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Serrano
Questions FBI Director Freeh About Independentistas
PRESS
RELEASE
Washington,
D.C., March 16 -- Congressman José E. Serrano (D-NY) says questions he
asked FBI director Louis J. Freeh regarding the FBI's alleged role in an
operation to discredit and persecute the independence movement have
opened doors for dialogue.
"This is
really a historic moment on the issue of the treatment of
independentistas and an opportunity to find answers to questions the
public has been asking for years," Serrano said. "We are
taking serious, important steps in resolving this issue with the
FBI."
Serrano raised
the issue Thursday during the FBI's budget hearing Thursday before the
Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and related Agencies Subcommittee of
the House Appropriations Committee, which funds federal agencies.
Serrano is ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee.
Serrano asked
Freeh what role the FBI and other federal agencies played in
discrediting and persecuting the independence movement from the 1950s to
the 1970s, which Serrano called one of the darkest periods in the
history of the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.
He also asked if in the process the FBI was involved in violent acts and
particularly, if the FBI played any role in torturing the leader of the
independence movement, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, for his beliefs while he
was in prison.
Serrano said
he is thankful to Senator Manuel Rodriguez Orellana, of the Puerto Rican
Independence Party, for working with him to frame these questions and he
plans to follow-up with a letter to the FBI regarding them.
"I have
been working closely with Senator Rodriguez Orellana and I will continue
to work with him on the issue to get to the bottom of this,"
Serrano said.
In response to
Serrano's questions Thursday, Freeh said his question goes back to a
period, particularly in the 1960s when the FBI did operate what was
known as the COINTELPRO which was a program that did tremendous
destruction to many people in the country, to the FBI, and Puerto Rico.
Freeh said his agency has taken some steps to notify people in Puerto
Rico who were the subjects of some of these inquiries and files and
investigations and make those files available to them. Freeh also said
he would pursue the Congressman's questions and will follow-up with him.
"I was
surprised but pleased by how much he told us at the hearing and how much
he admitted to crimes the FBI committed against Puerto Ricans,"
Serrano said.
Serrano's
comments come after the Puerto Rico Senate passed a resolution March 14
calling for a probe into the federal government’s role in the creation
of political dossiers on members of the indepedence party. The Puerto
Rican government also has established a fund to compensate people
targeted by this operation for their losses.
"One of
the reasons why this is important to me and to the Puerto Rican
community is that some time in the not-too-distant future the
relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico will be
decided," Serrano said. "To understand where we're going we
have to know what's happened during the 101 years of this
relationship."
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CONTACT: Rosalinda DeJesus
March 16, 2000
(202) 225-4363
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