After the brutal repression of a mobilization against mega-mining in Mendoza, Liza Rule and Martín Iglesia remain detained. The police provocation ended with random arrests by plainclothes police, who detained Liza and Martín and forcibly entered them into the provincial Legislature, turning a public building into a place of irregular detention.
Upon being transferred, the detainees reported that they were beaten by police inside the Legislature and remain detained even without any accusation from which to defend themselves. This very serious event has unleashed a wave of condemnation throughout the country, denouncing the repression and demanding immediate freedom.
Deputies of the Left Front presented this Friday a project to repudiate Cornejo’s repression. The initiative, signed by Christian Castillo, Alejandro Vilca, Mercedes de Mendieta, Juan Carlos Giordano and Vilma Ripoll, was presented in the Chamber of Deputies and is reproduced below:
DRAFT RESOLUTION
The H. Chamber of Deputies
SOLVE
Repudiate the repression and arrest of at least two people, Liza Rule and Martín Iglesias carried out by the Police of the province of Mendoza in the framework of a massive mobilization in defense of water and against the San Jorge mining project that took place last Thursday the 23rd in front of the provincial Legislature. Rule and Iglesias were also beaten and taken inside the Legislature, a very serious incident. The repressive operation also left several injured.
Demand the release of the detainees and the absolute cessation of all persecution of environmental fighters and activists by Governor Alfredo Cornejo in order to guarantee the interests of the extractivism and mega-mining business sectors.
FUNDAMENTALS
We bring to this body’s consideration this draft resolution that aims to express the repudiation of the repression and detention of at least two people, Liza Rule and Martín Iglesias, carried out by the Police of the province of Mendoza within the framework of a massive mobilization in defense of water and against the San Jorge mining project that took place last Thursday the 23rd.
The mobilization had started from KM0 of the City of Mendoza and went to the provincial Legislature. The reading of a document was planned there. However, the repressive forces prevented that from happening and began to repress.
Liza Rule and Martín Iglesias were arrested, beaten and taken inside the Legislature, a very serious event, since it ended up becoming a detention center. Once the arrests were made, the police provocations continued against those who demanded the freedom of the detainees, throwing tear gas against those who gathered in Plaza Independencia after the repression.
According to those who participated in the mobilization, it was the members of the repressive forces who maintained a provocative attitude at all times that included beatings. In addition, they also denounced the high institutional, police and gender violence towards the women who were present. Furthermore, no police officers were identified, nor did they inform the reasons for the arrests, nor did they provide information about the prosecutor’s office that was in charge of making that resolution.
It is not the first time that the radical governor, Alfredo Cornejo, acts in this repressive and persecutory manner against environmental fighters and activists, in a province where there is a great tradition of defending water, the environment and life, threatened by business interests that have a policy of looting and whom the Government seeks to benefit. Government policy is part of a systematic plan to weaken the collective struggle and pave the way for the looting and handing over of our territories.
Those of us who signed this project want to make clear our absolute rejection of this policy and our unconditional support for the people of Mendoza who fight against extractivism and the plundering of our resources and territories.
For these reasons and for those that we will explain at the time of processing, we request your adherence to this draft resolution.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
