This is the third of twelve biographies of defenders
of the security system and indigenous justice system of the state of Guerrero;
12 posts put in the “12 Days in Defense of Our Lives and Freedom” campaign.
Day 3: Samuel Ramírez Gálvez. Community Police member of the House of Justice of Zitlaltepec, Regional Coordinator of Community
Authorities-Community Police (CRAC-PC).
Samuel Ramírez Gálvez, 18,
is a young Na Savi indigenous originally from Zitlaltepec, municipality of Metlatónoc. The fourth of six children, he dedicates
himself along with his family to work in the fields on the family farm, where
they have a small farm of coffee and bananas.
Like most youths from the Montaña region, particularly from Metlatónoc,
Samuel did not complete his basic education.
Samuel, who speaks little
Spanish, was appointed a part of the Community Police of Zitlaltepec on August
10, 2013; one of the few youths who have been appointed to this role at such a
young age. His commitment towards
community services originates from a family actively linked with the
people. During the same community
assembly in which Samue was elected as part of the Community Police, his mother,
Beatriz Gálvez Macario, was elected as Coordinator of the House of Justice of Zitlaltepec, the first woman
elected to this position in the history of this House of Justice. Mrs. Beatriz had previously held the title as
Minister of the House of Justice for two years, and is one of the women of the
CRAC who has been actively involved for over a decade; in promoting the human
rights of women in Zitlaltepec.
Samuel
has grown alongside the CRAC-PC during his life, and has been trained in a
system of respect towards the habits and customs and legal systems of
indigenous peoples of the community. In
the state of Guerrero, the CRAC-PC is a collective body of native peoples,
whose model of justice remains effective and successful; the paths and towns
where the justice system of the CRAC prevails today are safe. There, you can walk and sleep peacefully,
even when the operation of the Community Police has been persecuted and
threatened by the authorities throughout its history. The CRAC has a regulation that has condensed
the legal systems of the indigenous peoples who are in the community, without stifling
the dynamism of the common law that by its very nature is oral and casuistic. This regulation is the framework for action
of the Community Police and its coordinators.
Samuel was arrested
along with 12 other Community Police of Zitlaltepec on October 6 of this year
in Cochoapa El Grande, Guerrero. He
finds himself deprived of liberty in the prison of Chilpancingo charged with
criminal possession of a firearm that has exclusive use by the Mexican Army in the
criminal case 61/2013 instructed by the 7th District Court of Chilpancingo,
Guerrero. The other 11 Community Police
officers who were arrested were released on bail on October 15, 2013.
The scale of the
combined operations by those who have carried out arrests on defenders of the
legal systems of the indigenous peoples and their speedy incarceration, contrasts
sharply with the inefficiency with which the Guerrero authorities conduct their
investigations launched for crimes committed against social activists and human
rights defenders. For example, while no
one has been punished in the forced disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial
killing of Raúl Lucas Lucía and Manuel Ponce Rojas on February 2009-among the
many other cases of assaults and murders of activists and human rights
defenders- Indigenous people of the same Na Savi village are criminalized. Such is the case of Arturo Campos Herrera,
who on December 2nd was arbitrarily and without any justification
arrested the day before (December 1st), transferred to a federal
maximum security prison by the government of the state of Guerrero, with the
complacency of the Federation, with the clear aim of impeding his defense and
to weaken and intimidate the community justice systems, who have legitimate
roots in the community and in the state, national, and international regulatory
frameworks.
Source: Tlachinollan
RIP Madiba, better known as Nelson Mandela. Mandela was one of the icons of the 21st century who's leadership became a symbol of his nation's struggle against an oppressive white-minorty racist regime. His resistence, along with that of the overwhelming majority of South Africans, eventually prevailed in overthrowing the apartheid govt. of the Afrikaner minority. The Afrikaner regime attempted to wipe out the indigenous Black African population by placing them in so-called Bantustans - or small territorial areas equivalent to reservations here in the U.S.A. Mandela, his people, and eventually the world would have none of that. The question I have is this: What exactly does the govt. of Guerrero, and for that matter of Mexico, purpose in waging this dirty war against the people of Guerrero? It seems to me that Angel Aguirre wants to systematically eradicate the indigenous people's of Guerrero with brutal tactics inorder to quell their discontent. He is utilizing the states resources and that of organized crime inorder to wage a campaign of terror against Guerrerenses. Is the state of Guerrero and federal govt. of Mexico trying to aid and abett the criminal organizations in gaining control of plazas, or is their something more sinister involved. The situation in Guerrero needs to be brought to the world's attention immediately! The plight of Guerrerenses demands it!
