The Campaign to Free Section IX's Elected Leadership
by Dan Leahy, Coordinator
Trinational Coalition for the Defense of Public Education
Canada, the United States and Mexico
During the first week of January, 1999, Mexico's Attorney General
(PGR) arrested, jailed and charged five members of the elected
leadership of Section IX of the SNTE with kidnapping, inciting to riot
and robbery for leading a peaceful protest inside the chambers of the
Mexican Senate in November, 1998. They face fifty year sentences. They
are not allowed bail. The trial may be two years away.
We now need to focus our attention on our first legal appeal. Given
the extraordinary international and national campaign that have
exposed these charges as purely political, it is quite possible the
teachers will be freed on this appeal. The Senators who said they were
"kidnapped" now say they weren't. The things that were reported stolen
(documents and ashtrays) have now reappeared.
Within this week, a Tribunal of the Mexican Supreme Court will hear an
appeal of the charges. The Tribunal could rule there is no evidence
to support the alleged crimes and free the teachers, or it could
charge them with lesser crimes and release them on bail.
We need supporters to fax letters immediately to the President of the
Supreme Court. Ask him to enforce the law. Ask him to free the
teachers since their accusers have not been able to support the
charges against the them, yet the teachers remain in jail. Also,
remind him that these jailed union leaders are teachers and are not
common criminals. His fax number is: +525 522-0152.
Ministro Genaro David Gongora Pimentel
Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia
Av. Pino Suarez No. 2
Centro Historico, Mexico, D.F
Please fax copies of your letters to the newspaper, La Jornada +525
262-4356, and to the Coalition's Mexican Section at +525 207-8019 or
US office (360) 709-9450.
The jailed teachers are: Blanca Luna, Secretary General; Maria Refugio
Jimenez,Press Secretary; Elio Bejarano and Nestor Trujano, members of
the Policy Commission; Raul Vargas, Legal advisor. They are all
members of Section IX of the SNTE. This section represents 58,000
preschool, primary and special education teachers in the Federal
District.
For a more in depth report on this past month of organizing to free
the teachers,email:
or