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Call for Solidarity for Mexican Anarchist Miguel Peralta

From Anarchist Black Cross Federation

Compañerxs from different geographies:

We send our greetings from Mexico, where we are engaged in a struggle to free our compas from state capture and tear down the prison walls.

We are a small solidarity group who have spent the last four years accompanying Miguel Peralta, Indigenous anarchist prisoner of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón, Oaxaca. Miguel was detained for defending the traditional forms of organization in his community and denouncing the abuses of a cacique group that holds economic and political power there. This group has maintained an environment of repression and harassment in the community for over nine years.

After a long, tedious, and exhausting trial, Miguel was sentenced on October 26th, 2018, to fifty years in prison for two crimes that he did not commit. This sentence was dictated in spite of his legal defense team presenting the necessary evidence to prove that he is not responsible for these crimes and that his case is full of legal irregularities. We know well that this was a politically motivated sentence against Miguel, and that there is no other reason for him to be imprisoned and sentenced.

In the face of this sentence, Miguel’s lawyers filed an appeal nine months ago in the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of Oaxaca. On July 8th, 2019, Miguel’s lawyers were finally notified of the resolution. The ruling of the appeal was decided on by Judge Arturo León de la Vega, president of the Third Criminal Chamber of the aforementioned court. In this resolution, our compañero was again denied his freedom. Rather, his legal case will be returned to the court in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca.

We are thus at another critical moment in the struggle for the freedom of Miguel Peralta. While we don’t allow the temporalities of the judicial circus and the carceral state to dictate the rhythms of our political activity, we do see the importance of gathering and reactivating our forces and our solidarity at this particular moment in the struggle, so as to prevent Miguel from spending more time in prison.

Therefore, we make a call out to all the comrades in various parts of the world who have followed Miguel’s case, who like us are engaged in the struggle against prisons. Now more than ever, we need your solidarity. That solidarity could take many forms, from a street action, to a fundraiser, to a letter written in support of Miguel demanding his freedom, to any other expression of solidarity you see fit. Furthermore, we make a call out for economic solidarity, to help cover legal fees, as well as transportation, to and from Oaxaca over the coming months.

Furthermore, as a solidarity group, we are making a call our for a week of agitation #SkandaloContraelEncierro from July 22nd- July 28th to show our rejection of the resolution of Miguel’s appeal and our repudiation of the prison institutions. If you can help out or are interested in the case, please get in touch with us so we can get organized.

Much love to all of those who have been attentive to Miguel’s case and for not abandoning his struggle.

Down with the prison walls!
Freedom to all the prisoners in struggle!

Group in Solidarity with Miguel Peralta
Contact: solidaridadelox@gmail.com

**We share with you all a statement from Miguel on April 30th, 2019, to
mark four years since his detention and a link where you can find more
information on the case.

https://itsgoingdown.org/miguel-peralta-four-years/
Fb: Miguel Peralta Libre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APOUyE0S0ck