ReplyDeleteAngel Aguirre Rivero,with Angelica Rivera, makes two of one of each,like Pena nieto,"el maricon de volteo" likes.
DeleteAngelico Rivera a life long priista,practicing repressor of the people,got elected on the PRD ticket,soon as he won as a racoon (called chapulin in Mexico for jumping ship to suit and mapache for the masked political brinkmanship) he repressed the people for the ones that pay him,the caciques,the mining companies,the foreign investors,the French favorites,there is no innocent Mexican corruption behind his shitty motherfucking ass,as far as corruption goes, Angelico rivero he the bomb,Carlos slim wants HIS mining rights and HIS hydroelectric projects anywhich way too!
On youtube is an excellent video about the situation in Mexico
ReplyDeleteincluding the narco/drug war.
It's title is "MEXICANS!! America's scapegoats."
Valor - you've been working hard vato. Take the rest of the day off and drink some café. Haha!! Another good article ... excellent! HombreConFe
ReplyDelete"The situation in Guerrero needs to be brought to the world's attention immediately! "
ReplyDeletea great speech amigo ... but have you ever noticed how the world just sits back and does nothing? in fact the world is very good at doing nothing - especially if it means putting their own "culo rosa" on the line when it could get shot off. later on if someone actually wins, then they all rush in with flowers, pretend they were part of the fight, and tell their fabricated stories to all the news reporters who were never there. So it has always been.
true for Mandela too. everyone celebrates his death. but where were they during the 27 years he was in prison?
11:02 Amigo,you used to be so nice...
DeleteThe transmogrification is welcome,the opposition,However is sorely lacking in purpose,clarity of ideas,leadership, trustworthy directives,where is the program, the manifest,the vigilantes that will make sure nobody steals the triumphant revolution,and what will be done with the dissidents?
Juarez did not pardon maximiliano,the petitions for clemency from all over the world did not work,since.then,about 150 years later,the people's enemies are clawing at the doors of what little decency and selrespect we had left...
We are in a bad situation,but we are there, any practical ideas where to go next?
Is that china?
ReplyDeleteDid you see Pena nieto selling tacos from his carrito sanguichero at mandela's funeral?
DeleteExcellent series Valor... Thank you for bringing us this information. I only wish it would make mainstream headline news in US to bring a spotlight on these criminal atrocities perpetuated by the Mexican government.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the young boy still in jail altho the other 11 were released on bail? Does his family not have enough money to cover the bail? Thx for any info.
To 11:02 AM,
ReplyDelete"But where were they during his 27 years when he was in prison?"
I remember and participated in the divestment movement against Aparthaid. The divestment movement was the fight to have the University of California stock and bond fund, to sell off any corporate stock and bonds doing business with South Africa. This movement spread nationally to other college campuses, cities and large trust funds. This movement also called for the freedom of Nelson Mandela and the end of Aparthaid. We hit corporate America where it hurts the most, profits. All around the world there was a demand to release Nelson Mandela and to end Aparthaid. Hundreds of thousands marched and organized against Aparthaid, even some European governments stood against this inhumane system. And of course millions of South Africans, Black, White and Hindus organized against Aparthaid. Please read and study more history before you make these sweeping statements. :)
R5 gets so much more attention than poor indigenous folks in Guerrero.
ReplyDeleteMany people in high office like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and other of their ilk,were against Mandela,and all out for apartheid.
ReplyDeleteIf you was on mandela's side,that is all you have to say my friend,don't get mad and appear that you are taking sides with the other side,or apologizing for them,and if you can,keep up the good work,not that you need my saying so...
To 11:08/11:02
ReplyDeleteYou say Reagan and Thatcher were "All out for aparthaid". Not true. It would have been political suicide for them, especially Reagan. Can you imagine, Reagan openly supporting Aparthaid. That's like him saying he supports legal seregation and Jim Crow laws in the USA. Millions would have marched and demanded his impeachment!
And no, I'm not mad. I enjoy taking apart your silly comments and correcting you on historical FACTS. I do this as a service to the BB readers. Out of millions that read BB, maybe 100 will buy into your version of history.