Torture continues in Guadalajara

UPDATE AND URGENT ACTION: VIOLENCE AGAINST MEXICAN ACTIVISTS CONTINUES IN
GUADALAJARA.
JUNE 7, 2004

ACTIVISTS INITATE HUNGER STRIKE IN JAIL
25 STILL IMPRISONED FACING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE

May 26-29, the Latin American -European Union Summit convened in
Guadalajara, Mexico to expand international cooperation advancing the goals
of free-market capitalism. As they set about to do so with no space for
democratic participation or transparency, the faithful opposition arrived
from all corners of the Americas and Europe to share information, network,
and let their leaders know that they do not intend to give them the last
word. A week of forums, panels and music culminated in the march of four
thousand activists through central Guadalajara and was met with violent
repression. One week later, 25 activists remain imprisoned, and reports of
violent psychological and physical torture are slowly making their way out
of the jail cells and to their international community of supporters. Those
involved are calling for immediate action on the part of the global
anti-capitalist movement, as well as "democracy-lovers" everywhere, to
ensure that such human rights abuses - and attempts to violently silence
opponents of failing economic ideals - will not go unnoticed or unpunished.

Unprovoked police harassment was rampant from the onset of the events in
Guadalajara. On May 28, as out-of-towners began setting up camp at the
Parque Juarez, a camping site they were guaranteed by Municipal President
Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, they were surrounded by anti-riot police and
detained from 6pm Thursday night until 3 am the following morning. The
activists were not allowed to leave the park to find food, water or
restrooms.

The following day, a large march drew over 4,000 labor union leaders,
farmers, students, teachers and other concerned parties and was met with
tear gas, pepper spray, violent beatings and mass arrests.
Later on that evening up until 1 pm,
police continued to arbitrarily arrest all youth on the streets, as was
reported by a local mainstream radio station. Some were even arrested
from the Red Cross,where they had fled to receive medical treatment for
injuries incurred at the hands of police earlier that day. In the end,
95 people were arrested or disappeared.

The activists were taken to five different jails and 2 different hospitals.
The authorities refused to release their names or allow them access to
lawyers until Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Eleven foreigners (from
Australia, Italy, Spain, Canada and the US) were deported. However,
Mexicans, particularly those from the capital, were not so lucky. For some,
it was not until early Sunday morning that they were given food or water.
Dehydration is becoming so severe that prisoners are reportedly removing
buttons from their clothing and sucking on them to produce saliva. When the
detainees were offered water, they were offered water from the toilet.
When the detainees wanted to go to the bathroom, they were beaten so
others detainees could hear their cries.After the detainees were taken
back to their cells, the police officers would zip up their pants to give
the impression that the detainees were just raped.They were beaten
constantly and the prison guards would not allow them to sleep, if the
detainees fell asleep the police officers would kick them until they woke up.
Male police officers stripped the women naked and made them do squats in front
of them. Many report severe beatings, humiliation (both men and women
were forced to strip publicly and threatened with rape). Many were forced
to sign false confessions incriminating themselves of offenses such as
robbery, assault, property damage and inciting a riot. Many were shown
police photos of movement leaders and threatened with more torture if they
did not tell everything they know said individuals.
Two prisoners who have refused to give any information or sign
false confessions are covered with bruises and open wounds,one of them
remains in jail recieving inhumne torture. Fourteen of the political
prisoners have been denied bail. Each detainee has a combination of the
following charges: -inciting a riot -damage against private property
-blocking the means of transportation -robbery -assault-resisting arrest Bail
-Bail ranges from 3,000-25,000 US dollars making it impossible for most people
to pay. Detainees from Guadalajara bail has been set at half the amount as
out-of-towners. Bail bondsmen have refused to lend bail money to out-of-town detainees.

Wednesday June 2nd, eight more people were arrested for flyering in Guadalajara
and putting up posters

One woman, Liliana Galaviz Lopez, a photographer with the local Independent
Media Center (or IMC, created to provide coverage of the Summit and
counter-mobilizations), was taken to the hospital on Monday, May 29, due to
injuries suffered during and after her arrest. She is currently being
treated for “trauna craneocefalico,” or cranial trauma and brain damage
and remains in custody in her hospital bed as she cannot move and when
able will be moved transfered to prison.
The Guadalajara IMC has been the target of continuing police harassment and
was surrounded by ‘Preventitive Police’ forces for days following the
march.

