Five arrested in Oaxaca, at least one for Brad Will's murder

by AWK

Thu, Oct 16, 2008 10:13PM

Thursday afternoon at least five participants in the social movement here in Oaxaca were arrested. At least one (Juan) was arrested for the murder of Brad Will (a crime clearly committed by government-sponsored paramilitaries). Currently it's unclear all the arrests are related to Will's murder or if they represent a broader crackdown on the social movement. The names are currently incomplete but are:

Octavio Perez
Lirio Lopez
Migual Lopez
Guadalupe
Juan

Activists here first learned of the detention of Juan and joined his family this evening at the Penitenciaria Central de Santa Maria Ixcotel, Oaxaca. Juan's mother and wife have not been allowed in to see him. Later it was learned four others had been detained. A planton is planned at the Ixcotel penal beginning at 9am on Friday.

For more information: http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/2008...

§Update

by AWK

Fri, Oct 17, 2008 10:45AM

The number of arrest warrants rumored to exist are between 250 and more than 300. As I've been told, it is not required that arrest warrants be made public, so the only way to verify if there is a warrant out for you is to go to the courthouse and ask. Obviously not a strategy people are interested in trying. Some are taking this seriously, others feel it is just to spread fear and intimidation. But the people I've spoken with feel very confident that the actual warrants do exist.

There will be a march from the Juzgado at Llano Park to the Penal Ixcotel at 4pm today.

The three individuals arrested yesterday - other than Juan and Octavio who are being charged for Brad's murder - are being held for allegedly beating up a municipal president at a barricade in 2006. Which president and which barricade, I'm not sure.

§Another update

by AWK

Fri, Oct 17, 2008 9:11PM

Today, Friday, October 17, Octavio Perez was released on bail, while Juan Martinez remains in prison. Hugo Colmenares was also arrested today for Will's murder and the federal prosecutor has stated they plan to arrest eight more (for a total of 11) for the murder. Hugo was one of the four original APPO members the PGR previously tried to get indictments against - along with Edgar Santiago Navarro, Miguel Cruz Moreno, and Arturo Villanueva - in a process that was strongly condemned by Mexico's National Human Rights Commission.

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