Marcella “Sali” Grace Eiler Raped and Murdered in Oaxaca

Hasta Siempre Sally: Another US Activist Murdered in Oaxaca

September 25th, 2008 – Marcella “Sali” Grace Eiler, a solidarity activist with the struggle in Oaxaca and Chiapas, was found dead on September 24th in a deserted cabin twenty minutes from the village of San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca, Mexico. She was brutally raped and murdered.

Sali, born in Eugene, Oregon, USA, was always inclined to help. She used her artistic talents to paint, Arabic dancing to raise funds for the struggle, put on punk shows, published photos on indymedia, gave self-defense courses to women, and much more. Sali was also an international accompanier for people in Oaxaca who felt harassed by the Oaxacan government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

On different occasions and to different people, Sali mentioned that recently she had suffered political persecution and surveillance in Oaxaca. Many people believe that her murder is part of the widespread repression against the social movement and directed particularly at international observers. Because of this, it is believed that the intellectual authors of Sali’s killing are the same who ordered the repression against the people of Oaxaca in their struggle for justice and freedom.

On September 30th, the day Sali would have turned 21, a march was held in Oaxaca demanding justice for Sali and an end to violence against women. (Photos)

Read More with Photos, Video and Poetry | Ya Basta De Asesinatos Contra Los Que Luchan Por La Justicia Y Libertad! | Pronunciamiento de Mujers y La Sexta

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca
Thursday, September 25

Justice for our sister Marcella Sali Grace!

Brother and sisters,

Our hearts are full of sadness and rage because our sister Sali was brutally raped and murdered 20 minutes from San Jose del Pacifico and up to this moment the Oaxacan Attorney General’s Office, as is its custom, is not doing anything regarding the fact that there exist witnesses who have information to identify those responsible.

Marcella Sali Grace was born in the United States, with a big heart in solidarity with just causes. She had many friend because she was always inclined to help, using her artistic talents to paint a banner or a wall or dancing Arabic dance to raise funds for the struggle, or putting on punk shows, or giving self-defense courses to the women because she knew very well how the men accosted them. This was one of her struggles, that women were free and respected. Sali was so involved in the struggle that she was an international accompanier of brothers and sisters who felt harassed by the bad government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

Unfortunately, on September 24, a woman’s body was found with the physical characteristics of Sali, in a deserted cabin twenty minutes from the village of San Jose del Pacifico and at the moment when a village member went to feed some dogs around that area, he was struck by a fetid odor coming from this cabin and notified the municipal authorities of the village, who proceeded to removed the body that was found which was already in a state of decay, and after these events, they did not give any more information to the people in the village.

Yesterday, companera Julieta Cruz (who knew Sali was headed for San Jose del Pacifico) was informed that a young, foreign woman was found in the Miahuatlan amphitheatre, where she went, and where she recognized the body of Sali because of the tattoos she had, as her face was unrecognizable. Julieta thinks it is because of burns, but it doesn’t explain why the rest of her body has less visible damage. When we asked for the case number we were denied as well from seeing the results of the autopsy, as they argued with us that because we weren’t relatives they couldn’t give us any information.

Due to her solidarity work with the popular struggle of the people of Oaxaca, in other struggles in the world and against the racism on Mexico’s border with the U.S., on different occasions and to different people, Sali mentioned that recently in Oaxaca she had suffered political persecution and surveillance. This makes us think that her cowardly murderer is related to the widespread repression against the social movement and directed particularly at international observers. Because of this, we don’t dismiss that the intellectual authors are the same who ordered the repression against the people of Oaxaca in their struggle for justice and freedom.

In the face of these bloody events, and for the brutal cruelty used against companera Sali, we don’t disregard that this could be a clear message directed at all the people of Oaxaca, as well as the companeros in solidarity from different parts of the world; we say this based on the recent national and international news which says that “APPO members were the ones who killed U.S. journalist Bradley Roland Will” and as there is no justice in Oaxaca, we worry that the distortion of information could interfere in procuring true justice for our companera and the clear bureaucratic slowness with which the involved authorities are already treating this investigation.

In the face of these lamentable events, WE DEMAND:

The immediate speeding up of the investigations.

The immediate clarification of the facts.

Punishment for the intellectual and material murderers.

Justice for our sister Marcella Sali Grace!

Enough is enough with of the murders, violence and hate against women who fight for justice!

We ask you to sign on (at the email indicated) to this demand for justice and to become a part of the urgent activities to demand the clarification of these cowardly acts.

rebeldiasentrelazadas@yahoo.com
Information: (01 951) 5178190 CIPO

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25
9:00 am Presence at the U.S. Consulate in Oaxaca
(Santo Domingo Plaza, Col. Centro, Oaxaca)

12:00 noon Rally at the State Attorney General’s Office: To demand the case is brought to Oaxaca and to speed up the bureaucratic procedures for the administration of justice.
(Domicilio conocido, San Antonio de la Cal, Col. Experimental).

