Mexico-Australia Solidarity Network

Santa María Chiconautla Prison
Ecatepec, state of México
March 25, 2008

To The Voice of Amate.
To all political prisoners in the Rehabilitation Center (CERESO) at
Cintalapa
de Figueroa, Chiapas.

Comrades of The Voice of Amate, I got your message so full spirit and
dignity that you sent me on January 18.

I’ve followed all that’s happening with you with great interest—all of
you political prisoners in the Amate Prison and also those of you who
are in San Cristobal and Playas de Catazajá.

You, like most political prisoners, are charged with common crimes, but
we all know that this is a legal maneuver to keep you in prison because
the real reason you’re there is the repression and hostility of the
government against the indigenous communities and social organizations
that oppose oppression and the system of local power bosses and are
struggling for democracy, justice, and equality.

I’m deeply concerned about the fact that some of you have been on hunger
strike and others have been fasting for more than 40 days. I’m writing
to express my support, to tell you that we are comrades and brothers and
sisters in struggle and that you are in my thoughts. But above all, I’m
writing to say that you have taught all us political prisoners something.

The large majority of us experienced arbitrary arrest and torture, but
once we were in jail the mistreatment stopped. For most of you, on the
other hand, going to prison not only means being subjected to an illegal
trial, but also to continued torture, and, on top of that, extortion by
prison authorities.

But instead of caving in, you’ve gotten organized. Instead of dealing
with prison on an individual basis, you’re united and struggling
together. The consequences have been isolation, transfers to other
prisons, and other types of retaliation, but your efforts have resulted
in your voice being heard both inside and outside the country.

Your voice also reached us in the jails where we’re being held as
political prisoners, and not only speaks of the injustices you’ve
experienced; it also reflects intelligence, dignity, spirit,
collectivity, and valor. Your voice is one that we other political
prisoners listen to with admiration and respect. You are an example to
follow.

This Sunday they told me that comrade Zacario Hernández was released. I
was so glad to hear the news since he’d been on hunger strike for more
than a month.
I don’t know if any of the other comrades have been freed. At any rate,
the struggle continues for all the political prisoners in the country,
and especially right now for all those in the Chiapas jails.

Comrades of The Voice of Amate, I also hope we can keep writing to each
other no matter where we are, whether we’re in jail or free (prison is
not eternal), whether we’re in a big city or a small place. Like you
said in your letter, we’ll keep on struggling arm in arm, shoulder to
shoulder, not only for the freedom of the political prisoners, but also
for a better world where Freedom, Democracy, Justice and Equality are
real, not just words.

A big hug to all of you.

Gloria Arenas Agis.

Women and the Sixth, DF-Edomex

From Below and to the Left with all our Heart

From La Otra Jovel, 4/1/2008 (Translated from Spanish)

Compañeros y compañeras:

As you may know, many of our prisoner compañeros on hunger strike were set free yesterday, as well as another hundred prisoners who were not participating in the protest, as part of a media spectacle whose aim was to fool and confuse public opinion.

In the early morning hours yesterday, the rest of the compañeros from Playas de Catazajá and seven compañeros who were being held at Los Llanos, were liberated, leaving a total of 13 of our compañeros who are still being held.

The freed prisoners, between yesterday and the early hours of today, have decided to join the protest encampment that the families of the prisoners have been maintaining outside of the government offices in Tuxtla, and they will stay there until everyone is freed. Meanwhile, in an act of fortitude and dedicated struggle, the compañeros that are still being held in the jails have resolved to continue their fast and hunger strike until everyone is freed.

Because of this situation, and motivated by the mobilizations and the shows of solidarity in Mexico and the world, like those that were undertaken by the compañeros of La Costa, La Otra Campaña in the Jovel Valley is also putting a call out for people to undertake actions that reflect the urgency of the situation of our hunger striking compañeros, that is to say that reflects the critical situation and the enormous risk to their lives, in that they have now gone 37 days without food.

The Otra Jovel has been, and will continue to be in constant communication, and consulting with the freed prisoners and their families, to continue the struggle in the ways they feel are necisary. Through that we are going to promote different actions to demand the liberation of our compañeros and we have organized different work committees

For the first of these actions,

We call for:

The Other Campaign, on a national and international level, to join us Thursday, April 3rd, and undertake an action with all the same characteristics--this action has already been done by encampment of the mothers, spouses and family members of the prisoners in Tuxtla, and was suggested by the prisoners to raise the visibility of the risk to their lives.

Create coffins, accompanied by a large banner that says "This is how the government wants us" and signed by "Hunger Striking Political Prisoners in Chiapas." And exhibit the coffins and banner in front of the government offices, municipal buildings, or in the representative offices of the State or the Country. This way we can show a common symbolism in all of our actions, and that can be another way to articulate our commitment to freeing our compañeros.

One of our committees will be in charge of doing follow up for the actions that will be going on in other parts of the country and world, and we would be greatful if you could send us information about them.

In another update, after the actions on Thursday, we will communicate the results of our research committees, relating to the following subjects:

1. Why hasn't the government of Chiapas published a list of all of the freed prisoners? Is it because, as the human rights organization Frayba believes, the mass liberation included members of known paramilitary groups as well?

2. About the existing relationships between the local government and the companies that support it.

This is with the goal of continuing actions to obtain freedom for our compañeros, while at the same time making clear the failure of justice, and the real interests of the government.

For the immediate and unconditional liberation of our fasting and hunger striking compañeros!

Fraternally,

La Otra Jovel