This communiqué comes from the Working Group No Estamos Todxs who have been involved in coordinating prisoner support during the hunger strike taking place in three different prisons in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The communiqué denounces recent aggressions and threats against two hunger striking prisoners in CERSS No. 10 of Comitán de Domínguez, Chiapas. The original in Spanish was published by the Working Group No Estamos Todxs and can be found here.
3/30/19
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas
March 30th, 2019
Today, March 30th, 2019, we want to publically denounce the harassment against our compañeros who are on a hunger strike in CERSS No. 10 Comitán de Domínguez, Chiapas. On March 29th, 2019, the compañeros, Marcelono Ruiz Gómez and Baldemar Gómez Hernández, decided to sew together their lips, putting their health at risk, as an extreme measure to have their demands heard. The next day, the prison authorities increased repression against them.
At 8:30 in the morning, the current warden David Arias Jiménez, accompanied by 12 prison guards, broke into the isolation area where our compañeros Marcelino and Baldemar were located. They were lying down because after 16 days on a hunger strike their physical condition has been seriously affected. The authorities forcefully picked them up, physically assaulting them and stripping them naked. After this physical and psychological torture, they were covered with cold water against their will, insulted and threatened. They were isolated for hours from the rest of the population. In light of these acts, our compañeros have decided to not allow medical checkups. They also demand the immediate dismissal of the warden, David Arias Jiménez.
We support the demands of our compañeros.
We hold responsible for these acts the governor of Chiapas, Rutilio Escandón Cadenas; the different levels of the state government, the officials in charge of the negotiating table with the families; the federal government headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrado; and the prison authorities of CERSS No. 10 of Comitán de Domínguez, the director as well as the warden, David Arias Jiménez. We will not allow new aggressions against our compañeros, prisoners in struggle. We hold responsible those cited above for any new aggression, threat or any other form of harassment that our compañeros might suffer.
We know those that fight, irritate, and that is why the state seeks to silence them. The authorities thought that enclosing them behind prison walls and fences and torturing them would silence their voices and isolate their hearts. But our compañeros never have surrendered, and never will. Whoever fights for dignity and justice, for life, has nothing to fear. From here our unconditional support and solidarity with our compañeros and our most profound hatred and contempt for the system that has them kidnapped, those that beat, torture and kill.
There will be no aggression without a response!
Immediate and unconditional freedom!
Down with the prison walls!
Working Group No Estamxs Todos