Tuesday May 27, 2008
Associated Press
The Boricua Popular Army The Macheteros warned today that the FBI is preparing for arrests, kidnappings and even acts to “provoke the death” of independentistas and people’s activists.
In a communiqué mailed to the Associated Press, The Macheteros indicated that the supposed “great onslaught of the FBI” comes in the context of the economic depression, the weakening of the political parties, and the “daily abuses” committed by federal authorities in the Island, which it did not detail.
“Our organization possesses information indicating that the FBI, with the collaboration of the colonial police, are planning an operation to arrest, kidnap, and in some cases provoke the death of independentista, socialist leaders and activists protecting the rights of the people, said the missive.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations evaluated the content of the communiqué, but refused to react. “We have no comment,” maintained Harry Rodríguez, spokesperson for the FBI on the Island.
“The FBI intends to strike at all the groupings and individuals capable of supporting the people in their struggle for decolonization, national liberation and social justice,” added the document dated May 19, but postmarked May 23.
The FBI considers the Macheteros a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, for decades independentistas have condemned persecution by U.S. authorities.
Following the death in 2005 of the self proclaimed leader of The Macheteros, Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, the FBI has taken steps to conduct searches and detentions, and a grand jury has subpoenaed several independentistas to appear before a New York court.
These efforts have been related to alleged evidence found in the house of Ojeda Ríos, who died after being shot during a federal operation to arrest him.
“The FBI will continue pressuring, harassing and threatening the Puerto Rican people, and the people of Puerto Rico are not going to collaborate with the agency that vilely assassinated our commander…” added the clandestine group.
“United we can remove the FBI from our country, as we achieved the removal of the U.S. Navy from Vieques. United we can save the Puerto Rican nation from the FBI assassins and their colonial collaborators,” added the document.
It referred to the campaign of civil disobedience unleashed following the death of a civil guard by a mistaken Navy bombing in Vieques. That campaign provoked the departure of the Armed Forces in May of 2003.
The Press Office of Police Headquarters was taking steps to obtain a comment from superintendent Pedro Toledo.