Martín Barrios Hernández

Demand Protection for Barrios and his Family and Co-workers

Dear Friends,

Your continued action is needed to help defend workers’ rights in Mexico. As the CCC reported earlier this year, Mexican labour rights activist Martin Barrios Hernández was unjustly imprisoned in Puebla; at that time he was working on a case of 163 unjustly dismissed garment workers. Following a storm of local and international protest at his arrest, Barrios was released, however very serious concerns about his safety and that of others working to prevent rights abuses in the garment sector are feared. At this time the CCC requests that you send a letter of concern to the governor of Puebla and to the Mexican embassy in your country. A sample letter and contact information is provided below.

• April 2006, Update on Martin Barrios case

URGENT ACTION ALERT
February 17, 2006

Source: Maquila Solidarity Network, Canada

Mexican Labour Rights Activist Martin Barrios Receives Death Threats
Demand Protection for Barrios and his Family and Co-workers

Marcos (delegado Zero) and Martin Barrios in Altepexi on Sunday February 12 2006

On February 12, Martin Barrios, president of the Human and Labour Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley received separate, but identical warnings from two trusted sources. He was told that a local maquila owner has hired someone to kill him.

The warnings came on the same day that Zapatista leader subcomandante Marcos (now known as delegado Zero) delivered a speech at a rally in the nearby community of Altepexi, condemning the state governor and maquila owners for the arbitrary arrest and detention of Barrios, and for exploiting maquila workers. The warnings also came in the midst of a national scandal in which compelling evidence has been made public linking the Puebla state governor and a major blue jean manufacturer with a plot to arrest and rape another human rights advocate, Lydia Cacho.

Martin greets his family at his release from prison on January 12.

Barrios had been detained for two weeks in a Puebla state prison on trumped up charges alleging he had attempted to blackmail a Tehuacan maquila owner, Lucio Gil Zarate. Barrios’ arrest and detention appears to be a crude attempt to obstruct the work of the Commission at a time when it is defending the rights of 163 maquila workers who were unjustly fired by Gil for taking part in a legal strike. The Commission has been demanding that the employer pay the workers their lawful severance pay.

According to the Commission, Barrios’ arbitrary arrest and detention were part of an ongoing campaign to discredit and criminalize its work and that of other human rights promoters in the state of Puebla. On January 2, a paid ad, signed by 30 maquila owners, appeared in a Tehuacan newspaper. The ad expressed the owners’ support for Barrios’ arrest and detention and accused the Commission of organizing protests and strikes that discourage foreign investment in order to blackmail the owners.

For more information on the impact of blue jean production on workers, indigenous communities and the environment, check out Tehuacan: Blue Jeans, Blue Waters and Worker Rights . A 59-page study by Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) and the Human and Labour Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley. More info >>

On January 12, Barrios was suddenly released from prison after being told by state authorities that Gil had agreed to “pardon” him. According to Barrios, his release was the result of the enormous local, national and international pressure that was brought to bear on the state authorities, not the good will of those authorities or his accuser.

At the time of Barrios’ release, members of the Commission warned that maquila owners in Tehuacan were angry about the state government’s decision to bow to public pressure and set Barrios free, and expressed their serious concerns for the safety of Barrios, his family and his co-workers.

In response to this dangerous situation, the Mexican Human Rights Centre “Miguel Augustín Pro Juárez” has submitted a request to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for protection for Barrios, members of his family, and members of the Commission. Amnesty International has also sent out an urgent alert, calling on the Puebla state governor to ensure Barrios’ safety. MSN has also been calling on the Canadian government and brand-name companies sourcing from Puebla to express their concerns to the Puebla state government.

Please send a letter today to Puebla State Governor, Mario Marín Torres, with copies to the Mexican Embassy and the foreign affairs person in your government responsible for Mexico, calling on the governor to take appropriate steps to ensure the following:

• Protection for Martín Barrios, members of his family, and other members of the Commission;

• An end to persecution of human rights promoters and to attempts by state authorities to criminalize their legitimate activities.

• Justice for the 163 illegally dismissed workers at the Calidad en Confecciones factory, and respect for workers’ rights in the state’s garment export factories.

Estimado Gobernador Marín Torres:

I am writing to urge your government to take immediate action to ensure the safety of Martín Barrios, president of the Mexican Human and Labour Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley, as well as members of his family and other members of the Commission.

I have received disturbing reports indicating that Barrios’ life may be in danger. If these reports are correct and your government fails to take immediate action to provide protection for Barrios and his family and co-workers, your government will share responsibility for the consequences. I understand that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which is the human rights body of the Organization of American States (OAS), has made a formal request to the Mexican government to provide protection to Mr. Barrios. I strongly urge you to follow up on this request.

In order to provide assurances to international buyers and consumers that the State of Puebla respects the work of the Commission and other human rights organizations that defend the rights of garment workers, I would also urge you to ensure that there is no further persecution of members of the Commission or other human rights promoters or attempts by state authorities to criminalize their legitimate activities

Lastly, I request that your government take appropriate steps to ensure that the legal rights of garment workers in your state are respected, including the rights of the 163 unjustly fired workers at the Calidad en Confecciones factory in Tehuacan.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this critically important matter. Please inform me of the action that you take.

