RsvR: Statement for the Freedom of Fernando Sotelo Zambrano

Within the repression which is currently lived in the country, today one of our compañeros is found unjustly imprisoned in the Reclusorio Sur in Mexico City. His only crime is being in solidarity and not being silent.

Our compañero Luis Fernando Sotelo Zambrano is an adherent to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, member of the Network against Repression and for Solidarity, student, brother, son, friend. On November 5^th of this year he was in the vicinity of Ciudad Universitaria to be a part of the assemblies and the work which was being agreed upon there within the context of the global days of action for the appearance with life of the 43 Normalistas from Ayotzinapa. Our compañero was imprisoned around 7:30 PM by at least eight police officers, who overpowered him, beat him, and took him to a prosecutorial agency, where a Metrobús driver, through an inconsistent and pre-fabricated declaration, identified Luis Fernando Sotelo as author of the blockade and burning of a Metrobús.

The Mexico City Government’s politics of criminalization against social protest and, specifically, against the youth, is clear. Once more the logic of political revenge is repeated on a compañero. Declarations are fabricated in which, in spite of the fact that they were speaking of a group of masked people who were impossible to recognize, the authorities always end-up recognizing someone; for every protest which expresses indignation and rage, the media immediately posits that they are groups of infiltrators or self-titled anarchists, as if anarchy were a synonym for violence.

The protests express indignation, pain, and rage in the face of plunder, exploitation, and contempt on the part of the government. Faced with organization and solidarity power responds with systematic repression; the government represses, the businessman accuses, the media criminalizes, and the judge sentences.

Luis Fernando Sotelo Zambrano was detained together with a compañero from the Biology Graduate School, Sergio Pérez Landeros, who obtained his freedom by demonstrating that he was in the Biology Institute at the time of the acts. For this reason, the driver’s declaration which accuses Luis Fernando should have been rejected, as the driver claimed to fully recognize Luis Fernando and Sergio as those who boarded the Metrobús and then burned it. It is clear that he lied in his declaration and that the accusation against Luis Fernando is a political directive of the Mexico City Government, led by Miguel Ángel Mancera.

From the Network against Repression and for Solidarity we denounce the criminalization of protest, the persecution of the youth, and the attack against autonomous organization which the Mexico City Government realizes. We extend our full solidarity with our compañero LUIS FERNANDO SOTELO ZAMBRANO and demand his immediate freedom. Be certain that we will not rest until his freedom and that of our political prisoner compañer@s is obtained.

PRESENTATION WITH LIFE OF THE 43 NORMALISTAS FROM AYOTZINAPA.

WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM OF LUIS FERNANDO SOTELO ZAMBRANO.

IF THEY TOUCH ONE OF US THEY TOUCH ALL OF US.

FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS.

Against Plunder and Repression:

Solidarity!

Red contra la represión y por la solidaridad

(RvsR)

Translated from Spanish by Henry Gales.

Originally published on Nov 18^th, 2014.

Click here for original Spanish text.