Mexico City: Rally in Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoner Luis Fernando Sotelo

To compañerxs in solidarity
To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation
To the National Indigenous Council
To the National and International Sixth
To the Network Against Repression and For Solidarity

The state uses prison as a method of social control, created by a system seeking to be rid of all that breaks from the norms imposed by political power that only defends capitalist economic interests. That’s why prisons are primarily filled with people who have few resources, who lack the opportunities to meet their basic needs – which are food, water, and housing – that is to say, a dignified life, which many times is the reason why these people are prisoners. That way big business owners can walk around freely, speculating with the people’s money and together with the rulers defraud them of millions, while the people are imprisoned for “stealing” in order to survive. It’s worth noting that prison also tries to break and silence all who organize for another way of life outside of the capitalist system. That is to say, all anti-capitalist struggle is subject to state repression since it attacks the economic interests of the system. Prison is used to try to stop organizing and to send a message of fear to social movements.

It’s in this context that our compañero Luis Fernando Sotelo Zambrano has been abducted by the state for two years and seven months in a legal case plagued by lies and irregularities. First he was sentenced to 33 years and five months in prison and later that was reduced on appeal to 13 years and fifteen days in addition to a nine million peso payment for damages. Today, a direct injunction is the last recourse our compañero has to win his freedom. We’re clear that this struggle is both legal and political and that is why we are calling for:

A rally in solidarity with Luis Fernando Sotelo Zambrano to demand a direct injunction ordering his immediate release.

On July 3 at 10am at the Second Collegiate Court on Criminal Matters (Ave Revolución 1508, Colonia Guadalupe Inn, Delegación Alvaro Obregón, near the Barranca del Muerto Metro Station)

Through prison the state seeks to not only restrict the freedom of compañerxs but also tries to break their morale, and that of those around them, in order to demobilize organization and lead us into an exhausting legal process with laws that have never benefited us since they were imposed by a political power that does not represent us and that we do not recognize. But what the system doesn’t know is that we will not surrender or give up. Through organization we will fight for the freedom of our compañerxs. While they have state forces to repress us, we have the force of solidarity. While they have the guns, we have organization. While they judge us with their laws and illegitimate trials, we are in the right. That is how we have strengthened this struggle, one where we are not going to beg for anybody’s freedom but rather are going to extract from state captivity everyone’s freedom and that of each of our prisoners.

Being that this is the final legal recourse our compañero has to gain his freedom, we emphasize with this call the need for solidarity and support by showing up and demanding a quick ruling that absolves and immediately releases Luis Fernando Sotelo.

UNTIL ALL ARE FREE!
MAY OUR RAGE UNITE!
MAY THE WIND BLOW!
MAY THE STORM INTENSIFY!

Free Luis Fernando Sotelo Campaign