Renton Reporter: Family, supporters call for release of Nestora Salgado on anniversary of imprisonment

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U.S. Rep. Adam Smith on Friday released a statement calling for the release of Renton resident and naturalized U.S. citizen Nestora Salgado from the Mexican prison in which she is being held.

“For two years, Nestora has been denied due process and justice by the Mexican government.  It is entirely unacceptable that she remains imprisoned in conditions that threaten her life,” Smith said in a press release.

For the full story, click here.

Sipaz Blog – “Guerrero: Social activists visit Nestora Salgado”

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On 3 September, Tita Radilla, Martha Obeso, Norma Mesino, Sofía Méndoza, and Julia Alonso, being social activists from different regions of Guerrero state, visited the political prisoner Nestora Salgado, coordinator of the Communal Police in Olinalá, Guerrero. The social activists explained that“we came to visit Nestora to encourage her and tell her that we are struggling for her liberty.” The five women mobilized themselves in Mexico City to express their solidarity with Nestora Salgado, who is currently incarcerated in the Xochimilco prison. At the end of their visit, they affirmed that “she continues to be strong.” A representative from the Free Nestora Committee that is operating in Mexico City also visited, announcing that a tour in Guerrero would soon be launched. This visit forms part of the struggle against impunity that is lived in Guerrero, the activists added. Nestora Salgado undertook a hunger strike on 26 August 2015, 11 months after the forcible disappearance of the 43 student-teachers from Ayotzinapa. She has been imprisoned for two years.

To read the full story, click here.

Revolución Tres Punto Cero: Nestora Salgado pide ayuda a la sociedad para ser liberada: “peleo contra un monstruo, el Estado”

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La ex lideresa de la Policía comunitaria de Olinalá, Guerrero, Nestora Salgado, pidió ayuda a la sociedad mexicana para que sea liberada, pues desde hace dos años esta presa por supuesto secuestro de 50 personas, quienes no han revalidado las acusaciones, y aseguró que “pelea contra un monstruo, el Estado”.

Durante una charla realizada vía telefónica en el Foro México organizado por el diario La Jornada y Casa Lamm, aseguró que los delitos que se le imputan son falsos y hasta el momento los acusantes no han demostrado ni revalidado sus declaraciones al respecto.

“Soy ejemplo de la criminalización contra las comunidades y las mujeres. Las autoridades no quieren reconocer mi origen indígena, porque soy de tez blanca y se han resistido también a aceptar mi nacionalidad estadunidense, y por ello mi derecho a la intervención del consulado de ese país. Me mantienen aislada, se han ensañado conmigo y me clasificaron como una delincuente peligrosa, pero ¿en qué se han basado para ello?” dijo la llamada ex comandanta con respecto a la situación que vive.

Artículo Completo

Seattle Globalist: Activism unjustly criminalized in Nestora Salgado case

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Thomas Antkowiak and Alejandra Gonza are pro bono co-counsels to Nestora Salgado. Antkowiak is a professor of international law at Seattle University School of Law. Gonza is an international human rights attorney.

In a month, we will commemorate the appalling disappearance of 43 student activists from the rural teacher’s college in Ayotzinapa, Mexico. While the remains of only one student has supposedly been identified, search parties have discovered the clandestine graves of many others murdered in Guerrero, a state overwhelmed by violence and corruption.

A week ago we marked the second anniversary of another Guerrero tragedy. This one involves a Renton resident, in a narrative just as surreal. Nestora Salgado has dual citizenship; in 1991, she came to the Seattle area and juggled multiple jobs to provide for her three daughters and eventual grandchildren. When she achieved stability, Nestora then resolved to support her hometown of Olinalá. She would visit for a month or two each year, donating her time, food, toys. Her charisma and fearlessness led to a position of leadership in this mostly indigenous community.

Guerrero law and the Mexican Constitution guarantee the rights of indigenous communities to create their own justice and security institutions. Nestora became a leader of a community-policing group that legally forms part of state law enforcement. The group tried to protect their community from the staggering levels of narco violence in the area. By many accounts, they had great success weakening the traffickers’ grip on Olinalá.

But when the group started to pursue the crimes of connected government officials, Nestora crossed the line drawn by the corrupt establishment. She was seized by soldiers; they never showed her a warrant or explained the reasons for the arrest. Guerrero’s governor at the time, Angel Aguirre, banished her — in his own private plane — to a maximum-security prison nearly 1,000 kilometers away.

Nestora was held in solitary confinement for almost two years. Far from her family and community, she was also denied visits from her chosen attorney for an entire year. In May, after months of serious health problems, she was transferred to a prison with medical facilities in Mexico City.

Read the full story here.

Seattle Globalist: Nestora Salgado accusers fail to appear in court; supporters mark anniversary

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Two years after community police force leader Nestora Salgado’s arrest on charges of kidnapping, the Renton woman still awaits her day in court.

Salgado returned to her hometown of Olinala, Mexico and took a leadership position in a community police force to address the growing level of crime, until she was arrested on charges of kidnapping. The arrest took place after the group arrested a town official on suspicion of theft. Salgado’s supporters say the community police force was sanctioned by the state, and that her arrest is politically motivated.

