Chiapas: From Prison We Shout “Samir Vive!”

The National Indigenous Congress and the Networks of Resistance and Rebellion called for a Global Day of Struggle in Defense of Life and Territory “Samir Flores Vive,” on October 12th, 2019. The following solidarity statements were released by Indigenous prisoners in struggle in two different prisons in the state of Chiapas.

Statement from La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia

CERESO No. 5

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México

October 10, 2019

Brothers and sisters, compañeros and compañeras and combatants of the NETWORK OF RESISTANCE AND REBELLION (RED DE RESISTENCIA Y REBELDÍA), we send you a cordial greeting from the trenches. We hope that you are in good health, close to your relatives and companions.

Through this media we address you and we cannot be at peace, since we have seen bad governments cause lots of pain; injustices prevail all over the world where we are humiliated, marginalized and ignored. They treat us like animals because we are Indigenous and humble people. Worst of all, even when we speak up to defend our rights, forests, culture, land, water or our languages, bad governments are destroying us in different ways. The bad government launches attacks on us, they prefabricate crimes, they order to kill and disappear us. They call to silence us. A clear example is the 1997 case of the comrades of Acteal, where men, women and children were violently murdered. Another case was the forced disappearance of 43 rural students from Ayotzinapa, Guerrero. Our comrade Samir Flores is an example. These are the attacks that the bad government has launched against the Mexican people and, as an organization, LA VOZ DE INDÍGENAS EN RESISTENCIA, we show solidarity in demanding justice for our fallen comrades, who have been unjustly murdered. It is not fair that, until today, they have not been given a resolution.

Although we are imprisoned, our words are not imprisoned; therefore, comrades, we are with you. We know that the unity of the people is stronger and we will never be defeated by bad governments. The struggles of the people are our struggles, we walk together to give a better future to our children and grandchildren.

Finally, we say NO to the Mayan train. The only construction we recognize is from the Indigenous Governing Council whether it be peasant, worker or fisherman. We want an end to massacres in Mexico forever so there will be peace, justice, freedom, education, democracy.

Well comrades, these are all our words, we say goodbye in this way. We send you strength to keep moving forward and to continue fighting and resisting.

We send a big hug to each one of you.

See you soon.

Respectfully,

Members:

Juan de la Cruz Ruíz.

Adrián Gómez Jiménez.

Organization LA VOZ DE INDÍGENAS EN RESISTENCIA (THE VOICE OF INDIGENOUS IN RESISTANCE). Adherents of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

***

Statement from Viniketic en Resistencia

CERSS No. 10, Comitan de Dominguez, Chiapas

10/12/19

Communiqué of Indigenous Prisoners in Struggle, Organization Viniketik en Resistencia

Adherents of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the EZLN

To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

To National and International Civil Society

To the Indigenous Governing Council

To the National and International Sixth

To the National Indigenous Congress (CIG)

To Human Rights and NGOs

To Good Government Boards

To the Network Against Repression and for Solidarity

To Independent Organizations

To the comrades who are fighting for justice and dignity, we send a cordial combative greeting on behalf of prisoners in the struggle and resistance. We send a fraternal hug to all corners of the world who struggle, rebel and resist. This October 12 for the Global Day of Struggle in Defense of Life and our Territories, the organization Viniketik en Resistencia will be present from our place of struggle behind these four walls. In spite of the repressive harassment of the bad government here, we continue fighting for justice.

We want to especially express our solidarity with the compañeros and compañeras of the #CNI #CIG #EZLN who walk with pain, anger with resistance and rebellion and are persecuted by a government who kills men and women just like our comrade Samir Flores. But we do not forget. On the contrary he is the essence of our resistance.

That is why we rage and defend our struggle because we see that it is the only way to continue existing as the Indigenous people that we are. It is our right to self-determination and autonomy of our territories that we must defend against capitalist plunderers.

We also send greetings and solidarity to the families of the 43 students of Ayotzinapa.

By uniting our voices and struggle, we will prevail because we are rebellion and resistance. We are one of many. We are seeds from which other worlds will be born.

Sincerely

Organization Viniketik en Resistencia

Marcelino Ruiz Gomez

Valdemar Gomez Hernandez

Pedro Pérez Jimenez

***

Statement from La Voz Verdadera del Amate

CERESO No. 5

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

October 10, 2019

Organization: La Voz Verdadera del Amate, Adherents of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

To the Network of Resistance and Rebellion.

Compañeros and compañeras, brothers and sisters, we send you a cordial greeting. Here inside our trench of struggle, although we are inside prison, our words are free. In this struggle, we are very proud and thankful for the compas and for you all. We know well that we are not alone. There are other compas in other places, many that we don’t know, but we hope that these words arrive to all the compas in different places. We also hope that the words of compa Samir Flores continue, that you never forget him.

We fight for life and freedom. We search for true justice, while the bad government that does not want that, is trampling on our rights. We must not be afraid. We must continue in the struggle, demanding life and peace for our children and grandchildren, so that they have life and peace. Here in the Mexican nation, we send our encouragement. We must continue demanding justice because there is already a lot of ignorance and harassment from the bad government.

Thanks compañeras and compañeros. Receive a strong embrace from us.

Germán López Montejo

Abraham López Montejo

CERESO No. 5 San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

October 10, 2019

Original in Spanish: http://noestamostodxs.tk/desde-la-carcel-gritamos-samir-vive/