Professor José Solís was sentenced to over four
years in prison
by a federal judge on July 7--after the FBI
repeatedly and
unsuccessfully pressured him to finger activists
and leaders of
the Puerto Rican community for indictments.
In short, the
Clinton administration has fought to maintain
permanent U.S.
domination over Puerto Rico. Its offer to the
imprisoned
independentistas is not an act of mercy or
justice--but a
calculated part of this colonialist policy.
The Shameful Government Confessions
"The president reviewed the matter and obviously
concluded that
the sentences imposed for the crime committed
were out of
proportion to sentences for similar offenses for
others."
Attorney General Janet Reno
"They no longer pose a danger to society. The
rationale is
they have served long enough for the crimes they
have committed.
If they were to commit such crimes today, they
would not get
such sentences."
White House spokesperson
These are individuals who were not convicted of
any crime
involving physical harm to any person and, yet,
some of them
received sentences of upwards of 50 years; some
of them would
not have been released for another 25 years or
more, in fact,
if the President had not acted."
White House spokesman Barry Toiv
Now, after these fighters have served 14 to 19
brutal years
in prison, the White House admits that these were
incredibly
extreme sentences. What a confession by U.S.
imperialism!
And yet, having said that, this same White House
imposes new
political demands on the prisoners--that they
publicly bow
before U.S. imperialism and its colonial rule
over Puerto Rico.
As we go to press, no statements have been
released by the
political prisoners themselves on the Clinton
offer. However on
August 20, a spokesperson for the federal Justice
Department
reported that none of the 11 political prisoners
had accepted
the August 11 clemency offer. Meanwhile, the
White House offer
has intensified the struggle for unconditional
release. Former
political prisoner Lolita Lebrón said, "These are
shameful demands.
The president has insulted the dignity of the
Puerto Rican nation
and those who fight for its liberty." Supporters
of the political
prisoners quickly announced a letter-writing
campaign demanding
that the White House unconditionally release the
prisoners.
The White House announcement has been criticized
by a wide
range of political figures in the U.S. and Puerto
Rico including: