This communiqué comes from inmates in the high-security prison in Santiago, Chile, who are mobilizing to reject Law 321, which would effect the amount of time spent in prison before they can be released on parole. The original in Spanish was published by Contra Info and can be found here.
To mark the national prison mobilization in rejection of law 321 and its retroactivity, we declare:
- Today, Wednesday May 22nd, there are six modules of this prison (2 and 3 H south, 2-3 J, and 2 and 3 H North) with total stoppage of activities. This includes not receiving food, not participating in workshops nor school, no cleaning and no visitors of any type except lawyers. We are thus altering the normal functioning of this unit to express our clear rejection of the nefarious application of the law 321 that modifies the meaning of parole as well as the time limits for access to parole by keeping people imprisoned for up to 17 more years who are today being held under the legal framework of the Chilean state.
- This mobilization that is spreading throughout the country has been silenced by the major media outlets diverting the prison issue only to the domestic environment of so-called “VIP Cells” when the problem is much more complex. In Chile, only the poor go to prison. The legal framework is hardened for the better functioning of the state and its apparatuses of control and punishment in pursuit of private property and the wellbeing of the rich of this country.
In this sense, it is necessary and urgent to express our voices. In this case it is though collective action of those of us in prison, our families and those who support us.
- We call on all of the people to support our just demands because we understand that this is a key moment in the life of millions that have spent days and years behind bars.
At the moment, 25 prisoners of the H north module have been on a liquid and indefinite hunger strike since Thursday May 16th.
Calling for the unity of the prisoners and their families.
May solidarity be more than a written word.
Mobilized prisoners in the high security prison of Santiago, Chile.
Wednesday May 22nd