5 December, 2008Juan Linares Montufar and Carlos Pavon Campos have been arrested but no reason has been given for their arrest.
MEXICO: On 3 December, the Mexican National Miners and Metalworkers Union (SNTMMSRM) was the victim of a further attack. Juan Linares Montufar, president of the union's Consejo General de Vigilancia y Justicia (General Vigilance Council) was arrested in Michoacán, in yet another indication of the continuing persecution of miners, metalworkers and steelworkers by the authorities.
But that's not all. Carlos Pavón Campos, the union's Political Secretary was also detained on Thursday 4 December. Arrest warrants have been issued for at least two members of the SNTMMSRM executive committee, with more expected.
The union said the arrests are illegal and "were carried out on the instructions of Germán Larrea Mota Velasco, owner of Grupo Mexico, who has yet to be brought to justice for killing miners".
Last week, the government illegally and arbitrarily froze more of the union's bank accounts, with the clear intention of stifling the union's fight for trade union freedom and autonomy on behalf of workers at Sections 65 (Cananea, Sonora), 201 (Sombrerete, Zacatecas) and 17 (Taxco, Guerrero), who have been on strike for 16 months.
The union says the arrest of the leaders is related to the appointment of Fernando Gómez Mont as Secretary of the Interior. "He used to be an employee of Grupo Mexico, of Germán Larrea Mota Velasco, and it seems he still works for them. He was part of the company's criminal law team and is using his new position to violate the most basic legislation and to treat social groups and leaders unjustly."
The union is calling on all trade unions and social organisations in Mexico and the rest of the world, especially IMF affiliates, to protest these cowardly and malicious attacks and urges them to form a united front against this persecution, which is not directed only at miners, metalworkers and steelworkers, but against the whole of the organised workers' movement. An injury to one is an injury to all. This is our watchword at this time of government attacks on trade unionism.
We demand the immediate release of Juan Linares Montufar and Carlos Pavón Campos, a demand also made by the IMF, and the immediate unblocking of all the union funds frozen by the government.
