Campaign for Freedom for incarcerated workers in Argentine

This letter is part of a national and international campaign for the freedom of comrades workers José Bar-raza, César Raineri, Carlos Gil and Rubén Darío Zárate, in jail by order of the Salta provincial justice.

Comrades Barraza, Raineri, Zárate and Gil are leaders and rank and file members of the Coordinating Coun-cils of the Unemployed Workers of General Mosconi and Tartagal, cities in the north of the Argentinean province of Salta (near the border with Bolivia).

The Coordinating Councils of the Unemployed Workers of General Mosconi and Tartagal had fight indefati-gable, since five years ago, for “work for all or subsidy for the unemployed workers” and for the distribution of the working hours among all the workers without reduction of the wages”.

The unemployment rate in Tartagal and General Mosconi, (with 50.000 inhabitants) reach 65% of the worker people. This towns, were, in the past, flourishing cities, in wich was a distillery of YPF (the state-owned oil company). When YPF was privatized, the new owners (the Spanish Repsol) close the distillery and the towns death. Mostly unemployed people of General Mosconi are oil workers or building workers who worked for YPF. The Tartagal and Mosconi zone is the second richest in gas production in all Argentine, but in winter his inhabitants heat herself with firewod...

In defense of his demands and in order to compel national and provincial governments keep his promises (never actually keep), Coordinating Councils of the Unemployed Workers of General Mosconi and Tartagal block the routes and fight several times against the Gendarmeria (militarized police). The repressive forces had killed –in the last four years– five unemployed workers (know as ‘piqueteros’ – ‘picketers’).

The arrest of Barraza, Raineri and Gil is part of a repressive escalate against the unemployed workers and his organizations. They are accused of “sedition” with the argument that they use the unconstitutional “direct democracy” of Popular Assemblies and Unemployed and Workers Congress. This repressive campaign reach his peak few days ago, when the Gendarmería killed two workers (and wounded hundreds of them) in an attempt of to end a route blockade in demand of wage rises for building workers. The workers were dead or wounded by fire gun shots.

Despite de repression, the government has been defeated by the worker people of General Mosconi. The government had killed, has repressed and has jailed but can’t stop the masses mobilization of the oppressed people. There had been massive popular mobilizations in the own city of General Mosconi –occupied by the repressive forces– in order to repudiate the repression and to demand the withdrawal of the Gendarmeria and the freedom of his comrades in jail.

The “picketer” movement had spread over all Argentine: the unemployed and the employed workers use the direct action methods as blockade of streets, routes, bridges and even airport’s landing strip (in the fight against the closure of the carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas) in order to support his demands. July 24, a Con-gress of Picketers Organizations all over Argentine voted a national fight plan against the cut in wages and retirement pensions established by the government and for the freedom of all incarcerated picketers.

Dear Comrade. We apply to your solidarity in order to demand your help in the struggle for the freedom of the ‘piqueteros’ presos. First, denounce among the worker peolple, the youth and the democratic citizens the repression against the Argentinean workers. Second, sending letters to the judges in demand of the freedom of José Barraza, César Raineri, Rubén Darío Zárate y Carlos Gil, the end of the judicial process against them, and the end of the political and repressive persecution against the unemployed workers and his or-ganizations.
In advance, thanks a lot.

Mónica Galván
Secretaria General CTA de Santa Cruz (integrante de la Mesa Nacional del Polo Obrero)

Néstor Pitrola
Congresal Federación Gráfica Bonaerense (integrante de la Mesa Nacional del Polo Obrero)

José Villalba
Frente Unico de Trabajadores Desocupados (Futrade-Matanza) (integrante de la Mesa Nacional del Polo Obrero)

Luis Oviedo
Comité Nacional del Partido Obrero

Please, send protestations and demands for the freedom of Barraza, Raineri, Gil and Zárate to:
Juzgado Federal Nº 1
España 394
4400 – Salta
República Argentina
Fax 00 55 387 431 2289 / 54 387 431 1180
E-mail: ricardo.falu@pjn.a1.gov.ar

Dr. Fernando De la Rúa
Presidencia de la Nación
Balcarce 50
1064 – Ciudad de Buenos Aires
República Argentina
E-mail: privada@presidencia.net.ar

Please, send a copy of your letter to a ayacucho@po.org.ar or lo@po.org.ar in order to give it to the com-rades Barraza, Raineri y Gil.

Send solidarity letters to
JOSE BARRAZA - CESAR RANIERI - CARLOS GIL – RUBEN DARIO ZARATE
(the letters are for individuals; put the name of only one of the comrades in each letter)
SERVICIO PENITENCIARIO DE SALTA
HIPOLITO YRIGOYEN 841
CP 4400 - SALTA
REPUBLICA ARGENTINA
Fax 00 55 387 428-0637

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)