Atenco leaders get 67 years

Three campesino leaders from San Salvador Atenco were each sentenced to 67 years and six months in prison for kidnapping, local media reported Saturday

BY EDUARDO ALONSO/EL UNIVERSAL
El Universal
Domingo 06 de mayo de 2007

Three campesino leaders from San Salvador Atenco were each sentenced to 67 years and six months in prison for kidnapping, local media reported Saturday.

The sentence comes almost exactly a year after a violent clash between residents of Atenco and state and federal police troops.

Ignacio del Valle, Felipe Álvarez and Héctor Galindo, leaders of The United People´s Front to Defend the Land (FPDT), were informed of the decision on Friday night. They now have five days to appeal the verdict.

Alfredo Blas Hernández, magistrate of the criminal court in Toluca, handed down the sentence for the incidents that took place in February and April 2006, when members of the group held State of Mexico officials captive.

Judge Blas Hernández emphasized that the sentences are not related to the violent clashes that took place on May 3-4 in Texcoco and Atenco.

Although the leaders were arrested in the aftermath of the disturbances, the judge made clear that his decision was based solely upon "the kidnapping and illegal detention of the state officials.

"The sentence was calculated as a cumulative sentence," said José Castillo Ambriz, president of the Superior Court of the State of Mexico. "Each of the crimes carries a recommended minimum sentence of 33 years, eight months, which Judge Blas Hernández rolled together to reach the 67-year, six-month sentence."

Castillo said the maximum sentence for kidnapping and illegal detention is 60 years, but Judge Blas Hernández determined that the suspects were not "a dangerous threat to society."

In 2002, the campesinos from San Salvador Atenco organized the FPDT in an effort to oppose the construction of an airport in the municipality on the outskirts of the capital.

The aggressive tactics - which also included instances of kidnapping and illegal detention - forced the federal government to cancel the airport project.

In the May 2006 clashes, one civilian died and dozens were wounded on both sides.

On Saturday, Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos led a caravan of six buses to the Santiaguito Prison in the State of Mexico to stage a protest demanding the release of the "political prisoners."

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of members of the FPDT marched through downtown Mexico City before demonstrating in the Zócalo.