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December 5, 2006<br><br>
To Friends and Supporters of Lori Berenson:<br><br>
LORI BEGINS 12th YEAR OF IMPRISONMENT <br><br>
On Thursday, November 30th Lori completed her 11th year of wrongful
imprisonment in Peru. It came at a time when the recently elected
Peruvian President Alan Garcia is promising to make life tougher for
political prisoners. It is also a time that we look forward to a
new Congressional composition in the USA that will hopefully improve
things on many fronts. <br><br>
Lori's continued wrongful incarceration was remembered in an
article-"An American forgotten by the right, the MSM, and yes, the
left" (see
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/14/85056/305" eudora="autourl">
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/14/85056/305</a> ).
<br><br>
Another recent article, "Golden Cages: Wealth and Misery in Peru's
Highlands," discussing Peru and Lori, appeared in Z Magazine(see
<a href="http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=11466§ionID=20" eudora="autourl">
http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=11466§ionID=20</a>
). <br>
<br>
END-OF-YEAR MESSAGE FROM LORI<br><br>
Lori is still in the north of Peru and is still working at the
bakery. Rhoda and Kathy visited her for her 37th birthday (Nov. 13)
and they brought back the following end-of-year message:<br><br>
-------------------<br>
Dear Friends,<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>My best
wishes to you from northern Peru, thanking you for your continued concern
and support.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Yet
another year in jail is coming to a close, and I remember a repeated
conversation I've had with my parents over the last two years: What
could I recommend that people do to change my situation?<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>This is
such a complex issue that I wouldn't even know where to begin to respond
to it. The year 2006 in Peru has been an electoral one. There
were two rounds of presidential elections at the beginning of the year
and municipal/regional ones at the end. A new government in power
began its term calling for the restoration of the death penalty and
harshening the legislation for those who protest (particularly the
contamination caused by the irresponsible extraction of native resources
such as gold, copper, natural gas, etc.). Then the government
of Alan Garcia launched a major offensive against the human rights
community, seeking to restrict - even more - the functioning of NGOs
through a new, controlling law. <br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The
leadership of both subversive armed organizations (the Shining Path and
the MRTA) that existed in Peru during the eighties and early nineties
were sentenced to very high prison terms; however, the policies of
"reconciliation" have been limited to promised
"reparations" to certain communities affected by the internal
war.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>There is
such a level of confusion on the issue of political violence in Peru,
such continuous misinformation in the media and a momentary political
utilization by the government as a "smoke screen" that it is
extremely difficult to even fathom how to make a space for other opinions
on that topic (even though people do say that a country that is incapable
of understanding its past is condemned to repeat it). My case is
completely immersed in that pool of confusion and would be difficult to
separate from it. <br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The
general trend is the restriction of jail benefits. Prisoners for
"terrorism" are having a harder time receiving those benefits
now-a-days, and several filed-away cases are now being re-opened.
<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>So, what
can be done? We need to work to change the way the world is
working, because Peru's problems with its past and present have
everything to do with the general globalized horrific mess. We have
to stop the war in Iraq, close down Guantanamo, and help countries like
Peru to become more just ones - which entails their comprehension of why
people rose up against the systems of injustice and not a return to the
use of the death penalty.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>My best to
you all.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Lori
Berenson<br><br>
-------------------<br><br>
We also want to express our gratitude for your continued concern and
support for our daughter Lori. All best wishes to you and your
loved ones for this holiday season.<br><br>
Rhoda and Mark Berenson <br><br>
<br>
English Website:
<a href="http://www.freelori.org /" eudora="autourl">www.freelori.org
</a> <br>
Spanish Website:
<a href="http://www.lorilibre.org/" eudora="autourl">www.lorilibre.org</a>
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