News Reporter Page for Grand jury probe of Puerto
Rican independence activists revived
info for News Reporter use courtesy of Press Dept
News
US revives grand jury probe of Puerto Rican independence
activists
The US government is continuing its efforts to have Puerto Ricans testify
before a federal grand jury on the independence movement. A summons was served
on Tania Frontera, a graphic artist living in New York City, to appear before
a New York grand jury on June 13, along with an unidentified man who lives
in Puerto Rico. Frontera had been scheduled to appear before the grand jury
on at least two times earlier this year, but the sessions were postponed.
She has said she will refuse to testify.
The daughter of an active member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP),
Frontera says she doesn't belong to any organization and hadn't expect to
be questioned by the government, although she has participated in public
political activities. She said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents
came to her place of employment and asked for her without identifying themselves.
When she learned who they were, she told them: "All right, I don't have time
for you," and escorted them to the door. (Adital, June 13; Claridad, Puerto
Rico, May 21) (As of June 15 there appeared to be no published reports on
the June 13 grand jury session.)
On June 3 Doudou Diene, United Nations (UN) rapporteur on contemporary forms
of racism, inspected the farmhouse in the western Puerto Rican city of
Hormigueros where US federal agents killed Popular Boricua Army (EPB)-Machetero
leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios during a raid on Sept. 23, 2005. Diene is expected
to issue a report on the situation in Puerto Rico in three months. During
his two-day visit he also heard testimony at the Guerrero de Aguadilla prison
on dozens of inmates who died while in drug detoxification, and he was scheduled
to speak with residents of Mayaguez who say that members of poor communities
are subjected to human rights violations and false criminal charges. (Primera
Hora, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, June 4)
From Weekly News Update on the Americas, June 15
Submitted by WW4 Report on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 04:38