Justice in Buenos Aires
On a regular basis I recieve emails from Graciela Monteagudo, the coordinator associated with the Argentina Autonomista Project. www.autonomista.org Recently I have recieved a couple of emails which I thought might be interresting to share with the rest of you.
Yesterday (Sept. 19th), in la plata, province of Buenos Aires, Miguel Osvaldo Etchecolatz, chief of police during the dictatorship in Argentina, was condemned to life in prison for crimes committed during the genocide. Etchecolatz was responsible for many crimes against humanity, including the abduction, torture and execution of teenage high school students (the night of the pencils).
As the hijos (children of the dissapeared) sang at the end of the trial: you are going to jail, Etchecolatz, not because of the state but because of the popular struggle.
in solidarity,
graciela monteagudo
coordinator argentina autonomista project
www.autonomista.org
However, only three days later after receiving this email another email was sent. It read as follows:
sorry for posting to the list with a short interval, but the situation demands that we do so. our elderly companero Julio Lopez, key witness in the trial to former chief of police Etchecolatz (recently convicted to life in prison) and survivor of a detention camp in the seventies, disappeared monday morning right before Etchecolatz sentence was read. Witnesses received many death threats during the trial, so we fear the worst. after four days, finally the government launched an investigation and offers the equivalent of 60,000 dollars for news on his whereabouts.
In the past, international pressure made a difference in the treatment of detainees. we are certain that it will put pressure on the government to find our companero now. (for more info and a photo of Julio see below)
please send a message to aedd@exdesaparecidos.org.ar and cc autonomista1@aol.com, or cut and paste the following message:
I am extremely concerned with the disappearance of Julio Lopez. Witnesses as Julio are key to bring the military and police officers who committed crimes against humanity to justice. It is the responsibility of the government to protect such witnesses. I urge the government to employ all the resources of the State to find him, alive and intact. I stand in solidarity with the companeros and companeras who are searching for Julio and hope for his immediate safe return.
Name, profession, organization, nationality here.
send messages to association of ex-detainess/disappeared aedd@exdesaparecidos.org.ar and cc autonomista1@aol.com.
in solidarity,
graciela
Photo: Julio Lopez
tag: last301
Yesterday (Sept. 19th), in la plata, province of Buenos Aires, Miguel Osvaldo Etchecolatz, chief of police during the dictatorship in Argentina, was condemned to life in prison for crimes committed during the genocide. Etchecolatz was responsible for many crimes against humanity, including the abduction, torture and execution of teenage high school students (the night of the pencils).
As the hijos (children of the dissapeared) sang at the end of the trial: you are going to jail, Etchecolatz, not because of the state but because of the popular struggle.
in solidarity,
graciela monteagudo
coordinator argentina autonomista project
www.autonomista.org
However, only three days later after receiving this email another email was sent. It read as follows:
sorry for posting to the list with a short interval, but the situation demands that we do so. our elderly companero Julio Lopez, key witness in the trial to former chief of police Etchecolatz (recently convicted to life in prison) and survivor of a detention camp in the seventies, disappeared monday morning right before Etchecolatz sentence was read. Witnesses received many death threats during the trial, so we fear the worst. after four days, finally the government launched an investigation and offers the equivalent of 60,000 dollars for news on his whereabouts.
In the past, international pressure made a difference in the treatment of detainees. we are certain that it will put pressure on the government to find our companero now. (for more info and a photo of Julio see below)
please send a message to aedd@exdesaparecidos.org.ar and cc autonomista1@aol.com, or cut and paste the following message:
I am extremely concerned with the disappearance of Julio Lopez. Witnesses as Julio are key to bring the military and police officers who committed crimes against humanity to justice. It is the responsibility of the government to protect such witnesses. I urge the government to employ all the resources of the State to find him, alive and intact. I stand in solidarity with the companeros and companeras who are searching for Julio and hope for his immediate safe return.
Name, profession, organization, nationality here.
send messages to association of ex-detainess/disappeared aedd@exdesaparecidos.org.ar and cc autonomista1@aol.com.
in solidarity,
graciela
Photo: Julio Lopez
tag: last301
posted by Rhett at 12:06 PM
1 Comments:
What an absolutely awful situation. Not only an elderly man who has endured such a challenging life, is now in danger (or worse), but he's someone who can help bring justice to the people in Argentina.
Do you think signing this list/sending this email will make a difference? It certainly is a step of resistence and solidarity for Julio, so even though I don't know if anything will come of it, I'll be sure to try anyway.
By the way, you were missed in class yesterday -- we got new chairs
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