Young Mapuche Political Prisoner Gabriel Valenzuela Montoya now 41 days on Hunger Strike in the Prison for Minors in Chol Chol, Chile

PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE PRISON IN CHOL CHOL
June 19, 2013

At 38 days on hunger strike, Gabriel Valenzuela Montoya , young Mapuche political prisoner, imprisoned for over nine months in the prison for minors in Chol Chol, informs to the Mapuche nation, to the national and international public opinion, the following:

Kiñe: So far I have lost about 8 kilos, weeks ago I started having chest, bone and muscle pains, I suffered a tachycardia, which took me to the Hospital in Nueva Imperial, until they got me stabilized. This situation gets worse day by day, but I stand firm in the decision to continue my hunger strike until my transfer to the module for community members in the prison in Angol.

Epu: on Friday June 14 I sent letters to various bodies that can accelerate and concretize my transfer to the module for community members in the prison in Angol, receivng a response from the National Institute of Human Rights, through the voice of Ms. Paula Salvo, who has agreed to hold talks with the necessary agencies that may affect my transfer. Considering that I will not lay down my strike until I am together with my peñi and my family, in the prison in Angol.

Küla: From this prison for minors in Chol Chol, I am asking all the people and institutions to understand my need to be near my land, my community, my family, as a young Mapuche, to maintain these relationships on a daily basis is part of our blood, of the education given to us by our grandparents. Though in this juvenile prison there are young people my age, I have to acknowledge that they are young people from different realities, with different needs, we have nothing more in common than our age. I need to continue to strengthen my identity, I need to chat with some peñi every morning about my pewma (dreams), talk about our trials, learn more about our territorial and family history. And here, at over 3 hours of travel, in another territory, once a week, that is impossible.

Meli: I demand from this prison that has kept me away from my family, where the Chilean State holds me sequestered and isolated, that my trial is restarted, that it shall be a fair and transparent trial, without faceless witnesses and no secret evidence, invented by the Anti-Mapuche Prosecutor Luis Chamorro. I demand that the political persecution against our people, our community, will be denounced every day by those who are aware of our struggle.

 FREEDOM TO ALL MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS
TERRITORIAL FREEDOM FOR THE MAPUCHE NATION
NO MORE SETUPS BY ANTI MAPUCHE PROSECUTOR LUIS CHAMORRO.