Independentists' subpoenas are postponed

It's presumed they are being investigated to obtain information about the group The Macheteros

by Jose A. Delgado
January 31, 2008 El Nuevo Dia

NEW YORK– Federal authorities have postponed "indefinitely" the Broooklyn Grand Jury subpoenas of three young Puerto Rican independentists from New York.

The subpoenas, which were set for tomorrow, have not been quashed, said Vicente "Panama" Alba, an activist in the Puerto Rican community in New York.

"This development cannot be interpreted as a sign that the government has ended its campaign of repression against the people of Puerto Rico or our right to self determination and independence," said Alba.

This is the second time that federal authorities postponed the subpoenas on graphic artist Tania Frontera, social worker Christian [sic] Torres and filmmaker Julio Pabon. The difference is that this time when they were notified of the postponement, they were not given a new date, said Alba.

The three young independentists have indicated they do not know the reasons for which they were subpoenaed. However, it is thought to be part of an FBI effort to interview independentist sectors in search of information related to the clandestine group The Macheteros.

Puerto Rican activists in New York, the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), the National Hostos Independence Movement (MINH) and the Democratic congressman Jose Serrano, among others, have called the subpoena of the three young people, well known in their community, as an FBI "fishing expedition."

According to sources close to the federal authorities, FBI director Luis Fraticelli may end his term as head of the federal police in Puerto Rico and wants to accelerate the investigations into the clandestine group.

The FBI office in Puerto Rico has hinted that their investigations into The Macheteros got new life after the September 23, 2005 death of the organization's leader, Filiberto Ojeda Rios, during the execution of an arrest warrant.

Frontera and Torres are known for their activism against U.S. military maneuvers in Vieques, a movement that generated consensus in Puerto Rico.