Letter from our sister Dolores Villalobos political prisoner of the CIPO-RFM
To the State Assembly Section XXII
And to all real educators
A fraternal greeting to all of you escapes through these bars of the bleak cell of Etla prison, with the hope to find your heart open and that you will listen to the humble words of a comrade.
On September 14 2004, at six in the morning, a strong police operative consisting of more than 100 police, including municipal, and preventive police, all heavily armed with shields, batons, tear gas, rifles, using extreme violence evicted us from the sit-in organised by the CIPO-RFM and the democratic workers of the Three Powers union. All of it ordered and orchestrated by the ex governor José Murat. Since that date, the communities that make up the CIPO-RFM increased their protests and mobilizations to obtain our liberty; they have achieved to free 10 of our comrades, but the following are still imprisoned: José Cruz in Ixcotel, Margarita García García in Mihahuatlán and Habacuc Cruz and me in Etla, because they consider us a danger to society since they are charging us with injury (we hit the police), damages, resisting authority, robbery, kidnapping; but we are conscious that this is a part of the policy of repression from the illegitimate government of Ulises Ruiz, whom in less than three months has increased assassinations, has filled the prisons with social fighters and has increased the police force to impose the PRI.
Comrades, we have been in jail for 165 days, because our crimes in the eyes of the justice of the masters of the world and the governments is to denounce the corruption and abuses of the tyrants of the people, and to demand punishment for those who kill and sow terror in the communities, to participate elbow to elbow with the people in building autonomy, that means, our horrendous crime is that we are committed people with the task of transforming in the PRACTICE the unjust reality that the majority of us live in, it is to dream of a world where egoism, individualism, competition, and exploitation no longer exist, but only solidarity, mutual aid and work; these are our great crimes and my punishment for not wanting to be a teacher of pretty speeches but an educator of the oppressed are beatings and imprisonment.
Our question is: For how long more? Comrades, it is you that have the answer and this will depend on your conscience, your solidarity and your commitment to the exploited people, it will depend on what you are willing to give us, not only to me, that as a worker in education I belong to the democratic Section XXII of the CNTE, historically recognized for its just struggles; that is why it has been very sad in our hearts to know that you and the CES have forgotten us. Even with the dark clouds over us, in our hearts hope still beats, the hope that you, democratic teachers and comrades, use the strength of teaching to free each and every political prisoner being held in Oaxacan prisons. We are confident that you, teachers of peoples, will not abandon us to the clutches of Ulises Ruiz, that you will struggle without stopping to free us, with the words: "Teachers and the people united will never be defeated! People unite, people we are not from the PRI, we are teachers struggling for you!" These are not just spirited phrases that sound nice, but rather a coherent practice with the democratic teaching movement of the Section XXII.
While we wait with dignity the day of our liberation, continue the struggle for liberty and justice.
Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzi
Political prisoner of the CIPO-RFM
Regional Prison of Etla on February 25 2005