DEMAND FOR RELEASE OF AMERICO MARTIN
The U.S. Committee for Justice to Latin American Political Prisoners sent a letter to President Raul Leoni of Venezuela July 5 protesting the arrest of Venezuelan guerrilla leaders Américo Martin and Félix Leonet.
Richard Garza, assistant executive secretary of the USLA Justice Committee, called attention to the "grave apprehensions" raised by the frequent "suicides" of political prisoners in Venezuela.
In particular he pointed to the death in prison of Fabricio Ojeda, guerrilla leader and former member of parliament, June 21, 1966; and the announcement
June 2 of the death of the Cuban, Pedro
Cabrera Torres, captured last month help-
ing Venezuelan revolutionaries to return
to their country.
Américo Martin is the general sec-
retary of the Movement of the Revolution-
ary Left and head of the Ezequiel Zamora
Guerrilla Front.
He and Leonet, who is second in
command of the front, were captured
aboard the Spanish vessel Satrustegui.
Martin and Leonet boarded the Europe-
bound vessel in Colombia and were arrest-
ed at a stop in the Venezuelan port of
La Guaira.