Colombian Government Asks United States to Consider Repatriating Ricardo Palmera / Simon Trinidad

An Opportunity for Peace–Please Take Action!

The news that the Colombian government has asked the United States to consider returning Simón Trinidad aka Ricardo Palmera to his home country is a major step forward for the likelihood of securing a lasting accord to end five decades of war. All peace loving persons must urge the US government to do what is necessary so that Trinidad / Palmera can take his place at the negotiating table.

Trinidad / Palmera is one of the primary negotiators for the Revolutionary Armed Forces in Colombia (FARC). The FARC have made clear that Trinidad must be consulted before a peace accord can be finalized. Trinidad is held in solitary confinement in the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, having been extradited to the United States in a process that undermines Colombian sovereignty and that is motivated by political considerations. By repatriating Trinidad, the US government can show a commitment to peace in Colombia that is based on actual deeds and not just words.

TWO Actions you can take:

1)  Call the Colombia Desk of the State Department and urge that the US government repatriate Ricardo Palmera (Simón Trinidad) in accordance with the request of the Colombian government. Calls are more effective than emails, so please take this step if you can! Use the sample email/script below as a guide. THE PHONE NUMBER IS: (202) 647-3142

2) CLICK HERE to send the following email to the White House and State Department. The form is editable, so if you have time, please feel free to add your own words.

SAMPLE EMAIL TEXT:

The United States has the opportunity to take action in a real and meaningful way to help bring peace to Colombia and end more than five decades of war. The Colombian government has requested that the US consider repatriating Ricardo Palmera aka Simon Trinidad to Colombia. Palmera is one of the primary negotiators for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and is currently being held in solitary confinement at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The FARC have made clear that Palmera’s presence is required for any final peace accord to be achieved. The Colombian government’s request underscores how important is his participation. I urge the White House and State Department to take whatever actions are necessary to repatriate Palmera and assure that a meaningful and durable peace agreement can be reached. I also urge the US to end the tactic of requesting the extraditions of both insurgents and paramilitary members. This practice undermines Colombia’s own sovereignty as well as the peace process and investigations into paramilitary ties to Colombian politicians and government officials.

Click HERE to take a stand for peac in Colombia! And if you can, be sure and call the State Department Colombia desk to ask that the US government repatriate Ricardo Palmera to Colombia. The phone number is: (202) 647-3142

Background Information:

The imprisonment of Simon Trinidad, aka Ricardo Palmera, in the United States is a very particular obstacle to the negotiations. Trinidad was a university professor and belonged to a Leftist teachers’ organization. All but two of its members were murdered for their activities. One survivor, Imelda Daza Cotes, went into exile in Sweden. The other survivor, Trinidad, joined the FARC in 1987.

The CIA seized Trinidad in Ecuador, while he was traveling under terms of “safe passage”. Trinidad was on his way to meet an aide to UN chief Kofi Annan so they could discuss terms of a prisoner release by the FARC. Trinidad was extradited from Colombia to the US on Dec. 31, 2004 to face terrorism, hostage-taking and drug charges. The terrorism and hostage-taking charges stemmed from a Feb. 13, 2003 incident in which three US mercenaries were taken prisoner after their plane crashed inside FARC-controlled territory. Trinidad himself had nothing to do with this and was charged entirely on the basis of his membership in the FARC. In fact, the prosecutor at one point identified 20,000 FARC members as co-conspirators, later reducing it to 50 FARC officers. Trinidad was convicted on one count of hostage-taking and sentenced to 60 years. Prosecutors were unable to get convictions on the other counts.

According to journalist Hernán Camacho, writing for the Colombian newspaper Voz, “Simón Trinidad was chosen as an envoy and negotiator of this guerrilla army in the peace dialogues in Havana, Cuba because of his profound knowledge of the regional and national economy, his political capacity and boldness, in addition to his experience as a negotiator in the Caguán peace process [1999 – 2002]. Today Simón Trinidad passes his hours in the federal prison of Florence, Colorado (United States), with only one hour of sunlight per day. He is a political prisoner held in unjust captivity.”

The rightful place of Simón Trinidad is not in solitary confinement in the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, but at the negotiating table in Havana.

For more information:

Free Ricardo Palmera!

Could Ricardo Palmera be Released to Participate in Colombia’s Peace Negotiations?

 

Send an email in support of peace in Colombia!