To the companeras, companeros, and concerned individuals who have gathered at this vigil in solidarity and support for the un-conditional release and general amnesty of the Puerto Rican political prisoners and Prisoners of War;

To the representatives of the 1998 group who have begun dialogue to grapple with the problem of colonialism as the 100^th anniversary of the scourge over their people and territory draws near;

To the UCC delegation who, in keeping with their commitment to social justice, will be visiting the Puerto Rican women political prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin:

To the delegates of the UCC general synod, as they meet to discern the prophetic vision of Kairos, at this particular time.

In the tradition of the jubilee of Leviticus, I greet you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and on behalf of the Puerto Rican political prisoners and Prisoners of War, who are serving long and disproportionate sentences for struggling against the colonial stronghold that has obstructed the political and economic development of our people for the past 97 years.

My prayers are with you as you deliberate issues which become matters of the heart in the fulfillment of our Christian commitment. In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, allow me to share with you one of my favorite proclamations of Jesus, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." I cherish this powerful proclamation because of the motivating and liberating power it endows on the human spirit. By virtue, truth not only compels and challenges us, but also tests our endurance beyond imaginable expectations.

1995 marks the 50^th anniversary of some historical events which I would like to share with you at this time. To name a few, 1995 marks the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, an international body we are all familiar with. But, 1995 also marks the 50^th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a tragedy which will long be remembered. 1995 also marks the 50^th anniversary of the liberations of the Jews from the concentration camps and gas chambers of Europe.

If not addressed at the time, 1995 will also mark the unjust execution of Mumia Abu Jamal by the state of Pennsylvania. Mumia is a Black journalist, on death row, who was convicted and sentenced to death, not so much for the crime he was charged with, as for the color of his skin, and the contempt of his accusers for his political beliefs and affiliations. Mumia has filed a petition of habeus corpus, that if denied will make him the 1^st Black political prisoner to be executed in the United States, in 45 years. 1995 marks the 50^th anniversary of other historical events, for which there is much to celebrate, but also much to atone.

There are 15 Puerto Rican political prisoners and Prisoners of War in U.S. jails with sentences ranging from 35 to 98 years, with no possibility of parole. We were charged, convicted, and sentenced by our accusers of a crime for which they are guilty under international law. For the powers that control the status quo, truth is as unpopular today as it was 2,000 years ago.

I am an incarcerated daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, Puerto Rican, and Christian, who has gone through painful trials and tribulations, at the hands of my jailers, but more importantly, I am a woman and, like many others in my common lot, a survivor, by the grace of God.