Recently-Released Prisoner of Conscience Gallardo Speaks at New College

GLOBAL EXCHANGE and NEW COLLEGE of CALIFORNIA Invite you to an evening with recently-released prisoner of conscience Brigadier General José Francisco Gallardo Rodríguez Live webcast at http://newmedia.newcollege.edu:8000 Sunday, November 17th, 7 to 9:00 pm COME HEAR THE STORY OF JOSÉ FRANCISCO GALLARDO RODRÍGUEZ: MEXICAN GENERAL, PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST. José Francisco Gallardo Rodríguez, Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, former military professor and Presidential escort, was jailed in 1993 days after he published a Master's thesis chastising the Army for corruption and systemic human rights violations and calling for independent "ombudsman" oversight of the military. Ignoring calls for his freedom from human rights groups worldwide, military courts handed down a 28-year sentence. After over eight years in prison and democratic regime change in Mexico, Gallardo was finally released in February of 2002, although not with the presidential pardon that human rights groups had been calling for. Since his release, he has been actively involved in demanding freedom for other Mexican political prisoners; supporting autonomous indigenous communities and over 14,000 displaced persons as well as calling for the withdrawal of occupation troops in Chiapas; and traveling widely in Mexico to advocate military reform. General Gallardo contributed three chapters and a new (2002) preface to the book "Always Near, Always Far: The Armed Forces in Mexico" (originally published by Global Exchange in 2000, new edition available now). This book consists of 16 chapters written by 11 experts in military affairs whose combined efforts have produced a complex and comprehensive picture of the Mexican Armed Forces. Gallardo wrote the chapters from his prison cell in longhand, making two copies with carbon paper and carried the papers with him at all times, for fear that the guards would steal them. He then passed them to his son on visiting days, and his son retyped them and passed them to Global Exchange. "Always Near, Always Far: The Armed Forces in Mexico" will be available at all speaking events and is available online at www.globalexchange.org Contact: Kien, Global Exchange, kien@globalexchange.org, 415-575-5545, $5 donation - Proceeds to benefit the Mexico Program of Global Exchange. Location: New College Cultural Center, 766 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA