FBI agents went today to the homes of several independentistas seeking information related to investigations under way.
Harry Rodríguez, spokesperson for the FBI in San Juan, confirmed that "this morning the FBI was conducting some interviews in different cities in Puerto Rico."
"It wasn't an operation as the media is reporting. Some of our most utilized and productive investigative techniques are interviews of people who may have information about investigations which are under way," he added in an interview with Associated Press.
The independentista organization The New School, which develops political work in public housing and poor communities across the Island, denounced the FBI's going to the home of two of its members on Thursday morning.
"This is another act in the new repressive modality of the United States government against those who struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico. Their actions are intended to provoke incidents to create a pretext to execute them," warned the organization, in reference to the FBI's shooting death of Machetero leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos in 2005.
The New School identified those intervened as Miguel Viqueira and Tania Delgado Soto. "When Miguel was preparing to leave for work, several agents, armed and with bullet proof vests bearing the FBI initials, surrounded him and with a hostile and provocative attitude began to threaten him," said a press release.
"Although Miguel told them he had nothing to say to them and tried to close the door of his car to leave, they did not allow him to do so and continued insulting and threatening him. After a while they left without showing any judicial order for the intervention," the New School reported.
As for Delgado Soto, who is an employee of Cooperative Development, two men and a woman from the FBI in a white van stopped her.
"When she refused to accede to their demand that she cooperate, and when she insisted on calling her lawyers, they left," the organization added.
Héctor Pesquera, co-chair of the National Hostos Independence Movement (MINH), confirmed both interventions.
From his perspective, the FBI "is harassing the independence movement in its zeal to keep sending the message that they rule, and that this is a colony."
Edgardo Delgado Bras, Tania's father, said his 29 year old daughter called him to tell him what happened.
"This is a pattern; it's not isolated, to intimidate those of us who believe in independence," said Delgado Bras, also an attorney.
The FBI spokesperson specified that they intervened with people in Yauco, Peñuelas, Bayamón, Guaynabo and San Juan. No one was arrested.
Rodríguez refused to comment on whether the interviews are related to the alleged evidence found in the home of Ojeda Ríos, who the FBI killed during an operation to arrest him in September of 2005.
He also declined to identify those interviewed or to confirm the names Associated Press knew about.
From the perspective of The New School, Thursday's interventions are "FBI provocations."
"The watchword is: don't allow yourself to be intimidated, don't answer questions, keep silent, call a lawyer as soon as you can, and don't be provoked. Every act of persecution by repressive agencies of the United States should be immediately denounced," added the organization.
Ojeda Ríos, one of the alleged architects of the robbery of 7.1 million dollars of a Wells Fargo depot in Hartford, Connecticut in 1983 was a fugitive for 15 years before the FBI killed him during an operation to arrest him at his home in Hormigueros.
Source and full story (in Spanish)
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