NYC protests killings of Colombian activists

New York, New York – On Nov. 16, approximately 30 activists picketed to demand justice for the hundreds of activists, campesinos and community organizers who have been murdered by the Colombian government. In October alone there have been 23 deaths.

The activists targeted 140 E 57th Street – a building that is owned by the Colombian government and houses many offices and businesses that have dealings in Colombian affairs. As activists picketed outside, they chanted and derided Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia.

The event was also used as build up for the campaign to free Simon Trinidad (Ricardo Palmera). On Dec. 5, there will be a panel put on by activists in New York about the Colombian peace accords and the case for Simon Trinidad.

Simon Trinidad is a political leader and negotiator for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Professor Palmera is currently serving a 60-year sentence in in the U.S. for crimes he hasn’t committed. In fact, he has consistently defended the sovereignty of his country, the right for Colombia’s independence and the liberation of his people. While the FARC has gone through a peace process with the Colombian government, the imprisonment still stands.

The picketers handed out flyers for the event, and demanded justice for Simon Trinidad. Jessica Schwartz, from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression–NY, who helped organize the event states, “Repression doesn’t only happen in other countries. Right here in the U.S., revolutionary Colombian leader Simon Trinidad is being held at a supermax prison in Colorado, and the U.S. refuses to release him, even though it is a demand by the revolutionary forces in Colombia. This is a strategic move by the U.S. to keep their boot on the necks of the Colombian people.”

The rally closed out in high spirits with a solidarity video message to the people of Colombia.

For information on the event, Challenges of the Colombian Peace Process and the Case of Simon Trinidad, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2049128295309085/