Louis Pio
22nd September 2004, 11:59
Urgent Solidarity Campaign
Peruvian Student Activist arrested in Bolivia
The Peruvian student activist Cesar Zelada has been arrested by the Bolivian Police. Cesar is also a collaborator of the Peruvian left organisation Socialist Left Force (FIS). Comrade Cesar was part of a delegation of Peruvian students from the Puno University that was participating in a meeting with the Youth of the Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB) when he was arrested on September 13th, together with some other students and youth activists from Bolivia and Peru.
We completely reject as baseless the accusations of the Bolivian Police that comrade Cesar Zelada was carrying out “subversive activities” and carrying dynamite to attack a local TV station. We also reject the allegations of the Bolivian authorities that Cesar is part of a “terrorist” group. On the contrary, Cesar and the other students who were with him at the time, were there in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian students and to participate in the defence of the freedom of expression of the Bolivian students against the repressive measures of the authorities.
The Bolivian authorities are making this allegations in order to justify their repressive attitude against the heroic struggle of the Bolivian students, while they are trying to make an example of our comrade in order to cowe and intimidate other students into submission.
We hold the Bolivian authorities responsible for the personal well being of comrade Cesar Zelada while he is being kept in custody. For all this we demand from the Ministry of Interior and from the President of Bolivia, Carlos Mesa, the immediate release without charges of comrade Cesar Zelada.
We ask all student and labour movement organisations, human right organisations and trade union and student activists in general to organise protests and actions to demand the immediate release of Cesar Zelada.
Send protest messages to:
Presidencia de la República (Carlos Mesa): [email protected]
Ministerio de Gobierno. Dr Saúl Lara Torrico [email protected]
El Viceministro del Interior [email protected]
With copies to [email protected]
Bolivian government increases pressure on comrade Cesar Zelada
Intensify the solidarity campaign!
As we reported earlier, the Peruvian youth and revolutionary activist Cesar Zelada, was arrested 6 days ago in Bolivia, during the protest movement of university students in Puno and other universities in Bolivia (see: University revolt in Oruro: Students and workers join hand).
Cesar went to Bolivia as part of a delegation of students from the Puno University (Peru) in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian students and to participate in a meeting of the recently formed youth wing of the Bolivian Workers Union (COB).
The latest news we have received from Bolivia about the situation of the comrade are really worrying. He has been jailed in the San Pedro Penal (La Paz), where he remains in isolation, but with common prisioners. The prosecutor of the case is rabidly anti-Communist and pro-government. In this way they are trying to break the morale of the comrade, keeping him locked to set an example to other Bolivian youth and students of what can happen to them if they continue with their protests against the Carlos Mesa government.
Cesar has a court appointed lawyer, but he is not an expert on matters related to terrorism or “subversion” which is what the state is falsely accusing the comrade of. These are the usual charges that reactionary and bourgeois authorities all over the world throw at those who dare to defy and denounce the privileges of the rich and powerful.
We must intensify the international campaign, involving youth, student and labour movement organisations, to force the Carlos Mesa government to release our comrade immediately.
We ask our readers to continue and intensify the campaign of messages of protest to the Bolivian authorities and the protests outside the Bolivian embassies around the world.
Send urgent messages of protest demanding the release of Cesar Zelada to:
Presidencia de la República (Carlos Mesa): [email protected]
Ministerio de Gobierno. Dr Saúl Lara Torrico [email protected]
El Viceministro del Interior [email protected]
With copies to [email protected]
September 18, 2004
Peruvian Student Activist arrested in Bolivia
The Peruvian student activist Cesar Zelada has been arrested by the Bolivian Police. Cesar is also a collaborator of the Peruvian left organisation Socialist Left Force (FIS). Comrade Cesar was part of a delegation of Peruvian students from the Puno University that was participating in a meeting with the Youth of the Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB) when he was arrested on September 13th, together with some other students and youth activists from Bolivia and Peru.
We completely reject as baseless the accusations of the Bolivian Police that comrade Cesar Zelada was carrying out “subversive activities” and carrying dynamite to attack a local TV station. We also reject the allegations of the Bolivian authorities that Cesar is part of a “terrorist” group. On the contrary, Cesar and the other students who were with him at the time, were there in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian students and to participate in the defence of the freedom of expression of the Bolivian students against the repressive measures of the authorities.
The Bolivian authorities are making this allegations in order to justify their repressive attitude against the heroic struggle of the Bolivian students, while they are trying to make an example of our comrade in order to cowe and intimidate other students into submission.
We hold the Bolivian authorities responsible for the personal well being of comrade Cesar Zelada while he is being kept in custody. For all this we demand from the Ministry of Interior and from the President of Bolivia, Carlos Mesa, the immediate release without charges of comrade Cesar Zelada.
We ask all student and labour movement organisations, human right organisations and trade union and student activists in general to organise protests and actions to demand the immediate release of Cesar Zelada.
Send protest messages to:
Presidencia de la República (Carlos Mesa): [email protected]
Ministerio de Gobierno. Dr Saúl Lara Torrico [email protected]
El Viceministro del Interior [email protected]
With copies to [email protected]
Bolivian government increases pressure on comrade Cesar Zelada
Intensify the solidarity campaign!
As we reported earlier, the Peruvian youth and revolutionary activist Cesar Zelada, was arrested 6 days ago in Bolivia, during the protest movement of university students in Puno and other universities in Bolivia (see: University revolt in Oruro: Students and workers join hand).
Cesar went to Bolivia as part of a delegation of students from the Puno University (Peru) in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian students and to participate in a meeting of the recently formed youth wing of the Bolivian Workers Union (COB).
The latest news we have received from Bolivia about the situation of the comrade are really worrying. He has been jailed in the San Pedro Penal (La Paz), where he remains in isolation, but with common prisioners. The prosecutor of the case is rabidly anti-Communist and pro-government. In this way they are trying to break the morale of the comrade, keeping him locked to set an example to other Bolivian youth and students of what can happen to them if they continue with their protests against the Carlos Mesa government.
Cesar has a court appointed lawyer, but he is not an expert on matters related to terrorism or “subversion” which is what the state is falsely accusing the comrade of. These are the usual charges that reactionary and bourgeois authorities all over the world throw at those who dare to defy and denounce the privileges of the rich and powerful.
We must intensify the international campaign, involving youth, student and labour movement organisations, to force the Carlos Mesa government to release our comrade immediately.
We ask our readers to continue and intensify the campaign of messages of protest to the Bolivian authorities and the protests outside the Bolivian embassies around the world.
Send urgent messages of protest demanding the release of Cesar Zelada to:
Presidencia de la República (Carlos Mesa): [email protected]
Ministerio de Gobierno. Dr Saúl Lara Torrico [email protected]
El Viceministro del Interior [email protected]
With copies to [email protected]
September 18, 2004