On January 9, Seattle’s KIRO TV brought more exciting news for those seeking justice for Nestora – suggestions that the jailed Renton activist may soon be released. Embeds are disabled, so click the link below to view the full video:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
In two broadcasts on Prison Radio, which is carried by over one hundred radio stations, Mumia explains the case of indigenous leader Nestora Salgado who is a political prisoner in Mexico. Mumia also reads excerpts from her October message to students protesting the disappearance of 43 of their classmates in Ayotzinapa in the state of Guerrero.
Thousands gathered in cities across Mexico to demonstrate against widespread political corruption and to fight for Nestora’s freedom. As these events grow larger and larger in number, it is becoming increasingly clear that our voices will not be silenced, and we must continue our pressure until justice is obtained!
Click here to read and listen to KPLU’s coverage of the protests surrounding Ayotzinapa, Nestora Salgado, and the 43 missing students. The link includes a brief interview with Grisel Rodriguez, Nestora’s daughter.
On November 16, New York City FSP leader Stephen Durham spoke at Union Square on behalf of the Campaign to Free Nestora Salgado. The event was a rally to protest Mexican political oppression and the disappearance of 43 students from the Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos in Guerrero, Mexico.
From Latin American News Dispatch:
NEW YORK — Dozens of activists congregated outside the Mexican consulate to protest the Sept. 26 attack in Mexico’s Guerrero state that left six dead, 25 injured and at least 43 students missing. Authorities have detained at least 22 police officers suspected of involvement in the attack.
Activists in Mexico held similar protests in at least 63 cities. Cities as far away as Buenos Aires and Berlin also saw demonstrations in solidarity with the students. In New York, a handful of leftist and student organizations voiced their anger towards the Mexican government’s handling of the situation. The demonstrators also criticized recent cuts to education funding in Mexico, echoing the original protests by the students attacked in Iguala.
The following was posted to AFSCME’s Resolution Page:
Nestora Salgado
WHEREAS:
Nestora Salgado is a resident of Renton, Washington, a naturalized U.S. citizen, and an indigenous leader imprisoned in Tepic, in the Mexican state of Nayarit; and
WHEREAS:
Ms. Salgado and the citizens of her hometown, Olinalá, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, organized an indigenous community police force to defend their community. Ms. Salgado was elected leader. There is an established tradition of legally recognizing such groups in Guerrero; and
WHEREAS:
Ms. Salgado’s duties included working to reduce domestic violence and child abuse and engaging in conflict resolution and community building; and
WHEREAS:
Ms. Salgado was arrested on August 21, 2013, charged with aggravated kidnapping and immediately transferred to a maximum security federal prison in the state of Nayarit, where she has remained for more than a year without trial. In April, a Mexican federal judge dismissed the criminal charges against her and confirmed her actions were legal as an authorized leader of the community police force. He ordered her immediate release; and
WHEREAS:
Ms. Salgado remains in prison. The judge’s order has been ignored and she has been charged with new crimes based on facts already dismissed by the federal courts. The state courts refuse to consider motions by her defense team. Until recently she was denied access to her lawyer. All legal deadlines have passed long ago; and
WHEREAS:
There is growing concern about Ms. Salgado’s health. She is being held in solitary confinement and denied needed medicine and medical attention to treat neuropathy. Her incarceration is also taking a toll on her mental health; and
WHEREAS:
On August 29, a letter was sent to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to use the resources of the State Department to secure Ms. Salgado’s release. The letter was signed by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as seven members of Congress: Adam Smith, Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Jim McDermott, Denny Heck and Juan Vargas; and
WHEREAS:
More than 120 organizations and individuals have endorsed the campaign to free Nestora, including the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28 and Council 28 locals 304, 843, 1488; AFSCME District Council 57 and Council 57 Local 2019; the Librarians’ Guild of the Los Angeles Public Library/AFSCME Local 2626; AFSCME Local 3299 at the University of California, and AFSCME Retiree Chapter 36 in Los Angeles.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
AFSCME is alarmed by the abuse of Ms. Salgado’s human rights and due process rights; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME urges the U.S. State Department to take immediate and rigorous action to secure Ms. Salgado’s release.
SUBMITTED BY:
Ty Pethe, President and Delegate
Betsy McConnell Gutierrez, Secretary
AFSCME Local 304, Council 28
Washington
Roy Stone, President and Delegate
Ruth Seid, Recording Secretary
AFSCME Local 2626, Council 36
CaliforniaInternational Executive Board
Activists in Los Angeles do broadcast on freedom for Nestora.
Adam Smith es un congresista demócrata del estado de Washington, en Estados Unidos. El pasado 5 de agosto informó de un encuentro que tuvo con Anthony Wayne, el embajador de su país en México, en el que le solicitó que presionara a las autoridades de Guerrero para que Nestora Salgado sea liberada inmediatamente.
No es la primera ocasión que el congresista Smith aboga por Salgado. El 13 de abril pasado envió una carta al secretario de Estado, John Kerry, en la que le pidió que demandara al gobierno mexicano garantías para el debido proceso y una mejor atención de Nestora, porque
sus condiciones carcelarias son deplorables…
Freedom for Political Prisoners Committee 