Alberto Rodríguez, one of the former prisoners, addressed the gathering and called for a renewed campaign to win freedom for the remaining six independentistas imprisoned in the United States.

"I think Antonio Camacho, Oscar López, Juan Segarra Palmer, Haydée Beltrán, José Solís, and Carlos Alberto Torres are freedom fighters," Rodríguez declared. "They should all be here with us today. What we need to do next is talk about how to fashion a campaign that will get these other comrades out. "What's wrong with fighting for the freedom of Puerto Rico?" he asked, noting that the U.S. government has imprisoned independentista activists throughout the course of this century.

Today "the press denounces us as terrorists, demanding that we show remorse and renounce violence," Rodríguez continued. "But we are victims of [U.S.] colonialism, this keeps getting lost in the news media … None of us are violent people. It was colonialism that created the situation that made us resort to violence."

The September 23 program also featured the group Bomba-Aché, who through music and dance presented a review of Puerto Rican nationalist struggles against slavery and Spanish and U.S. colonialism.

"The FBI and government don't want you to hear this message," Cultural Center director José López told the gathering. "But the future is bright for our struggle," he continued, describing the large rally in Lares, Puerto Rico, that day and the unprecedented coverage of political debate around Puerto Rico in the daily news media in the United States.

López presented the first copies of Boricua, a bilingual monthly newspaper. This first issue features extensive coverage of the fight to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques, reprints a speech by Puerto Rico Archbishop Juan González Nieves in favor of unconditional freedom for the political prisoners, and carries several pieces on art and culture.

Harvey McArthur is a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.  
 
 
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