Signed:
Encuentro de Mujeres Oaxaquenas “Compartiendo Voces de Esperanza”
Colectivo Mujer Nueva
Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca Ricardo Flores Magon
Voces Oaxaquenas Construyendo Autonomia y Libertad
Colectivo Tod@s Somos Pres@s
Encuentro de Jovenes en el Movimiento Social Oaxaqueno
(…)

Translation by Scott Campbell
http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/2008/09/justice-for-our-sister-marcella-sali-grace.html

———————————————

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca.
Jueves 25 de septiembre.

!Justicia para nuestra hermana Marcella Sali Grace!

Hermanos y hermanas.

Nuestros corazones estan llenos de tristeza y rabia porque nuestra hermana Sali fue violada y asesinada brutalmente a 20 minutos de San Jose del Pacifico y hasta este momento la procuraduria de Oaxaca como es su costumbre no esta haciendo nada a pesar que existen testigos que dan indicios para identificar a los responsables.

Marcella Sali Grace nacio en los Estados Unidos, con un corazon grande y solidario con las causas justas quien tenia muchas amigas y amigos porque siempre estaba dispuesta a ayudar, asi con sus dotes de artista pintaba una manta o una pared o bailaba su danza arabe para sacar fondos para la lucha, o hacia sus conciertos con bandas de punks, o daba sus cursos de defensa personal a las mujeres pues conocia muy bien como los hombres las acosan, esta era una de sus luchas, el que las mujeres fueramos libres y respetadas, Sali estaba tan comprometida en la lucha que fue acompanante internacional de hermanos y hermanas que estan siendo hostigadas por el mal gobierno de Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

Desgraciadamente este 24 de septiembre fue encontrado el cuerpo de una mujer con las caracteristicas fisicas de Sali, en una cabana deshabitada a veinte minutos de la poblacion de San Jose del Pacifico y al momento en que un poblador fue a alimentar a unos perros que se encontraban por ahi, lo impresiono un olor fetido que provenia de dicha cabana y dio aviso a las autoridades municipales de dicha poblacion, los cuales procedieron a hacer el levantamiento del cuerpo que se encontraba ya en estado de putrefaccion, y despues de dichos sucesos, no se dio mas informacion a los pobladores.

El dia de ayer se le dio aviso a la companera Julieta Cruz (quien tenia conocimiento de que Sali se dirigia para dicho lugar), que una joven extranjera se encontraba en el anfiteatro de Miahuatlan, a donde ella se dirigio, en donde reconocio el cuerpo de Sali debido a los tatuajes que tenia, ya que su rostro estaba irreconocible, la companera supone que es debido a quemaduras, pues no se explica por que el resto del cuerpo tiene danos visiblemente menores. Al momento en que pedimos el numero de averiguacion se nos fue negado al igual que los resultados de la necropsia, argumentandonos que debido a que no eramos familiares de la persona no se nos podria facilitar ningun dato.

Debido al trabajo solidario con la lucha popular del pueblo de Oaxaca, de otras luchas del mundo y contra el racismo en la frontera de Mexico con Estados Unidos, en diversas ocasiones y a diferentes personas, Sali comento que en Oaxaca, en fechas recientes sufria de persecucion politica y vigilancia. Esto nos hace pensar que su cobarde asesinato tiene relacion con la represion generalizada a los movimientos sociales y dirigida particularmente a los observadores internacionales. Por esto mismo no descartamos que los actores intelectuales sean los mismos que ordenan la represion contra el pueblo de Oaxaca que lucha por justicia y libertad.

Ante estos hechos sangrientos, y por la brutal crueldad que ejercen sobre la companera Sali, no dejamos de lado que puede ser un claro mensaje dirigido a todo el pueblo de Oaxaca, asi como a los companeros solidarios de diferentes partes del mundo; esto lo decimos basado en las recientes noticias que estan circulando a nivel nacional e internacional, de que “los appistas son los que mataron al periodista norteamericano Bradley Roland Will” y como no hay justicia en Oaxaca, nos preocupa la distorsion de la informacion que pudiera interferir en la procuracion de una verdadera justicia para nuestra companera y la ya evidente lentitud burocratica con la que estan tratando el caso las autoridades actualmente implicadas en la investigacion.

Ante estos hechos lamentables EXIGIMOS:

La inmediata agilizacion de las investigaciones.

El esclarecimiento inmediato de los hechos.

El castigo a los asesinos intelectuales y materiales.

!Justicia para nuestra hermana Marcella Sali Grace!

!Basta de asesinatos, violencia y odio contra las mujeres que luchan por justicia!

