Comrades, friends, relatives, and neighbors of Alberto Patishtán Gómez, who has been imprisoned since 19 June 2000, succeeded in bringing together on 17 March more than a thousand people in the community of El Bosque to demand Patishtán’s return to Chiapas and his unconditional release. All believe him to be innocent and a political prisoner.
Professor Martín Ramírez López initiated the reunion, remembering the acts that occurred 12 years ago and the implications that his incarceration has had for his relatives, students, and compatriots. Painful memories from friends, work-colleagues, and the parents and friends who accompanied Patishtán on the day of the presumed ambush against police of which he is accused repeatedly stressed that he was not at the scene of the incident: “I spoke with him that day, at the very hour; he could not have been where the violence occurred.” But their testimony was never taken into account: “We went to San Cristóbal and Tuxtla to declare the same thing we say now, but no one listened.”
Expressing strong emotions mixed with dignified rage, participants made clear their opposition to his unjust incarceration. Later, women and men considered the words of the professor to reflect on the new types of actions they could undertake after the assembly to demand the immediate return and release of Patishtán Gómez.
For more information (in Spanish):
Asamblea en el bosque (Blog de Alberto Patishtan Preso Politico de Chiapas, 18 de marzo 2012)
Alberto Patishtán – Asamblea por la Libertad de Alberto Patishtán(Koman Ilel, 17 de marzo 2012)
Exigen en Chiapas liberar a Patishtán (La Jornada, 19 de marzo 2012)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Chiapas: Demand for release and return of Alberto Patishtan (22 March 2012)
Mexico: Denunciation by Alberto Patishtán from prison in Sinaloa (7 March 2012)
Chiapas: new denunciation by prisoners Solidarios de la Voz del Amate (6 January 2012)
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