Fourth anniversary of the deaths of Bety Cariño and Jiri Jaakkola
Four years after the murder of Alberta Cariño Trujillo , director of the Center for Community Support Working Together (Cactus ) and a community radio activist and Jiry Jaakkola , a human rights observer from Finland , relatives, lawyers and fellow NGOs demand the arrest of the murderers and end to impunity . They keep on hunger strike .
On April 27, 2010 , Jyri Jaakkola and Bety Cariño were aboard a van, heading a peace caravan , accompanied by civil society organizations , teachers and journalists. The objective: to “actively support the organization of the autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala , Oaxaca, and its struggle to unite the Triqui people and help stop any aggression against the community”; they also brought food and water.
Once admitted to the community of La Sabana , Triqui area dominated by the organization of Social Welfare Unit of the Triqui Region ( UBISORT ) , more than 20 paramilitary fired guns and the car crashed into a row of stones, in Los Pinos.
Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola were aboard the vehicle carrying a banner with the words “Press and Caravan of Observation” . They died in the
After the ambush about twenty people were questioned by the Attorney General’s Office, but so far no one has been charged for any crimes Meanwhile, peace is still an aspiration in the area, and indigenous supporters of the autonomous municipality remain in exile and in poverty since 2010 .
Below is the letter of the participants of the Action Day for the arrest of the murderers of Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola .
Mexico , DF , on May 5, 2014 . The solidarity of the people and peoplesThose who resist and face persecutionWho will raise their voice and are unjustly imprisoned
Those who are organized to remember
Fighting in memory of our dead
A five-day hunger strike .
Because there is NO memory without justice or peace without truth.
Today we start our eight days of action to ask for the arrest of the murderers of Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola , and 5 days of fasting to demand justice . We have had the solidarity of many comrades, our families walk beside us and demand the arrest of the murderers. Also, some political prisoners, charged with defending life and the earth have spoken and joined the fasting from prison. And above all , we have had the support of those who are here to accompany us with their presence and solidarity in this strike action and our demand to the state to prosecute those responsible for the deaths of Betty and Jyri, whose words we remember in our hearts giving us the strength to keep going.
And there is no memory without justice or peace without truth. Therefore , we must again say that Betty death is a responsibility of not only by the leaders of the paramilitary group UBISORT , but also of the PRI government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, and although it is known that he stole from, imprisoned and repressed the people of Oaxaca, where social leaders were murdered , and that under his government there were forced disappearances, he lives in impunity.
What more can we say ? We’ve been demanding justice four years . Jyri’s family and I, as Betty’s partner, have knocked on the doors of all relevant institutions; we heard the hollow words of authorities , from presidents of the republic to solicitors, foreign ministers, undersecretaries , prosecutors, governors and every single one of state and federal agencies responsible for administering justice . But we no longer believe in their false promises.
After four years, we’re still here, shouting, demanding the same than thousands of Mexicans who live in a country of impunity and corruption . They are the victims of this country who have put names and faces to the aggressors, because institutions are obsolete , corrupt and incompetent; and we all still continue to demand justice.
So here we are and here we will continue. We are purposeful , because we want those responsible in jail, because we want justice in Mexico, because we demand that the law is enforced . We call from this place to make our voice heard by you, who suffer and face state persecution , organized crime groups or power; by those who speak out or are imprisoned for demanding their rights and defend the people; by those who are organized to remember the abuses and violations of our rights. In memory of our dead. For those who struggle for life.
Justice for Bety and Jyri !
Stopping the murderers already !
No more impunity !
The silence is complicity
In memory of our dead
Bety Cariño left behind her husband and two young children.