previous updates: 2004-9-29 | 2004-10-6 | 2004-10-8
Cesar Zelada is a well known student activist in Peru. He is also a member of the Fuerza de Izquierda Socialista, a left wing group, and the organiser of the Hands off Venezuela campaign in Peru.
He was in Bolivia as part of a delegation of Peruvian student activists invited by the Youth wing of the Bolivian Workers' Union (COB - the Bolivian TUC) to show solidarity with the struggle of the Peruvian students, particularly those at the Oruro Technical University.
He was arrested on September 14th, in the capital La Paz. He was strip searched and handcuffed by the PTJ police and then questioned without having access to a lawyer. He is being kept in jail in the San Pedro Penal, in La Paz. When making the case against him at the hearing, the prosecutor alleged that he was in possession of explosives, had lied about his address in Bolivia and was carrying "Marxist propaganda" with the aim of "subversion".
The accusations against him could land him a jail sentence of between 3 and 6 years. A well coordinated high profile international solidarity campaign has already been launched and has received support world wide.
The latest high profile message come from a number of prominent Euro MPs and raises some very interesting questions about the role of the US in repression in Bolivia (original image of the letter is posted with this message, the English translation can be found here).
You can send protest messages to:
Ministerio del Interior de Bolivia: vicemingob@mingobierno.gov.bo
Al Presidente de la Nacion, Carlos Mesa: webmaster@presidencia.gov.bo
with copies and solidarity messages to: solidaridadconcesarzelada@yahoo.com
The phone number of the Bolivian embassy in London is: 020 7235 4248 and you should ask to speak to Pablo Ossio who is the Minister Consular.
If you want more information on the campaign here in Britain please contact: jorge@handsoffvenezuela.org
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
How do we know accusation is false?
26.09.2004 17:43
How do you know this? How can you be 100% sure he did not have explosives when he was arrested? How can these EuroMPs know he did not have explosives? How can they know that he was not involved in some illegal revolutionary actions?
Criminals usually say they are innocent after they are captured. Should we just trust that this man is innocent because he is a member of left-wing group. Or does it even matter if he had those explosives or not. Should he be released just because he is a member of this left-wing group? Should it be illegal all over the world to prosecute people who are members of left-wing groups no matter what terrible things they have done.
freedom fighter
"carrying Marxist propaganda"
27.09.2004 01:14
pescao
Homepage:
http://bolivia.indymedia.org