A Letter of Solidarity

From Comrades Maia Campoamor and Jacob Mentlik
Montville, Maine

Shut your eyes and breathe deep

Hear your breath, feel your strength
you are alive; you are strong; you are courageous
Imagine arms stretching out towards you
they are stretching from the far northeastern corner of the united states
From a piece of land en el campo
from farmers who live close to the earth
from comrades
from young people inspired by your strength
from people who are clueless as to what your struggle truly feels like
from people who have been fighting in the global north for social and ecological justice since the day we figured out we had no option but to do so.
from people who are filled with rage at the oppression you are experiencing

Our arms are reaching out to you, people struggling in the desert of Mexico, in the beautiful region of Oaxaca, in the community of San Juan Diego; they are reaching out in a show of solidarity, of support, of love, of inspiration to you and your families; Our arms will always remain open to people all over the world, from our neighbors in Montville, Maine, to
the Native survivors of genocide in the U.S, to the endlessly oppressed indigenous people of the South, to families in Iraq who wake up everyday to the sound of bombs and tanks, to the people who are experiencing starvation and genocide in Africa.

But today we are reaching out specifically to you; to the people of San Juan Diego who are without a family member, friend or neighbor during these holidays. To you who are are in the heart of an admirable yet extremely difficult struggle for justice and a dignified Oaxaca. We fully understand and appreciate the importance of family and community and feel extremely
privileged that on a day like today we can be and are with our immediate family. So as we sit down to eat dinner in our home, unoccupied by overt fear and struggle, we will have you in our minds, in our heart and our thoughts.

However, we will not be satisfied, we will not be happy, we can not fully celebrate with our friends and families until all your people are released from prison, until all your people are found and reunited with their families, until Ulises Ruiz steps down and never comes back, until the federal and state forces leave your land, until the political repression ends, until there is punishment for all those who have caused despicable harm to those innocent people, until all living things around the globe are liberated and free!

With our fists in the air, we say to you:

We will not let their political boundaries and their state or national borders separate us
We will not let their efforts to keep us apart tear at our seams of solidarity
We will not let them scare us, rip apart our communities or take our people away
We will stand by your side in whatever way we are able
We will keep your spirits and the spirits of those imprisoned or missing alive and thriving in our region and communities
We have for you all the deepest of respect, the highest levels of admiration

Shut your eyes and take deep breaths
finding a rhythm as you breathe
a rhythm of hope, courage and belief
Know that the world is aware of your struggles
Know that people out there are defiant, rebelling, struggling, fighting for you, for us
After all, we are one.