Puerto Rican Officials Take On President Clinton

Información enviada al Director de Tlahui. Puerto Rico a 12 de Mayo, 1999. Tuesday, May 11, 1999. Compañeros: Demand release for the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners! National Committee prpowpp@aol.com(Spanish follows English).

PUERTO RICAN OFFICIALS TAKE ON PRESIDENT CLINTON
Translated from Gerson Borrero's Columun, "Under Fire"
El Diario de la Prensa, May 4, 1999

Fourteen Puerto Rican elected officials agreed on Saturday afternoon to take a series of steps with President William Jefferson Clinton in order to obtain the release of 15 compatriots that remain imprisoned in federal penitentiaries.

The Puerto Rican officials understand that it is the President who should deal with this matter and therefore, it fell upon the three Puerto Rican members of the U.S.Congress, José E. Serrano, Nydia M. Velazquez and Luis V. Gutierrez, to call the White House by the end of the workday yesterday, Monday, to request a meeting with the U.S. President.

Even though the meeting was a secret one, in fact, the letter of invitation which was dated April 26, points out to the politicians that "Only elected officials and labor leader Dennis Rivera are invited." Although those who participated were forbidden from speaking to the press, four of the members of the group with whom I spoke separately, assured me that there is a consensus among them that Bill Clinton is the one who has to free the political prisoners and not the Department of Justice. My sources, who were a part of the until now closed group that met from 5:00pm until 7:00pm at Jimmy's Bronx Café, assured me that all those present agreed that none of them would support Hillary Rodham Clinton, if she decides torun for the senate seat vacated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the year 2000, is she does not commit herself to the liberation of these compatriots.

"This (agreement) is not limited to Hillary", argured one of my spokespeople, who added that "We will not support any Democratic candidate that does not have the release of the 15 Puerto Ricans as part of their political agenda." That is to say, that the First Lady would be informed of this decisión so that she can take this into account as part of her considerations in trying to determine whether she will run.

Similarly, and of greater impact within the heart of the Democractic Party is the fact that this criteria for political support by these Puerto Rican officials will also be applied to aspiring residential candidates who seek the nomination of their party at the convention to be held in the year 2000 in Los Ángeles. Once the meeting between Clinton and these Congress people is held they will relay to him that if he does not concede a pardon to the 15 prisoners then the matter of their release will be brought to the floor fo the convention. Serrano, Velazquez and Gutierrez will give Clinton a period of two weeks to respond to their position.

In addition to the three congress people who signed and sent the letter of invitation, the group currently incudes Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, State Senators Olga MÉNDEZ, Efrain GONZÁLEZ and David Rosado, State Assemblymen Peter Rivera, and Rubén DÍAZ, Jr. and City Coucil members José Rivera, Adolfo Carrión, Víctor Robles, Ángel RODRÍGUEZ and Pedro Gautier Espada. Dennis Rivera was not present at the meeting nor was Assemblyman Roberto Ramírez in his capacity as President of the Democratic Party in the Borough (Bronx) in which the meeting was held.

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