Militarization in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
espacio alternativo | 07.04.2008 21:32 | Anti-militarism | Repression | Terror War | London | World
Last Wednesday April 3 elements of the Polícia Federal arrested activist Cipriana Jurado leader of the Non-Governmental Organization, Centro de Investigacion y Solidaridad Obrera (CISO) and the comrade Carlos Chavez of the organization Agrodinámica Nacional. At around 3 in the afternoon agents of the Federal police aboard a car without registration plates stopped by force comrade Cipriana and forced her into the unit, alleging that there was an arrest warrant against her which was never shown during the arrest, nor when she was transferred to the Rehabilitation Centre for Adults (CERESO).
Cd Juarez Chihuahua April 04, 2008
At the same time, in the town of Casas Grandes was stopped Carlos Chavez, co-founder along with Armando Villarreal Martha, the activist who was murdered four weeks ago, of the organization Agrodinámica Nacional. Comrade Cipriana was released today April 4 opening a preliminary inquiry against her for her involvement in a demonstration on October 12, 2005 at the Santa Fe international bridge when she participated in a mobilization in support of rural workers. Carlos Chavez was moved to Ciudad Juarez in the afternoon and handed over to the Attorney General and accused of the same offences. Since the time of arrest numerous organizations have mobilized to demand the release of the comrades and to denounce the intervention and their harassment by the Army and the Federal forces, making the state responsible for the integrity of the detainees and calling for an end to the criminalization of social movements and community activists, as it is rumoured that there is a list of 40 comrades who have an arrest warrant out against them and that the army came to the city with a photographic archive of social activists of the border.
Since last April 28 more than 2,000 Mexican Army troops patrol the streets of Ciudad Juarez, have set up dozens of roadblocks and even helicopters hover continually overhead as the Federal Government's alleged response to the wave of [organized crime-related, translator notes] violence on this border. These actions are part of the so-called “Joint Operation Chihuahua”, headed by the Interior Minister, Juan Camilo Mouriño. Military elements move through the streets of this city, aiming their long arms at pedestrians, and intimidating the juarense community, besieging the city and violating the human rights of the community. Although the army’s advance through the country is justified by the calederonista government as part of the combating of drug trafficking, we know that this argument is only a screen to militarize the country and criminalize social struggles, as part of the agreements and plans of the state known as the Merida Initiative. The patrolling military forces have brought only misery and violence for the Juarenses. For weeks there have been a growing number of complaints against the armed forces, ranging from the torture of members of the municipal police, abuse of power opening fire on a police patrol car, and raping a policewoman of 22, inhuman kidnappings and robberies at the roadblocks, requiring citizens to remain squatted for over half an hour with their hands on their neck. The state of terror and siege is such that the Municipal police have refused to patrol the city.
We denounce and demand the departure of the Army that far from resolving the violence has increased and has only served as a screening action against alleged corruption and drug trafficking, it is noteworthy that the seizures by the army against drug trafficking have been in the vast majority of marijuana. It is known that in our locality that such drugs are in abundance and that it is the cheapest drug in the city.
Once more we denounce that Pedro Paulino Nain, a comrade of our organization was arrested in February of this year and his legal status is that of bail for his participation in a mobilization in 2003. He has been harassed and scared off going to the Kasa of Culture and that on the day Sunday, April 30 we were informed by an unknown person that the the army had a photographic archive of the members of our origanización. We make responbsibler for our integrity the mayor of the city, Lic. Jose Reyes Ferriz, as well as the governor of Chihuahua, Jóse Reyes Baeza and the federal government of Felipe Calderon. We demand that the Army leave and a cessation of the criminalization of social struggles.
No peace without justice.
Let’s organize social struggles.
