On the Ongoing Repression of the CRAC-PC

The following translation is about the ongoing repression of the community police force in Tixtla, Guerrero in Mexico. To learn more about the context of the repression and the complex context that the community defense forces come out of, check out our interview with Scott Campbell here.

To the People of Mexico:

On August 8^th, our compañero Tomas was kidnapped while carrying out his labor with the community police in the municipality of Tixtla, Guerrero.

On September 10^th, his body was found with signs of torture on the steps of the General Attorney’s office of the State of Guerrero.

From these acts, the CRAC-PC of the Fortín base began investigations to find out who was guilty of the acts of kidnapping and homicide of the compañero. During these investigations, we learned that the same group of assassins had already ordered the kidnapping of compañeros Pedro Juárez and Pablo Molino, also members of the community police of the Fortín Base.

It’s important to mention that two of the compañeros ordered to be kidnapped, are family members of an organizer of the CRAC-PC, Gonzalo Molina González, who is currently imprisoned in Chilpancingo, Guerrero.

Together with these acts was the arbitrary detention of the sister of Gonzalo Molina González, on June 6^th of 2017, in La Paz, Baja California Sur. During the arrest, it was argued that she had an active arrest warrant in the state of Guerrero for the crime of robbery from actions that had occurred on August 26^th, 2013. While these charges were already dropped by the accuser, the arrest did make clear that the government of the state of Guerrero has reactivated the more than 70 arrest warrants that they maintain against our community police members of the house of justice of Paraíso.

On November 26^th, 2015, four members of the community police of the Fortín Base were assassinated in the Fortín neighborhood at the hands of a group of heavily armed hired assassins. The response of the state government at that moment was to try to militarize the municipality of Tixtla rather than investigating the assassination of the compañeros.

During his imprisonment, Gonzalo Molina González carried out a hunger strike for 21 days, five of which without liquid. As a consequence of this hunger strike, Gonzalo Molina’s health deteriorated, keeping him in bed for a week due to strong pains produced by a hernia that he had between his legs and kidney stones in his kidneys. The authorities of the state did not allow the medical revision of Gonzalo Molina until two months afterwards, at that point only because the serious danger to his life and the political pressure carried out in that moment.

After two months of serious pains, Gonzalo Molina was transferred to the hospital of Iguala where his kidney and the hernia he had were operated on. The recovery from these operations took place inside the prison without adequate treatment or necessary care. From these conditions he has suffered a serious decline in his health.

The prison authorities have not allowed Gonzalo Molina to be transferred to a hospital for a medical check-up and necessary exams.

The detention of Gonzalo Molina Gonzales on November 6^th, 2013; the detention of Arturo Campos Herrera on December 1^st, 2013; the taking of the house of justice of Paraíso by the Mexican Military, Marines, and State Police on August 23^rd, 2013 which left seven members of the CRAC-PC of the house of justice of Paraíso imprisoned who now carry out their judicial process in the public ministry of Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero. All these actions have made clear that the government wants to dismantle the CRAC-PC, charging us with crimes and criminalizing our community institution.

On October 6, 2013, Samuel Ramírez Gálvez was detained while carrying out his duty with the community police. He was accused of the possession of a gun. Since then, he has been imprisoned in the penal in Chilpancingo, Guerrero. On June 2^nd, 2017, he was sentenced to four years and 100 days for the crime of possession of a gun.

The conduct of the CRAC-PC is based in Article 2 of the constitution, as well as in the agreement 169 of the OIT and Law 701 of the state of Guerrero. The sentence they imposed on Samuel Ramírez has no legal basis, but the government insists on not recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples and sentencing this community police member.

The consequence of this repression has left five assassinated, three political prisoners, six accused that now must go from their community of Paraíso (municipality of Ayutla de los libres) to Tlapa de Comonfort to sign paperwork, two compañeros that now are now being guarded by the CRAC-PC but without being able to carry out their normal lives, and more than seventy arrest warrants.

These acts are not isolated. This persecution is an attempt by the Federal Government to disarticulate the CRAC-PC, in particular the Fortín Base that has remained autonomous and independent.

As CRAC-PC of the Fortín Base, we have maintained our support for the political prisoners of the CRAC-PC, as well as other political prisoners in the country united in the National Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners. We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the normalista students of Ayotzinapa, with the struggle of the parents of the 43 normalistas disappeared, with the popular teacher’s struggle, as well as with popular struggles in defense of territory.

We know that the federal government is uncomfortable with the presence of the CRAC-PC in Tixtla seeing that they have not ceased their intent to dismantle the Rural Normal Raúl Isidro Burgos of Ayotzinapa, Guerrero. We know they are uncomfortable that the CRAC-PC keeps advancing and constructing a people’s institution that defends community territory from the mines and grand corporations that seek to exploit the earth.

They are uncomfortable that the CRAC-PC of Fortín remains autonomous and independent while they attempt to confront the people with political parties and elections to keep them divided and poorly organized

We would like to say that this recount of the repression ends here, but we know that the federal government will not stop with its attempts to sell the territory to the grand mining corporations, financing assassins and paramilitary groups and buying community leaders to impose terror and violence in our communities.

We demand respect for the CRAC-PC as a community institution endorsed by the people.

We demand the end to the persecution and repression of the CRAC-PC of the Fortín Base.

We demand the unconditional freedom of Gonzalo Molina González, Samuel Ramírez Gálvez and Arturo Campos Herrera.

We demand the cancellation of the more than 70 arrest warrants against members of the CRAC-PC.

We demand the punishment of those guilty of the assassination of our five compañeros.

We hold responsible the Federal Government for the repression and criminalization of the CRAC-PC as well as the physical and psychological well-being of the members of the CRAC-PC of the Fortín Base and of the political prisoners of CRAC-PC.

After nearly three years since the detention and disappearance of the 43 normalistas of Ayotzinapa, we reiterate our solidarity and support to the parents of the 43 and we demand their return alive.

Alive they were taken! Alive we want them!

We send our greetings and solidarity to all of the dignified struggles that are carried out by men and women in search of a new country.

Respect our rights! There will be justice!

Freedom to the political prisoners!

Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of the State of Guerrero

CRAC-PC of the Fortín Base