Is the United States guilty of genocide, holding political prisoners and colonialism?

You can decide for yourself when El Pueblo Unido presents “USA on Trial, case study: Puerto Rico.”

This educational forum is at 8 p.m. today in room 405 of the Holmes Student Center.

El Pueblo Unido is a social activist organization and educational forum. The group’s ideology is to work within the community in conjunction with other organizations to educate the public on their cultures.

El Pueblo Unido member Sandra Sosa, said, “I hope the presentation will let others see our way of thinking on the treatment of ours and other cultures. I think it will be a real eye and mind opener.”

One of El Pueblo Unido’s most recent activities was “Resistance through the Arts.” This event was to protest certain aspects of the treatment of its culture through dance, poetry and performing arts.

The forum on the case study is an extension of a tribunal that met in San Francisco on Oct. 2-4. The international tribunal examined the United States in terms of international law. It discussed and reviewed the United States in terms of genocide, political prisoners and colonialism.

The tribunal was composed of 30 organizations which met in light of the Counter Columbus quincentennial.

At “USA on Trial … “, students and faculty will be able to watch a video that will offer four perspectives of United States injustice.

The video contains footage of the tribunal and interviews with speakers from the event.

The cultures addressed in the video are: Mexican/Chicano, Native-American, Native-Hawaiian, Afro-American and Puerto Rican. This video is to offer support in proving U.S. atrocities.

David Marques, member of El Pueblo Unido, will be presenting the case study of Puerto Rico.

“The study’s main highlights are the U.S. colonialism since 1898 and the topic of Puerto Rican prisoners of war, of which the U.S. does not claim any knowledge,” Marques said. He also said the study is being held in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of the “discovery” of Puerto Rico.

After the case study, there will be a discussion that will allow questions to be answered. Students and faculty are encouraged to attend.

“The study’s main highlights are the U.S. colonialism since 1898 and the topic of Puerto Rican prisoners of war, of which the U.S. does not claim any knowledge.”