The following is a testimony from one of the torture victims,Mapache:
-Mapache was identified as a leader as soon as he was arrested. -The police
demanded that be identify people in photos,when he refused they tortured him.
-He was given electroshocks to his testicles and arms. -He was put in a punishment
cell with 25 cops who threatened him with rape by pulling down his pants and underwear
and laughing.They repeated these 4 times in a half hour. -Police officers too
him from cell to cell because they wanted him to point out who was involved. When
he refused they ripped patches off his clothes and stuffed them in his mouth and told
his to swallow them. When he continued to refuse, they told him he was going to find
out what “Jalisco´s heart” is. The police put a plastic bag over his head and the bag
around his neck. The police punched him in the stomach so that he gasps for air.
The plastic bag over his head made it feel like he was suffocating. -Apache was
beaten contantly and has large bruises on his face and body. The detainees have been
denied their rights -Human rights organizations have tried to interview the protesters
inside the prison but there was always a police officer present to intimidate them
and keep them from speaking about the torture and conditions in jail.

Despite multiple demonstrations in Guadalajara and Mexico City, as well as
solidarity actions carried out Friday, June 4 in Barcelona, San Fransisco
and Chicago, 25 of the detainees are still in jail and 10 of them have been
on hunger strike since Friday, June 4. Local actions and letters of support
are urgently needed. The Mexican government, as well as all governments
that find it acceptable to silence dissent through brute force, must be made
to know that the global network opposed to their policies of greed and
exploitation is growing in size, momentum and coordination and such violent
supression not only fails to deter us, it makes our convictions all the
stronger.


We are asking that organizations and individuals put pressure on the Mexican embassy
in their local cities, or do whatever you can to put pressure on the Mexican government.
Please post this report on list-serves. We are asking that people hold benefits, and that
organizations fundraise to make a financial donation so that we can free our companeros
from torture. Posting bail has been the only way that people have been able to get out of
prison and get medical attention.
Send money to BBV Bancomer 1299949054 in the name of Martha Cecilia Juarez.
To donate to the legal defense fund via the web, please go to
<http://www.kloakas.com/aire>.
For assistance or questions contact notorturemexico [at] hotmail.com

**To find more information, go to http://www.guadalajara.mediosindependientes.org
or
http://www.indymedia.org.
**To tell the Mexican Consulate/Embassy nearest you that you are furious,
please see below.
Please use the sample letter below, or write one of your own, and email, fax
or call in your complaints to the Mexican embassy in DC as well as your
local consulate (sample letter below – For all others call the
Embassy in DC at 202.728.1600 or go to <http://mexonline.com/consulate.htm>).



Dear(mexican officals' name),
We the undersigned are presenting this letter to the Mexican Consulate of
Chicago to be forwarded to President Vincente Fox as well as the
Governor of Jalisco out of great concern for the persons who were
arrested in connection with the protests that took place in Guadalajara,
Mexico at the EU/Latin American Summit this past week. We are outraged
by reports of sexual and psychological torture inflicted on the
detainees. This is unacceptable behavior for a civilized democratic
country. Thousands of organizations and individuals throughout the world
aware of these atrocities. We know that Mexico has a deep concern for the
human rights of all people and expect immediate action to correct the
situation.

WE DEMAND:

FIRST- The immediate release of every prisoner and the halt of any legal
procedure against them.

SECOND- That an investigation into the abuse of state power in Jalisco be
initiated immediately so that the perpetrators of these grave violations of
human rights do not go unpunished.

THIRD- The immediate end of all actions of intimidation that have been
carried out against the prisoners, their families, and those who have
already been released.

FOURTH- We demand that the physical integrity of all the prisoners is
guaranteed and the immediate end of any type of torture that has been
carried out against them.

FIFTH-The organizations hereby present, as well as the families of the
prisoners, put direct responsibility on the President of the United
States of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada and the Governor of Jalisco,
Francisco Ramírez Acuña, in terms of the physical integrity of the
prisoners and their families as part of a general repressive strategy
used by the government apparatus.

SIXTH- That the participation of the defense lawyers is permitted.

Sincerely,