Communique from Indigenous Prisoners in Struggle in Chiapas Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

Communique from Indigenous prisoners in struggle in Chiapas of the organizations, La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia and La Voz Verdadera del Amate, denouncing the situation inside CERESO No. 5 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The prisoners are adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

 

May 10, 2020

To the Public

To the National Indigenous Congress

To the Networks of Resistance and Rebellion

To the Network Against Repression and for Solidarity

To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

To the National and International Sixth

To the Mass and Alternative Media

To the Human Rights Defenders and Non-governmental Organizations

To the Independent Organizations

To the Indigenous People of Mexico and the World

To the Civil Society of Mexico and the World

Compañerxs, brothers and sisters, from here in CERESO No. 5 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, we send a fraternal and combative salute to those that struggle from below and to the left, to the political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners in struggle.

Due to the global situation brought about by the pandemic, and the emergency measures being taken in Mexican territory, we as prisoners have been affected both morally and economically. Above all, our legal cases have been affected, and delayed due to the coronavirus. The government of Chiapas hasn’t done anything to review our cases and give us our freedom.

There is the case of Adrián Gómez Jiménez, who has been imprisoned for sixteen years and two months and is sentenced to twenty. On the other hand, there are the two brothers, German and Abraham López Montejo, both with the same last name, who have been imprisoned for more than nine years without any evidence against them.

We suffer from little economic resources and we cannot afford our basic necessities. Our visitors have been denied access to the prison and the prison doesn’t provide us with soap, toothpaste or toilet paper. Our families are also suffering because they are worried about us. We are in imminent danger with the covid-19 virus. Those that work in this prison enter and exit. Every two days the guards and jailers do shift changes, and they can easily infect us.

On may 4, an inmate was urgently taken out of the sleeping area. That evening, around 7pm, he was feeling sick and began to vomit, without stopping. He had stomach pain, a fever, and other symptoms. The following day, they were claiming he might have coronavirus. They put him in quarantine, under lock in key, in the bedding area. He is still in isolation. He already suffers from various diseases. He is diabetic. In this case, the authorities should give him house arrest. He already is in his 50’s. Inmates lives are in danger. Our health and integrity are in danger. We are far from our families.

The prison lacks the medicine that is necessary in the case of an emergency. The only thing that is given to us is paracetamol. Today, we continue in an indefinite encampment inside the prison. May 14 will mark one year of the encampment demanding our freedom. The government of Chiapas continues to ignore our demands because we are victims of torture on part of the state prosecutor’s office of Chiapas. The government wants to see us die here. Our space is deplorable, yet we will continue until we get our freedom, no matter what.

To end, we invite the independent organizations and human rights defenders to continue demanding true justice and freedom for political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners in struggle.

We also express our solidarity in the demand for the freedom of the Mapuche political prisoners and the hunger strike that they have begun. Greetings for them!

Uniting the voices and forces of the Mexican people, true justice will triumph.

Respectfully,

Adrián Gómez Jiménez

Organization La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia

Abraham López Montejo and German López Montejo

Organization La Voz Verdadera del Amate