Ramón Nenadich, one of the organizers of the Congress, joined in demanding that U.S. authorities immediately release Camacho. He noted the timing of the arrest—in the middle of a conference on the fight to end U.S. colonial rule of Puerto Rico—and vowed that the U.S. cops’ actions would not disrupt the event. The FBI’s attacks on the independence movement and protests against them have been in the news in recent days. Demonstrations have continued against the federal cops’ killing of independentista leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos last September and the FBI raids in February on the homes of several independence supporters.

Camacho spent 15 years in U.S. prisons because of his pro-independence actions. He was released and rearrested twice before, because of his refusal to recognize the U.S. government’s onerous parole conditions, including a bar on contacts with fellow independence fighters who have served federal sentences. He was most recently let out of prison in August 2004. (For more information on his fight see “‘My trench in fighting imperialism: independence struggle’: Interview with Puerto Rican independence fighter Antonio Camacho Negrón” in January 16 Militant.)

The New York-based Puerto Rican pro-independence group ProLibertad has also called a protest to demand Camacho’s release. It will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31, at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. For more information call (718) 601-4751.
 
 
Related articles:
Puerto Rico congress opens, demanding decolonization  
 
 
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