Joana Campos 
The class struggle translated into the racial sphere has been a tool used to sow chaos in nations. Through movements like Black Lives Matter and Antifa in the northern hemisphere and indigenism in the southern hemisphere, society is divided in half. These movements have shown to have foreign sponsorship (both economic and ideological). A recent case has its roots in Russia. Four «black rights» activists were sentenced for conspiracy as they acted as Russian agents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Omali Yeshitela, 82, Penny Hess, 78, Jesse Nevel, 34, and Augustus Romain, 38, were sentenced to up to five years in prison, according to the statement.
The funds were Russian but not state-owned.
However, they were acquitted of the most serious charge: acting as agents of a foreign government. A jury in Tampa, Florida, made this decision.
To clarify, the difference between the sentence that convicted them and the charge they were cleared of lies in the origin of the funds. The convicts did not operate in service of the Russian state or with government money, but rather from a private organization of Russian origin.
The source of the money and support came from Aleksandr Ionov, president of the Moscow-based group Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia. The recipients were the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and the Uhuru Movement. Two of the detainees are black, and two are «white allies»: Hess and Nevel. Yeshitela is the founder of APSP. Romain leads a Georgia-based splinter group called Black Hammer.
Defense accuses censorship.
According to the defense, the accused were victims of censorship. Leonard Goodman, Hess’ attorney, told the Tampa Bay Times that the four had been prosecuted to censor their pro-Russian views.
The same newspaper quoted Yeshitela after the sentence: «The most important thing is that they couldn’t convict us of working for anyone other than black people.» He added, «I am willing to be accused and found guilty of working for black people.» «This case has always been about freedom of speech,» AFP reported.
Finally, Nevel’s defense attorney, Mutaqee Akbar, said the defendants planned to appeal their convictions.
Operating since 2015.
It’s curious that self-proclaimed socialists accuse censorship and demand freedom of speech when their ideologues have been proponents of the opposite. For example, Che Guevara said that thinking as an individual was criminal.
While the defendants’ guilt has been established, no date has been set for executing the sentence, meaning when the maximum five-year sentence will take effect. The activities are said to have taken place over several years. According to prosecutors, the four carried out a series of actions in the United States from 2015 to 2022 in the name of the Russian government.
Prosecutors stated that Ionov used APSP, Uhuru Movement, and Black Hammer to promote Russian views on politics, the Ukraine war, and other topics.
Russia: patriot at home, globalist abroad.
Just weeks ago, Gateway Hispano reported that Russia invited people who defend traditional values to migrate to Russia. Diplomatically and through the media, Russia presents itself as a defender of such values. Moreover, Ionov’s organization openly declares itself anti-globalist. Yet, it funds and uses the same promoters of globalism.
It’s worth noting that geopolitically, Russia supports the leaders of 21st-century socialism. And now, as the latest case shows, it also supports civil organizations.
«Ionov’s influence efforts were directed and supervised» by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the country’s intelligence agency, said the Department of Justice. Ionov and two alleged FSB agents, Aleksey Borisovich Sukhodolov and Yegor Sergeyevich Popov, have also been indicted in the U.S. in connection with the case, though they are not yet under arrest.
Joana Campos es abogada y editora con más de 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos de desarrollo internacional, enfocada en la sostenibilidad y el impacto social positivo. Actualmente dirige JC Editorial, donde ha coordinado la edición y distribución de libros de reconocidos autores internacionales y la logística de numerosas giras nacionales. Anteriormente, trabajó como abogada corporativa, especializándose en derecho penal y corporativo. Joana es licenciada en Derecho por la Universidad de Guadalajara.
Joana Campos is a lawyer and editor with over 10 years of experience in managing international development projects, focusing on sustainability and positive social impact. She currently leads JC Editorial, where she has coordinated the editing and distribution of books by renowned international authors and managed the logistics of numerous national tours. Previously, she worked as a corporate lawyer, specializing in criminal and corporate law. Joana holds a law degree from the University of Guadalajara.