Nahua defender Saúl Rosales Meléndez was found guilty of murder for a lynching in which he did not participate and the Tlaxcala State Attorney General’s Office is seeking a sentence of 50 years in prison, in the sentence to be issued today, March 8, reported Front Line Defenders (FLD).
Rosales Meléndez was arrested along with Nahua defender Raymundo Cahuantzi on July 14, 2022. Since that day, both have been held without a sentence in the Tlaxcala State Social Reinsertion Center (Centro de Reinserción Social del Estado de Tlaxcala).
At the time of their arrest, Saúl Rosales was president of the community of San Pedro Tacuapan and Raymundo was a traditional Tiaxca authority, and both were involved in the work of caring for the forest and against illegal logging and the plundering of the diversity of flora, fauna and fungus in the Matlalcuéyetl, also known as La Malinche.
On March 8 “years of unjust sentencing for Saul will be dictated”, affirms the Fray Julian Garces Center. From then on “the family and the community will have to define the path of the struggle to achieve his just liberation”. Meanwhile, “the forest continues to die, the river continues to be polluted by industries, more people die from pollution, women are raped and sexually exploited, we are living a crisis because of the garbage… but in the eyes of the government nothing happens,” laments the human rights center based in Tlaxcala.
Pronouncement of the National Assembly for Water and Life in Demand for the Freedom of the Comrades Saul Rodales and Raymundo Cahauatzi
To the people of San Pedro Tlalcuapan
To Collectives for the defense of the identity and territory of Tlaxcala
To the peoples and communities defending life and territory
Today, March 1, 2024, the final hearing will be held to determine the release of the comrades Saúl Rosales and Raymundo Cahuatzi, traditional authorities of the town of San Pedro Tlalcuapan, Tlaxcala, who have been imprisoned since July 14, 2022, accused of a crime they did not commit.
The comrades have been caretakers and defenders of the Matlalcueitl forest and we know that this is the real reason for the deprivation of their freedom.
Jail should be for those who cut down and allow the cutting down of our forests, for those who steal and pollute our water, for those who hand over our territory to the highest bidder and for those who impose death for our peoples and communities. NOT for those who defend life.
For our peoples the forests are sacred, they provide us with water and food, they are our home and that of thousands of species. Life, our history and culture originate in our forests. That is why we defend them with our very lives.
Today, the peoples, communities, organizations and collectives that make up the National Assembly for Water and Life demand the immediate and unconditional release of our comrades Saúl and Raymundo.
We will not rest until we see them free.
ATTENTIVELY
The Autonomy of the Peoples and the defense of life are NOT a crime.
National Assembly for Water and Life
March 1, 2024
#FreedomForSaúlyRaymundo
#PresresxsPolíticxsLibertad (#FreedomPresidentsPoliticiansFreedom)