonard Peltier in 2022. Donna Wallach reported that she was unable to contact Peltier to receive his annual statement for 2023, and that she assumes that he is most likely in lockdown in prison. In his 2022 statement, Peltier wrote about the importance of the next generation stepping up and becoming leaders. He also praised the Standing Rock movement for defending the right to clean, safe water for everyone and continuing the legacy of the American Indian Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Next, Manu Tonantzin read the names of 55 of the Lakota people who were killed during the Reign of Terror on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota between 1973 and 1976, noting that there were even more people killed whose names we do not know. Local organizer and peace activist Sharat Lin then performed his “Dance of Peace” to the song Reclamation by indigenous musician Lotus Sky. Trujillo Miguel Angel Vasquez and Patricia Vasquez then recited original poetry and songs in both English and Spanish, in honor of Wounded Knee and Leonard Peltier.

Finally, David Almeida from the San Jose State University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society spoke about the national campaign to defend the Tampa 5. The Tampa 5 are five student activists in Florida who are currently facing up to ten years in prison for protesting against Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on diversity, equality, inclusion (DEI) and multicultural programs. Almeida spoke about the importance of uniting to free all political prisoners. He stated that SDS stands in solidarity with Leonard Peltier and the movement to free him from wrongful imprisonment, saying, “We understand that political repression of one of us is political repression of all us.” He spoke about the importance of building a national campaign to support the Tampa 5, and noted how the case may set a precedent for further escalation of political repression nationwide if we do not unite to defend the democratic right to protest. He urged attendants to sign the petition (https://peoplespetitions.org/tampa5) and support their GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/5765e559). He also informed the crowd about an upcoming rally in support of the Tampa 5 at San Jose City Hall on July 9 at 2 p.m.

After the program, the crowd gathered to write postcards to President Biden demanding Leonard Peltier’s release and letters to Leonard Peltier in prison expressing their support and solidarity. There was a strong spirit of unity and mobilization in carrying on the fight to free Leonard Peltier, stand in solidarity with indigenous communities everywhere, and resist political repression at every turn.

#SanJoseCA #SDS #LeonardPeltier #SanJosé #PoliticalPrisoners

Santa Marta, Cabañas, El Salvador – On January 11, 2023, five environmental activists and community leaders from Santa Marta, Cabañas, El Salvador were arrested on bogus charges in a clear case of political persecution. They are still detained five months later and the movement to free them is growing around the world.

The men arrested – Antonio Pacheco, Saúl Rivas, Pedro Antonio Rivas, Alejandro Laínez and Miguel Gámez – are prominent leaders of the grassroots movement that won the world's first ban on metallic mining. The organization they’re part of, the Association for Social Economic Development (ADES), organized for years until succeeding in 2017 to get El Salvador to implement a country-wide ban on metallic mining due to the environmental damage it causes just to enrich multinational corporations.

There are strong signals that the current Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who also controls the country’s legislative assembly and the courts, wants to overturn the ban on mining. The arrest of the Santa Marta 5 appears to be an attempt to weaken the organized opposition to overturning the mining ban.

The Santa Marta 5 are facing dangerous conditions in El Salvador's prisons, and there has been a growing movement in El Salvador and internationally demanding their immediate release.

On June 11, the five-month anniversary of their arrest and detention, ADES released a statement saying, “For five months the Salvadoran government has mercilessly detained these five humble and brave fighters for social justice; the same heroes who saved the country from the horrific outcomes of metal mining in rural communities that was directly threatening the water, environment, agriculture and the continuity of life. Their work was key to demonstrating the infeasibility of metal mining and in approving the law that prohibits it in El Salvador. They deserve to be rewarded, not punished...Our colleagues have not been here for five months. We are overwhelmed by sadness of their absence, but also our fighting spirit to demand their freedom grows every day.”

Salvadoran President Bukele declared a “state of exception” in March 2022, which allows the government to arrest and hold anyone without due process or trial, among other severe restrictions on civil liberties. This was ostensibly to combat street gangs that have plagued El Salvador for decades. In the past year, Bukele’s government has arrested more than 68,000 people under the state of exception and has created the largest prison in Latin America to hold all the people being arrested and detained.

While his crackdown on gangs is popular in the country, Bukele is also taking advantage of that popularity to widen the net and politically persecute his perceived political enemies. He has mainly targeted people and organizations on the left but has also lashed out against some on the right who haven’t gone along with his leadership.

Bukele particularly has carried out a vendetta against the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), El Salvador’s main leftist political party, with both former FMLN presidents of the country, Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceren, in exile in Nicaragua to avoid political persecution, and many other FMLN leaders and members facing very serious trumped up legal charges.

In that vein, Bukele’s government has also gone after the Santa Marta 5, jailing them on ridiculous charges dating back to the country’s civil war in the 1980s. The five were members of the FMLN during El Salvador's civil war, who fought against El Salvador’s U.S.– backed right-wing dictatorship. After the war, many FMLN members, including the Santa Marta 5, continued organizing for social justice in El Salvador.

