Flor Crisóstomo, mexicana con orden de deportación, anunció hoy en conferencia de prensa en Chicago su decisión de permanecer en los Estados Unidos bajo la protección del santuario de la Iglesia Metodista Unida San Adalberto, donde también la mexicana Elvira Arellano permaneció por espacio de un año.

Crisóstomo también es activista pro reforma migratoria, sobre ella, la propia Elvira Arellano en su editorial del diario neoyorquino La Prensa dijo: “Juntas hemos luchado fuertemente por una legalización y ella surgió como líder de los trabajadores de IFCO a través de la nación. Juntas llevamos a cabo una huelga de hambre de muchos días y dirigimos una marcha de 50 mil personas a favor de una moratoria a las redadas y deportaciones. Con el apoyo de la comunidad y de nuestros oficiales electos latinos, nosotros  ganamos una extensión de un año para los trabajadores ante la oposición del departamento de seguridad nacional”. (more…)

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - An indigenous-rights activist jailed for setting fire to a farm once owned by Mapuche Indians passed the 100-day mark of a prison hunger strike by urging colleagues to “continue to fight” for the recovery of their lands.

“Let’s keep advancing, more united than ever to defend our rights to land and freedom,” Patricia Troncoso said in a letter dated Jan. 18, the 100th day of her fast, and released on Monday. Troncoso was taken by prison officials to a southern hospital eight days ago as her health deteriorated. (more…)

Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe Velez, who has accused social activists of ‘terrorism’, refused them protection against paramilitary killers, and sent troops and police against protesters, has called for a march against Colombia’s guerrillas, the FARC, on February 4, 2008. This government-organized initiative is an attempt to polarize the country. To not join the march is to be accused of supporting kidnapping and terrorism. This is also what the Colombian President accuses Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chavez, of, because Chavez helped to negotiate the release of three Colombian hostages held by FARC. Meanwhile, Uribe’s war politics eclipse paramilitarism, the free trade agreements and their destruction of Colombia’s economy, the millions of internally displaced, and the ongoing attack on social movements. (more…)

Listen to Southwest Workers Union, Youth Organizer Monica Garcia as she talks to Radio Diaspora about the issues that are taking place in Texas, the youth movement, the migrants rights movement and social justice.

Escuchen a Monica Garcia, organizadora juvenil con la Union de Trabajadores del Sur Oeste que le habla a Radio Diaspora sobre los movimientos juveniles, Texas, el movimiento de migrantes y justicia social.

LULA warmly reminded me of the first time he visited our country in 1985 to take part in a meeting organized by Cuba to analyze the overwhelming problem of the foreign debt; participants representing a wide spectrum of political, religious, cultural and social tendencies presented and discussed their opinions, concerned about the asphyxiating drama.

The meetings took place throughout the year. Leaders of worker, campesino, student and other groups assembled to examine the various subjects. He was one of these leaders, already well known to us and abroad for his direct and vibrant message, that of a young worker leader. (more…)