Humanists denounce and reject all forms of violence, in particular when people who fight for social change are deprived of liberty, such is the case of Milagro Sala. Milagro represents a social organisation, Tupac Amaru, whose membership consists of thousands and thousands of humble people, indigenous people from the Argentinean province of Jujuy, a people who out of desperate need and State neglect started to take charge of their lives in the times of unemployment and absence of State support.
Then during the Government of the Front for Victory (2003-2015) the Tupac Amarcu was strengthened with contributions from the State and the effort of its members.
This happened through the work of its activists, tireless workers, who through food suppliers, clothes producers and Community Cooperatives where able to build houses, workshops, factories, water parks, schools of different levels, infrastructure, and a long list of achievements for the welfare of each one of their thousands of members.
The current Government under Gerardo Morales in Jujuy and Mauricio Macri in Argentina as a whole, are cutting back on State spending through the sacking of public sector workers. They are criminalizing social protest and going against one of their campaign promises: Dialogue.
The arrest of Milagro Sala is a provocation to activists and the people of Argentina, a provocation that we must and want to resist without violence, as has been the case until now.
We call for the immediate release of Milagro Sala and the opening of channels of dialogue between the government of Morales and Tupac Amaru, as well as for the continuity of neighborhood and grass root organisations that, through Workers Cooperatives, have brought, and will continue to bring welfare to the people.
We encourage the oppressed people of Argentina to develop protests, denouncements, and actions without violence behind the claim for real democracy to replace today´s formal democracy which has proven totally inadequate to meet the needs of the people for personal and social liberation.
The International Coordination Team of the Federation of Humanist Parties.
Supported by the federated organisation: Humanist Association of Hong Kong,
Tony Henderson
