October 22nd, 2014

To all workers, worker and student organizations, worker parties and bodies of human rights of Argentina and the world which are in solidarity with our struggle:

From this Commission of condemned workers of Las Heras, their family and friends, we want first of all to send a warm hug to all workers and students of our country and the world who are fighting for our acquittal. 
In a few months it will be one year since the videlista (i.e., formed by judges and attorneys named by the last bloody dictatorship and their cronies, and who think it “a trifle” that declarations of the accused are extracted by applying torture and accept as “normal” terrorization to the relatives, NT) Court of the Government and the oil companies sentenced us to life imprisonment and imprisonment to ten oil workers from the town of Las Heras, Santa Cruz only for the fact of having fought against the income tax and the job insecurity.
That day, listening to how the oil companies’ Justice condemned us, endorsing the repression and torture, was terrible for us and for our families. Our children trembled with fear because their parents were sent to prison.
When the trial started, in the solitude of the Court, the judges were emboldened and we saw in their faces the thirst for revenge. Together with our families, and thanks to the courage of witnesses who reported torture, we put our town on their feet; people lost their fear and won the streets. That’s why on 12 December last year, it was different. It was a day of struggle to which we called the international Day of the Worker Pursued by Imperialism and Governments. From all parts of the world, different workers sent us their solidarity, as the Palestinian comrades. From France along with Georges Abdallah, Basque prisoners rejected their portion of food at the prison in solidarity with us. And at the same time workers and student fighting organizations of Chile, Bolivia, Japan, Mexico, Algeria, Brazil, Zimbabwe joined that day of struggle, among others.
As the judge read the sentences her voice was shaking, things were not like at the beginning and as it were throughout the trial; for they knew that we were no longer alone: thousands of workers of Argentina and the world were with us. But that judge’s voice almost broke down, when she -servant of the oil companies-, heard that family members, outside of court (which was running in Caleta Olivia, many kilometers from Las Heras, NT) were announcing by megaphone that in Los Perales oil field, in Las Heras, workers had paralyzed several shifts and that workers of INDUS were making “retention of services” (passive strike, NT) in our support.
We began to realize the cry “An injury to one is an injury to all!” and that was what made possible that today, although we are convicted, we are at home with our families (waiting for the result of the appeal, NT). We always said that with the for life for us and some years prison sentence to our comrades, the oil companies, the Government, their judges and prosecutors wanted to give a warning to all workers so that never again the latter go out and fight for their rights. Unfortunately, we were right. 
Corral de Bustos’ fighters are still prisoners, also Esteche and Lescano; Río Gallegos ATE workers will soon be a year in jail and more than 7000 workers are still processed for fighting for their demands.
The Government, the justices, and the bosses continue launching a brutal attack to all workers with dismissals, suspensions, inflation, unemployment, job insecurity and moreover they are robbing us with the income tax. This cannot be endured anymore!
That is why we call them all to perform again a worker Congress here in Las Heras on December 12 that since last year has become the Day of International Struggle for the Persecuted Worker.
We go on standing and fighting, with this sentence we carry every day on our shoulders, though we continue being chased after. The resolutions that we voted in our Congress of 12 October of last year and the working Assembly of May Day 2014 in Las Heras, are still more valid than ever. We need an oil strike and a national strike for all of our demands and to put up immediately a National Coordinator Board. 
This call that we do is for them not to leave us alone, as the fight for our acquittal, for the freedom of prisoners and the end of the causes to all the fighters are part of the demands of all workers against dismissals, suspensions, because IT IS THE SAME AND SINGLE FIGHT.
This year, together with different workers, worker organizations and fellow prisoners in the world, as Samer Al Issawi family, we have set in place a network of international solidarity for the freedom of all political prisoners in the world. To them and to all those who are fighting together since last year, we also call to continue fighting together, this December 12. 
This December is not for us a day to celebrate, the workers have nothing to celebrate; it is to get together, LET US FIGHT TOGETHER!
For a National Coordinator Bureau for the release of all political prisoners and by the ceasing of the causes against all the companions! Repressive State! 
Acquittal of the oil workers of Las Heras! Free ATE Rio Gallegos workers; prisoners from Corral de Bustos; leaders of Quebracho Esteche and Lescano and all political and social prisoners! 
Immediate ceasing of the causes against the more than 7,000 workers and popular fighters prosecuted in Argentina! Enough of attacking and condemning the workers! Immediate amnesty for all prisoners and defendants comrades! 
For the release of George Abdallah - Palestinian cause fighter -; the Basque prisoners; Mumia Abu Jamal; Shireen, Samer and Medhat Issawi and the thousands of Palestinian prisoners; the anti-imperialist prisoners of Guantanamo; the communards of Ayo-Ayo in Bolivia, etc.!
For a network of international solidarity for the freedom of all political prisoners in the world!
 ALONE NEVER MORE!

Commission of Condemned Workers, Relatives and Friends of Las Heras

Hugo Gonzalez, condemned to life imprisonment
José Rosales, condemned to life imprisonment
Ruben Bach, condemned to life imprisonment
Omar Mansilla, condemned to five years
Daniel Aguilar, condemned to five years
Raquel Valencia, Gonzales` wife
Claudia Bazan, Rosales` wife
Veronica Bazan, Bach`s wife
Claudia Pafundi, Mansilla`s wife

Endorse this call:
Helena Mansilla, mother of Quique and Daniel Aguilar, condemned to five years
Nestor Vibares, prosecuted worker who spent three months in jail for fighting for their comrades of BACSSA
Marcela Gonzalez, Nestor Vibares` wife