The Santa Marta 5 are targets of repression because of their leadership in the anti-mining struggle and other popular struggles that confront Bukele’s government.

Additionally, at least 16 union leaders have been arrested and held indefinitely under the state of exception, since many unions continue to organize and fight against Bukele’s anti-worker policies.

The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), which has organized solidarity with the Salvadoran left and popular movement since the country's civil war, is asking people to email their U.S. Representative and Senator, calling on them to speak out against the unjust detention of the Santa Marta 5: https://cispes.salsalabs.org/SantaMartaCongressionalaction/index.html

#SantaMartaCabañas #SantaMarta #ElSalvador #PoliticalPrisoners #environmentalJustice #Americas

Minneapolis MN – One hundred people rallied in front of the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on February 6 to demand freedom for Leonard Peltier. Peltier is the longest-held indigenous political prisoner in the U.S. Human rights activists worldwide have repeatedly called for his release.

Nick Estes of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee said, “Today we are standing with a dozen or so rallies across the world at courthouses and embassies in solidarity with Leonard Peltier. This is the day he was arrested by the RCMP and so we count this day as the first day of his incarceration. He is entering his 48th year of imprisonment,” adding, “We have all the ‘right’ people on our side, from a former federal prosecutor to the United Nations and still justice hasn't prevailed. Power resides with the people, and we must exercise that to see him free.”

Rally emcee Rachel Thunder talked about of the historic fight for justice that the American Indian Movement (AIM) waged on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota against both the tribal government goon squad and the U.S. government. After what is sometimes referred to as the incident at Oglala, the AIM member Peltier was convicted of murder in a grossly unfair trial.

Mike Forcia of AIM said, “We are united to stand with Peltier. Let him go now. Our voices and drums and songs will be heard.”

Rachel Thunder echoed that sentiment, adding that, like fingers of a hand, separated we are weak but together we are strong and powerful.

For further information on the case and what you can do https://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/

#MinneapolisMN #PoliticalPrisoners #LeonardPeltier

In his ruling, Judge Scola wrote, “Saab Moran cannot be entitled to diplomatic immunity because he could not – as a matter of law – have been an agent of the Venezuelan government. At the time of his arrest, Saab Moran was, at best, a special envoy of the Maduro regime, which the United States has not recognized to be the official government of Venezuela since January 2019. So, Saab Moran is not entitled to diplomatic immunity in the United States.”

Tom Burke with the Campaign to Free Alex Saab said, “It is clear the White House and State Department are criminalizing the Venezuelan diplomat responsible for defeating U.S. sanctions. Alex Saab made big trade deals that brought food, medicine, oil industry machine parts, and other materials to Venezuela in exchange for oil and gold. Saab defeated every U.S. effort to strangle the Venezuelan economy. Saab helped to advance the Bolivarian revolution, benefiting all the working people and their children, and U.S. leaders aren't happy about that.”

Cassia Laham, a Miami anti-war activist, said, “The U.S. government’s legal arguments were weak and pathetic. In any other court, in any other country, Alex Saab would have walked free. The judge's ruling proved the political nature of this case and of Saab's kidnapping. The U.S. deems Venezuela a ‘national security threat’ simply because it takes care of its own people without bowing to the dictates of U.S. imperialism. And this can only be done with the help of heroes like Alex Saab.”

In June of 2020, the U.S. government blocked Alex Saab’s plane, which was in route to Iran, forcing it to land in Cape Verde. Saab was on his way to Iran on behalf of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to secure resources and humanitarian goods for the people of Venezuela. Then it asked Cape Verde's government to arrest Saab and detain him. The next day an Interpol arrest warrant suddenly appeared. U.S. intelligence agents rifled through Saab’s belongings and opened his Venezuelan government diplomatic pouch and sealed documents, an outrage to diplomats everywhere.

Then, in October 2021, the U.S. renditioned Saab to Miami, Florida despite there being no extradition treaty between the United States and Cape Verde. This occurred one day before an election in Cape Verde where the leading candidate promised to release Saab if elected.

Since then, Saab's defense team has tried challenge this illegal farce by proving his status as a diplomat. All indications are that Judge Scola’s ruling was a foregone conclusion discussed at the highest levels of the Biden White House and Antony Blinken's State Department.

 There will be an appeal from Alex Saab’s defense team, including the thorough fact-based defense arguments of Jonathan New. This, though, will force Alex Saab to sit in a Miami prison cell for many weeks, perhaps months longer than the 900 days the U.S. has already detained him.

Laham said, “Alex Saab is being punished by the U.S. empire because he was successful at beating U.S. sanctions. He is one of many political prisoners being held in U.S. prisons and we know he will not find justice inside a U.S. courtroom.”

#MiamiFL #Venezuela #PoliticalPrisoners #sanctions #AlexSaab #BolivarianRepublicOfVenezuela #Americas

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