Translated for Borderland Beat
Morelia, Michoacan.-José Manuel Mireles Valverde, leader of the AUC in Tepalcatepec, on 27 December has spent six months in prison after being arrested for alleged possession of weapons for exclusive use of the Army and for crimes against health.
On July 6 a detention order was issued and it was ratified it on 17 October. The allegations were also filed against his three bodyguards.
On July 6 a detention order was issued and it was ratified it on 17 October. The allegations were also filed against his three bodyguards.
On 27 June this year, during an operation comprising 600 State and federal elements in the community of La Mira,Dr Mireles was arrested with 80 self-defense forces , all accused of the offences of possession of firearm used exclusively by the Army. A day earlier they had entered the coastal town to clean the area of organized crime.
Dr Mireles and his bodyguards were transferred to the Federal Center for Social rehabilitation (Cefereso) number 11, located in Tepic, Nayarit, while the other self-defense forces were detained in the Prison better known as 'Mil Cumbres”, in the Michoacán capital.
Mireles is tortured and their arrest process was full of irregularities
His lawyer, Talía Vázquez Alatorre said that the capture of the leader of the movement of self-defense and his bodyguards was not prosecuted by the justice systems, nor was it carried out by elements of the Attorney General of Justice of the State (PGJE) or of the Secretariat of public security of Michoacan as was assumed, but by the Mexican army.( authors note : the mexican judicial system and the army have different jurisdicitons).
Through a press conference, the lawyer found irregularities with videos of the moment of detention, which also will serve as evidence that Mireles was subjected to psychological torture and that the truck where they allegedly found weapons of exclusive use of the army and drugs, had been manipulated.
Regarding the allegations of torture, Mireles Lawyer emphasized that images of the scene of his arrest from Televisa, show Mireles appearing hooded whilst his three co-defendants were not.
Dr Mireles Prison Interview
Dr Mireles Prison Interview
His lawyer Talia also disclosed there is a video where Mireles shows his bruised arms , and his statement that also confirms he was denied medicine ( insulin ) for the treatment of his condition, which is a human rights abuse.
For his part, the President of the State Human Rights Commission stated thatJosé Manuel Mireles Valverde had not been tortured during the first hours of his arrest that there was no evidence to show that he had , and that he had also received medical attention and food.
Lawyers drop the Mireles case
In a statement, the lawyers Talía Vázquez Alatorre and Salvador Molina Navarro, announced that Dr Mireles had made a pact with the Government to gain his liberty from prison, after which his lawyers announced their resignation from the case.
According to Vázquez and Molina,Dr. Mireles and his family had decided to accept the offer of political pact conditioned with Segob, in order to obtain their freedom. For that purpose they have entrusted the negotiations to father Gregorio López Jerónimo( Padre Goyo) to lead these talks.
They however clarified that the Pact did not include the more than 370 AUC prisoners in different prisons, held in conditions that were shameful.
For his part, Alfredo Castillo Cervantes Commissioner stated that it was not true that Mireles made an agreement with Segob,he also stated that there did not even exist a possibility for that to happen.
Father Gregorio López( Padre Goyo )said that so far it failed to establish agreement, however he said talks would continue with the head of the Ministry, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong.
National protests and international demand release of Mireles
Mireles protest video
After his arrest, thousands of citizens from Michoacán and across the country, activists, political left, as well as foreign citizens spoke out against the detention of the leader and founder of the AUC in the Tierra Caliente region, and carried out several demonstrations against the State and federal Government who called for the immediate release of Dr. Mireles.
Different voices from various parts of the world including Belgium, Dominican Republic, New York, Poland, Kansas City, Argentina, Chicago and Japan joined in calling for the release of Mireles Valverde, through the so-called #LiberenaMireleson Twitter.
Though social networks releaseda call through Change.org platform, forthe self-defense forcesleader to be released, after six months of social struggle he still remains incarcerated.
The PRI against amnesty law that would free Mireles and 384 paramilitaries
PRD senators, Pan and PT spoke out in favor of the amnesty law that would liberate 370 autodefensas that are prisoners, last December 11thUnited commissions of Justice and legislative studies discussed the topic, under the argument that the people who are detained never attempted to do anything against the State, and its movement originated in defense of themselves in relation to criminals acting with impunity.
The PRI opposed this initiative, because it allegedly would "endanger" the country, because they had defied the orders of the State and federal Government to take justice into their own hands.
"They know not what they ask for," said Emilio Gamboa, Coordinator of the PRI said against the legislators from opposition senators, adding that the law had many risks for what were completely against " the society also".
The amnesty law is not a pardon, but an understanding of the legislative body where it would explain why they were detained and the social problem which originated it all. So far there are 384 detainees self-defence including José Manuel Mireles Valverde, founder of the movement in Tepalcatepec.