Kasa de Kultura para tod@s Cd Juárez Chihuahua Rafael Velarde 2137 Col Monterrey Tel 01 656 2591313
http://indy.espora.org//juarez
griterio@espora.org
pa_laotraenjuaritox@hotmail.com
Visita el sitio http://indy.espora.org/Juarez
Con la Otra en Juaritox Kasa de Kultura para Tod@s
Rafael Velarde 2137. Esquina con Mariano Escobedo. Col. Monterrey Tel. 2591313Cd Juárez Chihuahua México
At the same time, in the town of Casas Grandes was stopped Carlos Chavez, co-founder along with Armando Villarreal Martha, the activist who was murdered four weeks ago, of the organization Agrodinámica Nacional. Comrade Cipriana was released today April 4 opening a preliminary inquiry against her for her involvement in a demonstration on October 12, 2005 at the Santa Fe international bridge when she participated in a mobilization in support of rural workers. Carlos Chavez was moved to Ciudad Juarez in the afternoon and handed over to the Attorney General and accused of the same offences. Since the time of arrest numerous organizations have mobilized to demand the release of the comrades and to denounce the intervention and their harassment by the Army and the Federal forces, making the state responsible for the integrity of the detainees and calling for an end to the criminalization of social movements and community activists, as it is rumoured that there is a list of 40 comrades who have an arrest warrant out against them and that the army came to the city with a photographic archive of social activists of the border.
Since last April 28 more than 2,000 Mexican Army troops patrol the streets of Ciudad Juarez, have set up dozens of roadblocks and even helicopters hover continually overhead as the Federal Government's alleged response to the wave of [organized crime-related, translator notes] violence on this border. These actions are part of the so-called “Joint Operation Chihuahua”, headed by the Interior Minister, Juan Camilo Mouriño. Military elements move through the streets of this city, aiming their long arms at pedestrians, and intimidating the juarense community, besieging the city and violating the human rights of the community. Although the army’s advance through the country is justified by the calederonista government as part of the combating of drug trafficking, we know that this argument is only a screen to militarize the country and criminalize social struggles, as part of the agreements and plans of the state known as the Merida Initiative. The patrolling military forces have brought only misery and violence for the Juarenses. For weeks there have been a growing number of complaints against the armed forces, ranging from the torture of members of the municipal police, abuse of power opening fire on a police patrol car, and raping a policewoman of 22, inhuman kidnappings and robberies at the roadblocks, requiring citizens to remain squatted for over half an hour with their hands on their neck. The state of terror and siege is such that the Municipal police have refused to patrol the city.
We denounce and demand the departure of the Army that far from resolving the violence has increased and has only served as a screening action against alleged corruption and drug trafficking, it is noteworthy that the seizures by the army against drug trafficking have been in the vast majority of marijuana. It is known that in our locality that such drugs are in abundance and that it is the cheapest drug in the city.
Once more we denounce that Pedro Paulino Nain, a comrade of our organization was arrested in February of this year and his legal status is that of bail for his participation in a mobilization in 2003. He has been harassed and scared off going to the Kasa of Culture and that on the day Sunday, April 30 we were informed by an unknown person that the the army had a photographic archive of the members of our origanización. We make responbsibler for our integrity the mayor of the city, Lic. Jose Reyes Ferriz, as well as the governor of Chihuahua, Jóse Reyes Baeza and the federal government of Felipe Calderon. We demand that the Army leave and a cessation of the criminalization of social struggles.
No peace without justice.
Let’s organize social struggles.
Kasa de Kultura para tod@s Cd Juárez Chihuahua Rafael Velarde 2137 Col Monterrey Tel 01 656 2591313
http://indy.espora.org//juarez griterio@espora.org pa_laotraenjuaritox@hotmail.com Visita el sitio
http://indy.espora.org/Juarez Con la Otra en Juaritox Kasa de Kultura para Tod@s
Rafael Velarde 2137. Esquina con Mariano Escobedo. Col. Monterrey Tel. 2591313Cd Juárez Chihuahua México
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e-mail:
pa_laotraenjuaritox@hotmail.com
Homepage:
http://indy.espora.org/Juarez