[Ppnews] Lori Berenson Update -- Jan. 24

[PPnews at freedomarchives.org]

Sunday, January 24, 2005

Dear Friends and Supporters of Lori Berenson:

VISIT WITH LORI

Mark recently visited with Lori and found her in remarkably good spirits
following the crushing and unanticipated disappointment of the prior
month.  She had just completed an enormous baking project for the
holidays that provided Christmas panetones to both the prison and
neighboring local Cajamarca community. She was encouraged by learning
that former Peruvian Prime Minister Javier Valle-Riestra had published
an article ( www.freelori.org/news/04dec17_larazon.html ) criticizing
the Inter-American Court for its shameful capitulation to Peruvian
political pressure in her case and the grave injustice it causes her.
She was also pleased to learn of similar remarks from Waldo Albarracin
Sanchez, Ombudsman (Defender of the People) of Bolivia who was equally
upset by the Inter-American Courtÿs failure to protect Loriÿs human
rights ( www.freelori.org/gov/bolivia/04dec_albarracin.html ).

In an upbeat fashion, she spoke about wanting to continue her formal
education from within the prison so that she will be better able to cont
ribute to society after her eventual release.  Unfortunately, prisoners
donÿt have access to the internet and on-line course work has largely
replaced correspondence courses.  In the meantime, she spoke of various
socio-political books on Latin America that she wanted to reread.

Lori wanted to express her heartfelt appreciation for all your support
and encouragement over the years.  She asked that the following message
be sent.

NEW YEARÿS MESSAGE FROM LORI

January 2005

Dear Friends,

I hope the holiday season and the start of this new year have been good
for you, and I want to let you know how grateful I am to receive your
interest and support, during all of the years.

A month has gone by since the Inter-American Court favored the Peruvian
government in the sentence on my case, which marked a new tendency for
this Court in the "post 9-11" international context.  It's politics,
really, the topic of "terrorism" and who is deemed a terrorist all
depends on who is today's "good guy" or "bad guy."

In a "hate letter" that I just received, I was "congratulated" because
the international court confirmed that I was a terrorist.  As ironical
as it may sound, I'm not sure I mind being depicted as such by those who
torture prisoners at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo, or by those who bomb
cities to the ground (or approve of it happening), or by those who, in
general, act upon racist and classist feeling of "superiority" as
compared to others.  Since they gave me the denomination, well, who
cares even.

It seems this jail stay will stretch out quite a bit more; however, the
world continues to be much wider than the cement and iron that enclose
prisoners, and with or without the physical presence of all of those who
have been forced into this strange exile from the world, I'm convinced
that many others continue working to make this world a better place.

My best to you,

Lori Berenson

LORIÿS LETTER TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS

Lori also sent a letter to the 50+ human rights organizations in the
Western Hemisphere who supported her case with an Amicus Curiae to the
Inter-American Court last April and to the 100+ community of academics,
writers and artists from around the world who signed a letter on her
behalf during her trial in 2001 in Lima and then again to the Court this
past November.  The letter thoroughly assesses the Inter-American
Court's capitulation to Peruvian politics and the problems faced in Peru
today.  You can read this letter at
www.freelori.org/herownwords/05jan_community.html


BERGEN RECORD RUNS SERIES OF OP EDS ON LORIÿS CASE

A January 12 op ed by James Ahearn supporting the Court decision in
Loriÿs case was severely lacking in facts and resulted in several
letters to the editor, pro and con.  On January 21, the paper presented
two independently written op eds, one by Mark and another by Gary
Handschumacher.  These letters are posted on the website at
http://www.freelori.org/news/index.html.

Rhoda and Mark Berenson
English Website:  www.freelori.org
Spanish Website:  www.lorilibre.org



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