Discuss pardon of political prisoners
Translated from the original Spanish
By Leonor Mulero
El Nuevo Día

Información enviada al Director de Tlahui. Puerto Rico a 22 de Abril, 1999.

Washington: Presidential attorney Charles Ruff met yesterday with the three Puerto Rican congressional representatives to discuss the petition for the release of the 15 political prisoners.

The co-chair of the White House's Puerto Rico Group, Jeffrey Farrow, also attended the meeting, El Nuevo Día learned.

The meeting took place in the office of the Illinois congressman, Luis Gutiérrez. In addition to Ruff and Farrow, the Democratic representatives for New York, Nydia Velázquez and José Serrano, also attended.

The three congresspersons lead the congressional effort for the release of the 15 independentists who just days ago marked the anniversary of their 19th year in prison for offenses related to activities to convert Puerto Rico into a republic.

"What meeting?" was the only response from Enrique Fernández Toledo, advisor to Gutiérrez. The congressman said to El Nuevo Día in a previous interview that those who struggle for the freedom of the 15 Puerto Ricans are not making statements about efforts to obtain a presidential pardon. Serrano and Velázquez took the same position.

In an earlier interview, Serrano said he would try to convince resident commissioner Carlos Romero Barceló not to oppose the excarceration of the prisoners. But Serrano thinks it would be very difficult to convince Romero Barceló to support the pardon, as José Rivera, Puerto Rican councilman from the Bronx, would like.

Rivera insists that Romero Barceló and governor Pedro Rosselló are indebted to Serrano for his support of the Young Project.

"I thank José Rivera for his faith in me. But to convince Romero to endorse the pardon of the political prisoners is very difficult. I agree with idea that he not oppose it," noted Serrano.

Even so, he questioned why the hot potato of convincing Romero Barceló has landed in his lap. "I don't know why it falls on my shoulders to convince Romero. That is demanding of me more than normal. If I achieve it, I should win a congressional medal. It will be a Victory if I can achieve his not opposing it," he noted. Serrano hasn't lost faith that Romero Barceló will abstain from making efforts against the efforts to release the 15 independentists. He bases his belief in the support of ex governor and founding president of the New Progressive Party (PNP), Luis A. Ferré, has given to their release.

"Wherever you find don Luis Ferré, you have a strong ally," he said.

From: National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners prpowpp@aol.com
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