Post Titled: Adam Ziemkowski and Social injustice in Bolivia

It isn't every day that you get an email like this from one of your friends-
Fortunately, things seem to have stabilised and the hearing is on Friday is looking good, knock on wood or pray ot whatever, Adam is a great person and Fullbright scholar researching in Bolivia who was treated very unfairly (searched, beaten, arrested) due to shady local politics... read on:

"Hi Everyone,

In the last week, the right-wing prefect of Cochabamba has
dramatically increased his attacks on the democratic rights of working
class, peasant, and poor people to express themselves freely in the
city´s central plaza. Just so the issue hits home, last Thursday, I
and a number of other people were assaulted by thugs who emerged
directly from the building of the prefecture. On Wednesday, I was
arrested and charged with sedition, conspiracy, and inciting violence.

An international campaign to bring these attacks to light is well
under way. The people heading this campaign want to bombard the
prefect office with hundreds of letters from all over the world
attacking these occurrences. Please read the following reports and
take the simple action of emailing the prefecture and copying us
(those of you who lead up listserves and/or who have a lot of friends,
please forward this widely:

prefectura@prefecturacochabamba.gov.bo

Please copy us on all emails so we can print them off and put them in
the plaza as an international public denunciation and as a way of
organizing a massive rally early next week

cwi@worldsoc.co.uk and citbolivia@gmail.com

---------------------------------------------

Bolivia
Protest against the violent intimidation of social activists

The prefecture of Manfred Reyes Villa organises thugs to intimidate opposition
CWI, London

On the 24th of May, a group of thugs violently attacked social
activists at the "14 de septiembre" square in the centre of
Cochabamba. This cowardly attack was organised out of the office of
the Prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa.

Manfred Reyes Villa is one of the main figureheads of the right-wing
opposition in Bolivia. Villa, accused of corruption and the theft of
public property, sparked protest last January when he announced that
he would attempt to repeal the referendum results which rejected the
idea of autonomy for the Eastern departments of Bolivia. In ensuing
confrontation between the ultra right-wing pro-autonomists, who
resemble paramilitary gangs, and the working class and indigenous
people two were killed and 150 wounded.

Please send protest letters to Manfred Reyes Villa, Fax: ++591 4
4519100, email: prefectura@cochabamba.bo

Please send copies to citbolivia@gmail.com and cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

Model letter:

To Manfred Reyes Villa

Gobierno departemental de Cochabamba

Plaza 14 de septiembre acera norte nr 243

Cochabamba

Bolivia"