According to local newspaper Proceso, six witnesses against Salgado failed to appear in court to testify on the state charges against earlier this month.

“They didn’t show up and she cannot defend herself,” said Alejandra Gonza, a professor at the University of Washington School of Law who is helping Salgado with her case.

Salgado’s husband, Jose Avila, says that Salgado, 43, wants to face her accusers.

“She feels kind of angry. The state government (of Guerrero) says, ‘We have these victims.’ But when it comes time for court, nobody shows up,” Avila said.

“If you’re a victim, don’t you want to tell your story to the judge?” he said.

But while the absence of witnesses might get a case dismissed in the United States, the judge in Salgado’s case postponed the hearing, said co-counsel Thomas Antkowiak, a professor at the Seattle University School of Law. Salgado’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 31.

“She hasn’t been convicted of anything — this is all pre-trial and she’s been in detention for two years,” Antkowiak said.

To read more.

August 21st: Day of Action to #FreeNestora

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nestora-flyer2 copy

On August 21st, tell U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to call on the Mexican government to release U.S. citizen and political prisoner Nestora Salgado.
TWEET:  Act now to #freenestora @JohnKerry
CALL: State Department press officer
202-647-2492, 8:15am-7:00pm EST
202-647-1512, after hours until 11:00pm EST

Ask when John Kerry will issue a statement regarding Nestora’s incarceration.

Actions are also planned in several U.S. cities, including Aug. 21 rallies at Mexican Consulates in Los Angeles at 5 PM, San Diego at 7 AM and Seattle at 11 AM, plus a week-long series of events in Chicago where Nestora’s daughter, Grisel Rodriguez, will be speaking.

Solidarity actions are also planned in Mexico City and a large march will be held in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero.

For more updates, follow our Twitter @free_nestora.

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Report by the U.S. Delegation to Mexico from the Freedom for Nestora Salgado Campaign

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By Grisel Rodriguez and Tricia Coley
August 12, 2015

August 12, 2015

In response to the Mexican government’s initial refusal to meet any of the demands of Nestora Salgado’s hunger strike, which she began on May 5th, the U. S. Campaign to Free Nestora Salgado sent a delegation of five activists to Mexico City on May 31, 2015.  The purpose of the trip was to show support for Nestora’s struggle from U.S. labor unions and other organizations. We hoped that our presence would put pressure on the Mexican government to release her from prison or at least secure her transfer to a women’s prison in the city that had better medical care and was closer to her family, attorneys and supporters.

The transfer took place two days before our arrival, but Nestora continued her hunger strike into June – holding out until the government met her demand that other political prisoners from the community police also be transferred to prisons closer to their homes, including fellow hunger striker Gonzalo Molina.

The delegation

The two of us from Seattle were Grisel Rodriguez, Nestora’s daughter, and Tricia Coley, retired electrical worker and unionist. At the Mexico City Airport, we met up with two of the other delegates, Stephen Durham who is the co-coordinator of Campaign to Free Nestora Salgado-New York City, and Acting International Secretary of the Freedom Socialist Party; and Daniel Vila Rivera, originally from Puerto Rico and host of the “La Voz Latino” radio program, WBAI, in New York City.  He is also a veteran organizer for tenants, immigrants and labor.  Also greeting us at the airport were Cuauthémoc Ruíz, a member of the Comité Nestora Libre Mexico, and the Partido Obrero Socialista, and Aidee Tasarani, Comité Nestora Libre Mexico.

When we arrived at our hotel we were united with the fifth delegate, Alejandro Hernandez, a student and immigrant rights activist from Mexico, also a member of Ayotzinapa Committee for Justice-Chicago.

Continue reading →

Stephen Durham – U.S Campaign to Free Nestora Salgado press conference comments (English/español)

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U.S Campaign to Free Nestora Salgado
Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juarez, A.C.
Centro Prodh
Monday, June 1, 2015

Good afternoon. As a representative of the U.S. delegation of the U.S. Free Nestora Campaign, we are here to show our solidarity with the people of Mexico who continue to take to the streets for justice.

We also are here to demand that President Peña Nieto free Nestora Salgado and all the many political prisoners especially Gonzalo Molina and Arturo Campos, currently on hunger strikes together with Nestora.

The first Free Nestora Committee was organized together Nestora’s family in 2013 in Seattle, Washington. From there, the Campaign to Free Nestora grew in collaboration with the Comité Nestora Libre here in Mexico.

Today, the Campaign is an international effort, demanding freedom in several states in my country, and also in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Europe.

We recognize that Mexico suffers from a government that receives military and financial aid from the United States under Plan Mérida, and know that this has bloody consequences for the Mexican people. We denounce the Plan Mérida and recognize that it is the job of us who live in the U.S. end it.

The partial victory of Nestora transfer from a high security prison a few days ago took place only due to the bravery of Nestora and the pressure of an international movement that continues to demand her freedom. We all need to remain strong until all political prisoners are free.

I know that our movement in alliance with other movements for justice in our hemisphere has the capacity to bring about the changes we all need as activists, workers, immigrants, as indigenous peoples and as women like Nestora Salgado and men like Gonzalo Molina and Arturo Campos.

Thank you. Continue reading →