El Enemigo Común

Gloria Arenas visited the Otro Plantón at Molino de Flores and voiced her commitment to speak in all possible places for the freedom of the 12 political prisoners of Atenco now that the case is in the hands of the Supreme Court. She and others present also participated in an act of protest outside the prison, denouncing prison conditions such as a lack of water for more than three days, telephones that haven’t worked for more than three days, and the total lack of attention to dormitory classification. People who are not senior citizens or disabled or mentally ill are placed in areas reserved for them, resulting in violence among the prisoners and worse conditions for those who have a special condition.

Gloria also received a phone call from Inés Rodolfo Cuellar who has become the spokesperson for the imprisoned comrades. Several other individual prisoners sent out letters to Gloria and Jacobo, which Gloria gladly promised to answer.

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

THE OTHER CAMPAIGN GOES ON!

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How can we ever express our gratitude when there just aren’t enough words. And the emotion that whirls in our throats, our heads, our hearts, unnerves us and keeps churning, seeking an exit like a trapped bird beating its wings against the bars of its cage. And the words stick in our throats. That’s how I feel because you’re here brothers, sisters, all of you.

Because you drank from my chalice of bitterness, grief, rage along with me, and made my fear, my anger, my impotence yours. It’s not my intention to praise you or to move you with empty words. I’d reproach myself and you wouldn’t accept it.

Putting one’s conscience above mean interests devoid of solidarity principles is inconceivable for those who have let themselves be dragged down by greed and personal abundance, denying their brothers and sisters, denying their people. They’ve put a price on their dignity.

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Starting around 10 o’clock in the morning on Sunday, December 13, the main plaza in San Salvador Atenco started to fill up with young people of all ages ready to move their bodies to the sounds of jarocho, trova, hip hop, reggae and, more than anything ska, ska, and ska! These festivities marked the end of a successful tour to spread information and build support for the 12 political prisoners and 2 politically pursued people from Atenco. They also marked the beginning of a new stage in the campaign to bring them home in 2010.

Comrades came from Oaxaca, Monterrey and several other states and countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the United States joined in the campaign to learn more about it while enjoying the vibrant rhythms, hot or cool, of the trova from Chile, Cuban music with Radio Son, son jarocho with Los Cojolites of Veracruz, intense songs of Vicente Cayo and hip hop soul by the Chilean singer Moyenei. A lot of people also came mainly to hear some of the best-known bands in Mexico ––Panteón Rococó, Los de Abajo, Los Guanabana and the Cyberpachukote Sound System. Some already knew a lot and others just a little about the defense of these lands and the price paid for it, but everybody knew where they were headed and nobody has missed out on the fact that the word “Atenco” means “resistance.” Even though there was some impatience over the time spent reading statements, the rebellious spirit of the music was contagious, as was the solidarity shown by Roco, Odisea, “el Oso”, Dr. Shenka, and other musicians who got everyone jumping while they shouted out for the freedom of the prisoners and called on the crowd to express their feelings for Calderón and other known tyrants.

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Letter from Felipe Álvarez to La Jornada

Monday, November 9, 2009

Eight years after we began our resistance struggle against the invading, oppressive, killer system, I urge people to keep up the struggle. There’s no torture that can change the course of our ideals. They can chain my body but never my consciousness. And they can’t chain the dignity and spirit of our peoples who are struggling for what belongs to them either.

The government is still determined to dispossess us of what is ours and put all this at the service of empire, grabbing our lands, our water, oil, light and the little bit of wealth we have left.

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October 20, 2009

Brothers and sisters of Mexico and the world:

We’re sending you all the information we have as of now. On Thursday, October 15, 2009, our comrade Ignacio del Valle told us in a brief phone call that he and other comrades are on hunger strike in the maximum security prison where he has been kidnapped by the Mexican state.

This extreme measure is being taken to demand an end to the subhuman prison conditions to which our political prisoners are subjected in that dungeon: physical attacks, degradation, threats, humiliation, unjustifiable punishment, suspension of phone calls, suspension of visits, destruction of mail, theft of art and design materials and other measures characteristic of fascist regimes. The comrade has not been allowed to re-establish communications with his family members or lawyers.

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