Indigenous Prisoners in Struggle Denounce Ongoing Harassment from Prison Authorities

Indigenous prisoners in CERESO NO. 5, Chiapas, Mexico, denounce ongoing harassment from prison authorities as a result of their prison organizing.

 

To the Public

To the Networks of Resistance and Rebellion

To the National Indigenous Congress

To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

To the National and International Sixth

To the Network Against Repression and for Solidarity

To the Mass and Alternative Media

To the Independent Organizations

To the Human Rights Defenders and Non-Governmental Organizations

To the Indigenous People of Mexico and the World

To the Civil Society of Mexico and the World

From the organizations, La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia and La Voz Verdadera del Amate, we send you all an affectionate greeting. Our organizations are both adherents of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. We are currently in prison in CERESO No. 5, highway 5, San Cristóbal de las Casas-Ocosingo, at kilometer 20, ejido Los Llanos, Chiapas, Mexico.

We release this communique from our trench of struggle, from inside CERESO No. 5. We continue holding our indefinite protest encampment inside this prison. Today, rumors are circling about us and our reputation is being stained by lies prefabricated by prison authorities. The prison director, José Javier Sánchez Ríos, is particularly responsible. The rumors claim that we are digging a tunnel to escape from prison, and that sooner or later we will make our escape. We are developing the reputation of Chapo Guzman.

We found out about this on February 27, from various superiors to the director of the prison. The Sub-secretary for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions and Security, José Miguel Alarcón, visited our protest encampment to tell us about the delectate subject. We accepted the revision of our space so as to prove we are not hollowing out a tunnel. We wanted to highlight the lies of the authorities, particularly the director. This lie is being spread so as to justify our relocation. The director, together with his guards, have tried again and again to relocate us. The supposed escape attempt is the latest justification.

We will accept revisions by prison authorities so that the rumors can be proved false. The intention is to defame our two organizations, because we have held an indefinite protest encampment inside this prison.

We use this communique to expose the lies of the public officials in this prison.

We demand our freedom, but through legal means accompanied by political struggle. There are many irregularities in our case files and our due process rights have been violated. Most importantly, we are victims of torture. We want our innocence to be recognized. That is why the three of us are maintaining this protest encampment. We will continue in this protest encampment until there is a favorable response from authorities with signed agreements.

Finally, we invite the human rights defenders and independent organizations to continue demanding true justice.

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

Respectfully,

Adrián Gómez Jiménez, La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia

Abraham López Montejo and Germán López Montejo, La Voz Verdadera del Amate

March 1, 2020