Thursday, July 26, 2012, San Cristóbal de Las Casas
It’s half a victory, but a victory for us all
Alberto Patishtán, emblematic political prisoner of Mexico and comrade, founding member of the “Voz del Amate” (Voice of Amate) organization and part of the Other Campaign, was returned just a few hours ago to the prison known as CERSS No. 5 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. He was taken out of there in the early morning hours of October 20, 2011, in the middle of a hunger strike that he was waging along with his comrades, “los Solidarios de la Voz del Amate” (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate).
The vile government is finally abiding by the ruling issued on July 13 by the judge in the court at Tuxtla Gutiérrez, granting a protective order sought by the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Center for Human Rights on the basis that Albert’s transfer to the maximum security prison at Guasave, Sinaloa was unacceptable.
After being away for more than 9 months, professor comrade Alberto Patishtán is back in the prison where he shares a cell, meals, meetings, projects, cheer, hopes and dreams with his comrades in struggle, including Francisco Sántiz López of the EZLN Bases of Support. His family no longer has to travel 2200 kilometers to visit him. At last we can hug him and listen to his wise encouraging words.
It is only half a victory because there was no justification whatsoever for Alberto to be punished with this transfer orchestrated by the Mexican State at the behest of Chiapas Interior Minister Noe Castañon. And what’s more, there is no justification whatsoever for holding Alberto behind bars. He is an elementary school teacher and social activist snatched from his Tsotsil hometown, El Bosque. There, they are waiting for him to come home. They demand it…We demand it.
But Alberto’s return to Chiapas is the result of a coordinated global effort by people ranging from his own family members to comrades in the far corners of the planet; from many anarchist groups to human rights defenders and other supporters including all the organizations of the Other Campaign; from his town in the mountains to the barrios of New York City, with a symbolic detour through Palestine. Among us all, we showed that Justice is woven into the social fabric, exercised, and even imposed on those at the top of the heap by the struggle from below.
From the bottom of our hearts, with something of a sense of amazement, we want to thank each and every person that has taken part in the different campaigns for Albert’s freedom and that of the other political prisoners. As the comrades from the Other New York suggested, all of us together have torn down a little piece of the slammer.
The struggle continues. Alberto and other indigenous brothers and sisters are still imprisoned in Chiapas jails, and for their sake we have to keep on getting organized and coordinating our efforts like we’ve done so far. One more time we shout, IMMEDIATE FREEDOM for:
Alberto Patishtán Gómez (Voice of Amate)
Rosario Díaz Méndez (Voice of Amate)
Francisco Sántiz López (EZLN Base of Support)
Pedro López Jiménez (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Alfredo López Jiménez (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Rosa López Díaz (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Juan Collazo Jiménez (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Alejandro Díaz Sántiz (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Enrique Gómez Hernández (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Juan Díaz López (Solidarity Prisoners, Voice of Amate)
Antonio Estrada Estrada (San Sebastián Bachajón)
Miguel Vázquez Deara (San Sebastián Bachajón)
Manuel Demeza Jiménez (San Sebastián Bachajón)
and for all the other political prisoners in this country and the world
DOWN WITH PRISON WALLS!
Network against Repression — CHIAPAS
Working group “No Estamos Todxs” (All of us Aren’t Present)
A Space for the Struggle against Oblivion and Repression
Sent by noestamostodxs@riseup.net
English translation: Amig@s de Mumia de México
