This information was translated from a press release issued by the Mesa de Solidaridad contra la Represión (in English, Table of Solidarity Against Repression)
The independentisa organizations that comprise the Table of Solidarity Against Repression denounce the ongoing persecution by the FBI and other repressive agencies of the United States government against compañeros who struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico. The pattern of harassment of independentistas since the assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos on September 23, 2005 has not stopped, but rather, has increased.
Early morning on October 28, 2008, several vehicles full of FBI agents penetrated the neighborhood where the well-known independentista Norberto Cintrón Fiallo lives, and waited until he left his house for work. During most of the morning, four vehicles follow the compañero while he carried out his work as an investigator for the Legal Assistance Society. The compañero detected them and headed toward the central offices of his employer in Río Piedras. From there he phoned his attorneys and several media outlets. The four FBI vehicles parked strategically around the offices of the Legal Assistance Society and stayed there, surveilling the area around the building, until mid-afternoon.
The Table of Solidarity denounces this new act of repression against an independentista, which, in this case, follows an established pattern against compañero Norberto Cintrón Fiallo for more than 30 years. This pattern has included, among other things, the fabrication of cases, surveillance, searches, and imprisonment for his refusal to accept the jurisdiction of the federal Grand Jury.
The Table of Solidarity Against Repression states that compañero Norberto Cintrón Fiallo is not alone. He has and will have our solidarity and support in every sense of the word. We call upon our people, who have also received the impact of interventions from this same repressive agency of the intervening government in our homeland, to stand in solidarity with compañero Norberto, who has dedicated his life and struggle for the well being of and justice for the Puerto Rican people.
The Table of Solidarity reminds you that we must not let the FBI provoke us. Instructions are not to be intimidated, not to answer questions, to remain silent, to phone your attorney as soon as possible, and don’t fall prey to provocation. Every act of persecution by the repressive agencies of the U.S. should be denounced. The people must be on the alert to mobilize and denounce every attack against compañeros and compañeras who struggle for true the sovereignty and freedom of Puerto Rico. Be aware of the agents’ movements. Make note of the license plate numbers of their vehicles and call the news media. We must all protect ourselves from this monster who interferes in our homeland to defend the political interests of the powerful.
The Table of Solidarity Against Repression formed in December of 2007 to support three young Puerto Rican residents of New York who were subpoenaed to a federal Grand Jury to testify in an investigation of the Popular Boricua Army–Macheteros. Since then it has continued to meet, doing unitary work and work in solidarity against repression, and with the participation of a broad sector of the independence movement. Since December of 2007, the Table has organized several activities to protest and to inform the people about repression, especially about the anti-democratic institution of the Grand Jury.
The Table of Solidarity Against Repression invites independentista, socialist, community, environmental and union organizations and our people to unite in the activities of solidarity with compañeros and compañeras who are persecuted for our work for our homeland and in massive repudiation of the repressive agencies. We say no to repression, no to the Grand Jury, and we will allow not even one more political prisoner.
TABLE OF SOLIDARITY AGAINST REPRESSION
October 29, 2008
Contact:
Liliana Laboy 787 406-1838