Pedimos su adhesion (en el correo que se indica) a esta exigencia de justicia y a formar parte de las actividades urgentes para demandar el esclarecimiento de estos hechos cobardes.

rebeldiasentrelazadas@yahoo.com
Informacion: (01 951) 5178190 CIPO

VIERNES 25 DE SEPTIEMBRE

9:00 am Presencia en el Consulado de los Estados Unidos en Oaxaca
(Plaza Santo Domingo, Col. Centro. Oaxaca)

12:00 del medio dia Mitin en la Procuraduria de Justicia del estado de Oaxaca: Para la exigencia de atraer el caso a la ciudad de Oaxaca y agilicen su tramite burocratico para la imparticion de justicia
(Domicilio conocido, San Antonio de la Cal, Col. Experimental).

Firmas:
Encuentro de Mujeres Oaxaquenas “Compartiendo Voces de Esperanza”
Colectivo Mujer Nueva
Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca Ricardo Flores Magon
Voces Oaxaquenas Construyendo Autonomia y Libertad
Colectivo Tod@s Somos Pres@s
Encuentro de Jovenes en el Movimiento Social Oaxaqueno
(…)

source: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/26/18541460.php

4 Comments

  1. It is with a heavy and sad heart to hear such terrible news, of the brutal murder of a woman who gave her life for freedom and justice for her sisters in struggle and for all people who struggle against brutality in a harsh and violent world. She had her whole life ahead of her; so young, too young to die and to die in such a brutal way, how can anyone not weep with sadness for this courageous young woman? But her bravery, her sacrifices and her commitment to others will never be forgotten and she will be honored and remembered always for her ultimate sacrifice. Let there be justice for Marcella! May her killer or killers be caught and brought to justice and made to pay for their brutal and inhumane acts. With prayers and thoughts for her family, her friends and for all the people who she gave her life to help.

  2. Whoever has committed this disgusting crime is the lowest of the lowest type of vermin, and whoever keeps this crime from being solved by deliberately keeping anyone from coming forward to testify is just as low as the perpetrator(s). This world needs to get rid of its vermin!

  3. letters from Sali’s family for Day of the Dead

    Activists passed out about a hundred copies of these letters in Spanish in San Cristobal during Day of the Dead. They set up a letter for our fallen comrades. Sali and Brad’s pictures were up with Subcomandante Pedro, Comandante Ramona, Andres Aubry, Digna Ochoa, Che Guevara, and many others.

    Marcella “Sali” Grace Eiler

    September 30, 1987 – September 15, 2008

    Sali is loved and cherished as a daughter to Barbara Healy and John Eiler, a stepdaughter to Catherine Eiler, a sister to Claire Eiler, Cavan Telford, and Erin Telford.

    Sali was a citizen of our planet. Sali believed that the earth and the animals and people who inhabit it have the right to grow and thrive, and deserve respect.

    Sali was young, beautiful, had a powerful heart and a deep passion for justice.

    – Sali supported animal rights, and fought against cruelty in animal experimentation.

    – Sali worked with “Food Not Bombs” in a number of North American cities, recovering food and turning it into hot meals available to anyone. She believed food is a right, not a privilege.

    – Sali worked with “Los Sobravivientes”, teaching English to Central American torture survivors who had come to live in Oregon.

    – Sali worked with “Cascadia Forest Defenders” saving the last of the old growth tree forests in Oregon from logging.

    – Sali contributed to “Indymedia”, a collective of independent media organizations and journalists offering grassroots coverage of news events in communities throughout the world.

    – Sali worked with “No Mas Muertes”, a humanitarian movement that provides water, food and medical assistance to migrants walking across the Arizona desert.

    – Sali worked with “CIPO-RFM”, a movement that promotes peaceful co-existance of autonomous, self sufficient communities and indigenous people, and defends the territorial, economic, social, political and cultural rights of those communities and individuals.

    The brief outline above highlights issues that spoke to Sali. These are a piece of the whole. Sali was so much more. She was a singer, a banjo player, a dance teacher and performer, a band member of Cinzana, an accomplished artist in North America and Mexico. A wonderful cook and herbalist, a beloved daughter, sister and loyal friend to many. An inspiring humanitarian, a courageous woman of warmth, laughter and endless energy who believed anything was possible. Any change achievable. Any goal possible.

    Marcella “Sali” Grace Eiler was raped and murdered on September 15, 2008. Our family and friends throughout North America and Mexico deeply mourn her loss. We feel the outpouring of love and support coming from Sali’s people in Oaxaca, in Mexico, and across North America. We appreciate all that you have done and will do in Sali’s memory.

    * Justice must be served in Sali’s cruel and tragic death. *

  4. estoy de acuerdo en que la muerte de cualquier ser vivo, humano en este caso es algo duro y peor en estas circunstancias

    pero yo abogo tambien de igual manera por los cientos de indigenas que han muerto en el estado
    personas anonimas que han muerto en la lucha
    personas de las cuales no hay fotos no hay justicia no hay reclamos sociales
    demos tambien inportancia a esto , no digo ke la muerte de esta chica sea indignante
    pero y los cientos de muertos mas que ellos de igual manera requieren y exigen justicia

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