Free Simon Trinidad letter to President Trump
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C.
January 7. 2021
Dear President Trump:
We respectfully request that you release, either through pardon or commutation, Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda (register number 27896-1060), also known as Simon Trinidad, from the Supermax ADX Prison in Florence, Colorado where he has already served 17 years. It took four trials and three hung juries before Trinidad was convicted of any crime.
Simon Trinidad was overlooked during the poorly implemented Colombian peace process during the last administration. The peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is teetering on the brink of collapse. Freeing Simón Trinidad would give a much-needed lift to the sagging spirits of many Colombians and mark your administration for its humanitarian gesture.
Trinidad, who turned 70 this summer, is one of the few survivors of the genocide of the UP (Patriotic Union), the patriotic party that ran for office in the 1980s and 1990s in Colombia but suffered almost 5000 assassinations by paramilitary death squads. That was why Trinidad gave up his life as a professor and bank manager and joined the FARC at the age of 37. Now, Trinidad can help the ex-combatants of the FARC and people’s movements navigate peaceful change in a Colombia still wracked by violence.
Freeing Trinidad and allowing him to return to Colombia, will advance the peace process. By jailing Trinidad in a U.S. prison, the peace process was held back and it encouraged belligerent forces who fear contested elections.
If the Trump administration freed Simon Trinidad, it will be a real gesture of peace from the President of the United States towards the people of Colombia. Most all the people of Latin America will applaud such a gesture.
In many Latin American countries, the tradition is that following elections, leaders pardon or amnesty political prisoners. If you, President Trump, boldly pardoned or commute Simon Trinidad, it will greatly aid the Colombian peace process and perhaps spur it forward during a difficult time. This would be a great gesture for peace that would have profound, positive effects for the Americas.
Signed
Argentina
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize;
Stella Calloni Journalist la Jornada, Buenos Aires;
Bolivia
Rodolfo Machaca Yupanqui Strio. General de Confederación Sindical Única De Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia (CSUTCB);
Brasil
Gizele Martins, Movimiento de Favelas do Rio de Janeiro;
Chile-Wallmapu – Territorio Mapuche
Onesima Lienque Founder of the Network for the Defense of Mapuche Infancy;
Colombia
Dra. Piedad Esneda Córdoba Ruiz Former Senator of the Repulic of Colombia;
Camilo González Posso, Presidente of INDEPAZ;
Dr. Mario Hernández Álvarez, Coordinator of Doctorate Program of Interfacultades en Salud Pública Universidad Nacional de Colombia;
Ecuador
Abg. Franklin Columba Cuji, FENOCIN;
Guatemala
Ana Laura Rojas Padgett, Red de Integración Orgánica - RIO - por la Defensa de la Madre Tierra y los Derechos Humanos;
México
Eduardo Correa Senior Profesor of the Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México – UACM;
Dr. José Enrique González Ruiz Profesor of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – UNAM;
Dr. José Rafael Grijalva Eternod PHD in Human Rights;
Dr. Felix Hoyo Arana Profesor of the Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo;
Dr. John Mill Ackerman Rose;
Daniela González López Internationl Coordinator of the Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de los Pueblos;
Soledad Ortiz Vásquez CODEM;
Patrocinio Martínez López CODEM;
Claudia Tapia Nolasco CODEM;
Architect José Márquez Pérez President of the Patronato Pro Defensa y Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural de Oaxaca PRO – OAX;
Lic. Hugo Aguilar Promoterand Defender of Indigenous Rights;
Miguel González Muciño Director of the Centro Cultural Las Jarillas y A
Arturo Díaz González Organización Proletaria Emiliano Zapata – Frente de Organizaciones Sociales de Chiapas OPEZ – FOSICH.
Palestine
Jamal Juma Coordinador STOP The WALL;
Panamá
Ligia Arreaga Member de la Alianza por un mejor Darién – AMEDAR;
Perú
Betty Izaguirre Lucano Coordinator of General del Movimiento Alfa y Omega;
Spain
Ana Andrés Ablanedo, Soldepaz Pachakuti,
Ricardo Sánchez Andrés, Asociación Catalana por la Paz;
María Victoria Fernández Molina Candidate for Doctorate in Human Rights;
Switzerland
José Manuel González López, Red Latinoamericana de Zurich;
Gerardo Romero Luna, Red Latinoamericana de Zurich;
United States
Tom Burke, Committee to Free Simon Trinidad;
James Patrick Jordan, Nation Coordinador Alliance for Global Justice;
Eduardo García, Alliance for Global Justice;
Devora González, SOA Watch;
Uruguay
Anahit Aharonian Kharputlian Agricultural Engienner y Docente Comisión Multisectorial de Uruguay;
Venezuela
Hugo Alberto Nieves, Corriente Revolucionaria Bolívar y Zamora – CRBZ,
Yonatan Vargas Human Rights Lawyer and International Analyst CBRZ;
Indhira Libertad Rodríguez, Network La Araña Feminista;
José Miguel Gómez García Movimiento Internacional de la Economía de los Trabajadores.
- Office of the Pardon Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
