Why is the US Building Prisons and Militarizing Police in Mexico?

mexdelpromo-2016

To Register Email: [email protected]

The Alliance for Global Justice will take a delegation to Mexico November 11-21, 2016 that will provide an exceptional opportunity to learn more about popular, labor, ecological and indigenous movements there. A special focus will be investigations into the involvement of the United States and Colombia in Mexico’s police and penal systems. The delegation will be hosted by CODEP (Peoples Defense Council) and LIMEDDH (Mexican League for the Defense of Human Rights). The United States has spent billions of dollars to support police militarization in the country, and has been involved since 2005 in the construction of 16 new federal prisons. Extrajudicial executions and arrests of unionists and indigenous leaders are tactics of repression that are in many ways “made in the USA”. We will learn about how the US is helping build the infrastructure of repression in Mexico and what that means for that country, the US, the hemisphere and the world.

These are some of the bullets, tear gas and pepper spray cannisters MADE IN THE USA and used by Mexican local, state and federal police to attack striking teachers and their supporters in Oaxaca on June 19, 2016. The attacks left 13 dead, around 100 wounded and 23 persons disappeared.

These are some of the bullets, tear gas and pepper spray cannisters MADE IN THE USA and used by Mexican local, state and federal police to attack striking teachers and their supporters in Oaxaca on June 19, 2016. The attacks left 13 dead, around 100 wounded and 23 persons disappeared.

Please sign this petition in support of the Mexican teachers and popular strike!

The Alliance for Global Justice will take a delegation to Mexico November 11-21, 2016 that will provide an exceptional opportunity to learn more about popular, labor, ecological and indigenous movements there. A special focus will be investigations into the involvement of the United States and Colombia in Mexico’s police and penal systems. The delegation will be hosted by CODEP (Peoples Defense Council) and LIMEDDH (Mexican League for the Defense of Human Rights). The United States has spent billions of dollars to support police militarization in the country, and has been involved since 2005 in the construction of 16 new federal prisons. Extrajudicial executions and arrests of unionists and indigenous leaders are tactics of repression that are in many ways “made in the USA”. We will learn about how the US is helping build the infrastructure of repression in Mexico and what that means for that country, the US, the hemisphere and the world.

For more information and an application, send an email to [email protected]

The delegation begins in Tucson, Arizona where we will have a forum on “The Drug War: Today’s Big Lie”. We will hear about the relation between the “War on Drugs” and the police and prison industrial complex on both sides of the border. The next day we’ll see examples of border militarization before crossing into Sonora. We will then go to Cananea and visit striking miners and community members affected by Grupo Mexico’s 10.5 million gallon sulfuric acid spill, the largest environmental disaster in the Mexico’s history. We’ll travel to Hermosillo and meet Yaqui activists struggling for their water rights. And we’ll get together with members of the labor and popular movement. We also hope to visit the US funded federal prison in Hermosillo, the first privately managed, for-profit prison in Mexico. Throughout the delegation, wherever we go, we will meet with family members and defenders of current political prisoners, as well as ex-political prisoners.

From Hermosillo, we will travel to Oaxaca, where we will meet with leaders of the  teachers union, popular and student movement organizers and indigenous activists. We will travel to a Mixtec village and learn how their community is being affected by free trade and corporate encroachment. We will also take some tourist time to visit the Monte Alban ruins.

To Register Email: [email protected]

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A visit to Monte Alban!

We’ll finish the delegation in Mexico City. There we will visit with labor leaders, human rights activists, ex-political prisoners, activists against torture, and we’ll have in depth discussions with experts on police militarization and the Mexican prison system.  Our last full day, we will attend the mass gathering on November 20 in Mexico City for the We Defend Mother Earth Campaign. That campaign is made up of more than 180  indigenous, community, environmental and human rights organizations resisting neoliberal policies that destroy the land, water and air and displace and dispossess people and other beings from their homes.

Cost of the delegation is $1400. This includes all meals, housing (double occupancy), all transportation except your initial flight to Tucson and home from Mexico City, airport pick-up and delivery, translation and program expenses. Deposit of $300 is due with application. It will be refunded if AfGJ cancels the delegation before Oct. 1, 2016 or you cancel before AfGJ purchases group airline tickets for travel within Mexico. Some discounts may be available.

To Register Email: [email protected]

Schedule:

November 11: Delegation begins in Tucson with evening forum: The Drug War: Today’s Big Lie.

November 12: Border militarization tour; visit to striking miners in Cananea, Sonora.

November 13: Meetings in Hermosillo, Sonora with teachers union, Rio Yaqui defenders, prison rights activists, possible visit at private prison built with US funding.

November 14-18: Fly to Oaxaca. Meet with striking teachers, former political prisoners, family and supporters of political prisoners, social movement leaders; visit to Mixtec community; visit to Monte Alban. Fly to Mexico City night of the 18th.

November 19: Meetings in Mexico City with unionists, Torture No More, ex political prisoners, family and supporters of political prisoners; prisoner rights activists.

November 20: Attend the public events closing the Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and the Territory (Campaña en Defensa de la Madre Tierra y el Territorio). 

November 21: End of Delegation.

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AfGJ members enjoy a traditional meal in Oaxaca with our hosts from CODEP

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