Sincerely, [your: Name, City, Country]

Find here a list of Mexican Embassies arround the world :
http://www.embassypages.com/list4.php?id=mexico

Mexican Embassy in Austria
Operngasse 21/10
1040 Vienna
Austria
Telephone (+43) 1 310-7383
Telefax (+43) 1 310-7387
E-mail embamex@embamex.or.at

Mexican Embassy in Belgium
Ambassade du Mexique in Brussels
AV. F.D. ROOSEVELT / F.D. ROOSEVELTLAAN, 94
1050 IXELLES
Belgium
Tel : +32 (0)2629.07.77
+32 (0)2.644.08.19
+32 (0)2.646.87.68
E-mail: embamexbelgica-ue@skynet.be

Mexican Embassy in Germany
Jorge Castro-Valle Kuehne (ambassador)
Klingelhöferstr. 3
10785 Berlín
Germany
Tel: 030 – 2693230
Fax: 030 – 269323700
E-mail: mail@embamexale.de
http://www.embamex.de/

Mexican Embassy in Italy
Luz Estela Santos
via Lazzaro Spallanzani,
16 - 00161 Roma
Italy
Tel: 0039-06441151
Fax: 0039-064403876
E-mail: correo@emexitalia.it

Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom
16 St. George Street
Hanover Sq.
London W1S 1LX
UK
Tel. +44 (0)20 7499 8586
Fax. +44 (0)20 7495 4035
E-mail: mexuk easynet.co.uk
and political affairs office: María de la Luz Lima Malvido, e-mail : mlima@sre.gob.mx
http://www.embamex.co.uk/index.htm

Mexican Embassy in The Netherlands
Nassauplein 28
2585EC Den Haag
The Netherlands
Tel: 070-3602900
Fax: 070-3560543
E-mail: consulado@embamex-nl.com
http://www.embamex-nl.com/default.htm
and
Alba Patricia Oviedo-Colector
Sección de Derechos Humanos
e-mail: humanrights@embamex.nl

Mexican Embassy France
M. Claude Heller (ambassador)
Ambassade Du Mexique en France
9, rue de Longchamp
75116 Paris
Téléphone : 01 53 70 27 70
Fax : 01 47 55 65 29
E-mail: embfrancia@sre.gob.mx
http://www.sre.gob.mx/francia/

Mexican Embassy to Switzerland
Bernastrasse 57
3005 Bern
Switzerland
Tel: (41 31) 357-4747
Fax: (41 31) 357-4748
E-mail: embamex1@swissonline.ch
http://www.sre.gob.mx/suiza

Mexican Embassy in Sweden
Grevgatan 3
114 53 Stockholm
Sweden
Telephone: (468) 663 5170
Fax:(468) 663 2420
E-mail: suecia.embamex@telia.com

Consular Section (468) 661 2213
E-mail: consulado.embamex@telia.com

Mexican Embassy in Spain
Carrera de San Jerónimo 46
28014 Madrid
Spain
Tel. 91 420 27 17
Fax 91 420 22 92
Ambassador : Gabriel Jiménez Remus
e-mail: gjimenez@embamex.es
Human rights person : Ramiro Ayala Muñíz
e-mail: rayala@embamex.es

Martin's arrest on December 29 2005

On December 29, 2005, Martín Barrios Hernández, president of the Mexican Human and Labour Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley, was arrested outside his home by the intelligence division of the Puebla state police and transported from his home city of Tehuacan to the state capital of Puebla.

Barrios was arbitrarily detained for two weeks on false charges alleging he had attempted to blackmail maquila owner Lucio Gil Zarate in Tehuacan, a major blue jean manufacturing centre in Mexico’s state of Puebla.

The charge against Barrios had been filed on the same day as independent journalist and human rights promoter, Lydia Cacho, was arrested by Puebla state police in another state and transported back to Puebla to face defamation charges brought by another maquila owner, Kamel Nacif, concerning allegations that he was involved in a child prostitution ring. Cacho’s illegal out-of-state arrest was widely condemned by Mexican human rights organizations, including the Commission. Gil is a subcontractor for Nacif.

On January 12, Barrios was suddenly released from prison after being told by state government officials that Gil had agreed to “pardon” him.

In early November, Barrios and the Commission had assisted workers at Gil’s Calidad en Confecciones factory in filing a complaint before the Local Conciliation and Arbitration Board, charging the employer with worker rights violations. On November 10, Gil signed an agreement to resolve the outstanding issues, but, according to the Commission, has failed to comply with the agreement.

On November 22, Gil fired all 163 workers who had participated in a legal strike the previous day, closed the factory, and shifted production to another factory. The Commission is currently pursuing a second case against Gil for unlawful dismissal.

Two years ago, when the Commission was involved in a similar case, Barrios was attacked and beaten by unknown assailants in broad daylight, and those responsible for the crime have never been brought to justice.

The extent of the involvement of the Puebla state governor and maquila owners in attacks on human rights promoters in the state was recently revealed when the Mexican daily newspaper La Jornada published transcripts of taped phone conversations between the governor and Kamel Nacif in which they discussed plans to arrest Cacho and to have her raped in a Puebla state prison. The publication of the article has set off a storm of protests in Mexico and calls from civil society organizations and political partiers for the Puebla state governor to resign.

For more information and campaign updates, visit the MSN website at: www.maquilasolidarity.org