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The Campaign to Free Jose Luis, Now! Represents the
Struggle to Defend Raza held in the U.S. Prisons!
The U.S. govt. sentenced Jose Luis Aviña to 16
years to life, for defending himself from a white man
who attacked him from behind. The entire "judicial
system" and the media covered up that the man that
died was a drug runner, then criminalized Jose Luis because
he is Mexican.
The U.S. govt attempted to give Jose Luis the death
penalty, but the pressure of the people forced the courts
to sentence Jose Luis to 16 years to life.
When Jose Luis was held captive during his trial, in
1994, the same San Francisco guards forced Jose Luis to
take sides into "gang affiliations" known as
"norteños or sureños". This was
the beginning of the U.S. govt. to criminalize and force
Jose Luis into what the U.S. govt calls "gang wars"
inside the prisons and to hold him hostage for life.
Gang wars, affiliations and labeling are a U.S. counterinsurgent
tactic to maintain la Raza at war with each other; to
facilitate the U.S. govt. to criminalize la Raza allowing
the police agencies, politicians, governors, and prisons
to capture, imprison and brutalize la Raza; but also to
weaken the ever-growing Raza population politically, socially
and economically.
Jose Luis was being set up by the Dept. of Corrections
to be labeled a "gang" member upon his arrival
into state prison. He experienced prisoners that forced
him to defend himself, otherwise he would have died. He
experienced propositions from the guards to be a snitch.
When he refused, he was sent to another prison. His family
experienced being labeled "norteños"
when coming to visit him. And when Jose Luis participated
in a massive hunger strike in New Folsom Prison on Nov.
20th, 1999, the Calif. Dept. of Corrections labeled him
a "gang" member 3 days before Governor Gray
Davis broke the strike.
The organized hunger strike in New Folsom prison lasted
for an entire month. But, Governor Gray Davis refused
to hear the cries of the hunger strikers' basic human
rights demands and ordered 16 be transported to prisons
all over California, where seven (7) prisoners were put
in the Security Housing Units (SHU). Jose Luis was one
of them.
Gov. Gray Davis opted by torturing people who were acting
as spokes persons who were looking for a peaceful solution.
Their demands were very basic, such as the right to shower,
right to visit with their family, right to phone their
families, right to food canteens, ect.
The S.H.U. is recognized as a torture program denying
the 5 human senses: no sunlight, no noise, no human contact,
no fresh air, no taste in the food, the space is the size
of a bathroom, and daily harassment, humiliation and brutality.
Many who have been in the SHU have become mentally retarded.
Corcoran State Prison SHU's hospital is attached to the
SHU units because many end up in the medical facility.
Since Dec 17th, 1999, Jose Luis has lost his eye sight,
his skin is yellow and is continuously harassed and humiliated.
He is not allowed to have any educational materials or
books. Pictures of his family, friends or anyone are not
allowed. When his family visit Jose Luis, they have experienced
harassment and intimidation by the guards.
In Corcoran State Prison, there are 10,000 held captive
majority Raza and African. There are 3,000 in the SHU
and the majority are Raza.
The SHUs are killing Raza without the electric chair
and they must be condemned and dismantled Now! The SHU
and prisons are a weapon the U.S. govt uses to commit
genocide against a people.
We Demand that:
Jose Luis Must be Taken out of the SHU Now!
Dismantled Security Housing Units,
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