Of América

What Kind of “Hope” is Obama Offering Honduras and Latin America?

robvato — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:00:51 +0000

For a U.S. audience, to watch as the wet, pinkish-red jelly — the brains of Isis Odem Murillo, the young man killed last Sunday by the U.S.-trained Honduran military – spill onto those who carried the Christ-like victim was to watch another tragedy unfold in a far off land.

But for those of us familiar with countries in the region like Honduras and El Salvador, where in 1989 U.S.-trained troops literally shot out the brains of six Jesuit priests, their maid and her young daughter, we see reminders of the possible return of the terror that takes friends, family and colleagues.

Such traumatic memories inform the sense of the past in the Americas, the same past that President Barack Obama recently told his hemispheric audience that he wants to break with. We see this, for example, in repeated references to the “past” Obama made during his important speech before the Summit of the Americas meeting in April (”To move forward, we cannot let ourselves be prisoners of past disagreements.” Or: “I didn’t come here to debate the past — I came here to deal with the future.”)

Noticeably absent in the forward-looking Obama’s messages to Latin America is one of the two words we all identify him and his presidency with: hope.

Whatever the reasons for this omission, Obama would do well to remember that, in the bloodied streets of Honduras, and throughout the Americas, there exists a powerful political tradition in which esperanza (Spanish for “hope”) is often defined by overcoming the pro-military policies of the country that took as its own the name given to the entire continent — “America.”

Regardless of the outcome of negotiations to end the standoff in Honduras between the de facto military government and the only recognized leader of the country, President Manuel Zelaya, Obama must view the Honduran crisis as an opportunity to support and negotiate with the forces of esperanza on the continent.

He must do so if he is to overcome the past and move forward as he said in his summit speech: “We have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms. But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership.”

In the insurgent region of Central America, tiny Honduras is nothing less than ground zero for the first encounter in the hemisphere between the tradition of esperanza and Obama’s still-untested notions of “hope.”

Contrasted against Obama’s still-being-formulated-as-we-speak notions of “hope” and “change” in the region, the movements flying the ancient banner of esperanza have delivered historic shifts across the Americas, as can be seen in the leaders elected in recent years, leaders with no less startling and inspiring stories as Obama’s. Indigenous leaders such as Bolivia’s Evo Morales; socialist single mothers, and former torture victims, like Chile’s Michelle Bachelet; and former steelworkers like Brazil’s “Lula” — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

In times of great crisis, times in which Obama has yet to consolidate a sense of “hope” about the U.S. system in terms of things like health care, banking and jobs, the U.S. president has little to offer Latin America in the way of an alternative to the strides toward universal health care as in Venezuela and Cuba, the nationalization oil and other wealth redistribution programs of Bolivia or the democratization efforts of the deposed Zelaya in Honduras.

Until “hope” has some heft besides military heft to back it up, “esperanza” of Latin America will reign supreme — and be defended ferociously.

Once called “America’s Backyard” by Obama’s predecessors, América the continent has torn down the fences of what political scientists call the “unipolar” power of the United States in the region as the forces of esperanza usher in a new, more multipolar moment.

For example, many Latin Americans were not just united in calling for an end to Obama’s continuation of the $42.5 million in economic and military aid for Honduras in 2009. (Obama’s just-announced cuts in Honduran military aid can be viewed as either the victory of esperanza or the negotiation between esperanza and hope). Polls show that Latin Americans are also fairly unified with regard to their skepticism about U.S. motives in the hemisphere.

According to a widely quoted poll by the respected Latinobarometro Corp. in November, Latin Americans have a more favorable opinion of Spain, Japan and the European Union than they do of the United States — an unprecedented development — and two-thirds of all Latin Americans say they “don’t believe that the change of leadership in that country (the U.S.) will change the attitude of that country towards the region (of Latin America).”

China, whose foreign aid is mostly non-military (U.S. foreign aid varies between about one-third to two-thirds mostly military aid, as in the case of Colombia), which makes it one of the most important providers of foreign assistance to the region, is tied with the U.S in popularity ratings (58 percent favorable rating) — and trending upward.

He Li, a political scientist at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., the rising popularity of China reflects a resurgent Latin American sovereignty and independence of action. Writing in the North American Congress on Latin America magazine, Li stated, “the Beijing consensus (in Latin America) represents an attractive alternative to its Washington counterpart, largely because Beijing respects the sovereignty of Latin American nations, not meddling in their affairs and certainly not dictating their policies.”

Plus, when compared with the fact that Latin American families who live and work in the U.S. send $50 billion to their families at home — exponentially more than what the U.S. government gives in aid — the fountain of U.S.-led “hope” in the Americas appears to have dried up in Washington.

In the land of esperanza, Obama must recognize that talk of “hope” that is accompanied by continued military funding for governments like those of Honduras or Colombia rings as hollow. And are as increasingly vapid as the political slogans, such as “Si Se Puede” (Yes We Can), deployed by politicians and corporations pilfering beer, burgers and bad foreign policy.

Although the diplomatic dance between the Obama administration and Latin America has just begun, the initial steps in tiny Honduras may not be taken to the tune of “hope,” but to that of esperanza.

(This article appeared originally in Alternet www.alternet.org)

Posted in ACTIVISM, BORDER ISSUES, CENTRAL AMERICA, Clinton, Economic crisis, el salvador, Empire, HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS, HISTORY, HOPE, ESPERANZA, LATIN AMERICA-US RELATIONS, LATINO POLITICS, NATIONAL SECURITY, Obama, the Politics of Language, Uber-Hypocrisy

Honduran, Latin American & U.S. Activists Prevail: Obama Cuts Military Aid to Honduran Government Obama

robvato — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:58:24 +0000

This report from Reuters confirms that the Obama Administration will cut military aid to the Honduran government. The announcement represents a major victory for activists in Honduras, Latin America and the U.S., who have demanded such action by the Obama Administration since the coup began in June 28th.

Though the aid represents a small amount- $16.5 million-, the political value of this shift in U.S. policy is enormous. Some will try to interpret the Administration’s acquiesence to popular demands (elites never admit to responding to pressure) thru the foggy lens bureaucratic process. But anyone with any political sense knows that the cutoff of military aid would not have happened without the actions-phone calls, letter writing, protests, marches and other pressures-applied directly and indirectly by individuals, organizations and some governments throughout the hemisphere.

While President Zelaya has not yet been reinstated (negotiations begin today), those of us opposed to the coup, those who are helping the Obama Administration do the right thing, should take at least a brief moment to breathe in a deep appreciation of our work. Despite a media blackout, despite opposing the policies of an extremely popular president, the workings of popular hemispheric power continue. And though we should continue actions, we should should continue them in the knowledge that these actions have an impact. Yes We Will.

Posted in ACTIVISM, CENTRAL AMERICA, Clinton, el salvador, HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS, HISTORY, HOPE, ESPERANZA, LATIN AMERICA-US RELATIONS, LATINO POLITICS, MEDIA, NATIONAL SECURITY, Obama, Sovereignty Issues Tagged: Clinton and Honduras, cristina fernandez and honduras, honduras and killing protestors, honduras and school of the americas, honduras and whinsec, honduras coup and obama, hugo llorens and honduras, hugo llorens and venezuela, miguel d'escoto and honduras, Obama and honduras, Obama and Uribe, romeo vasquez and school of the americas, school of the americas and honduras, u.s. and latin american relations, u.s. support for honduran military, uribe and honduras, us military aid to honduras, venezuela and honduras, world condemnation of honduras coup, Zelaya and honduras

Are Obama, Democrats and National Immigration Groups Preparing to Push a National Identification Card System?

robvato — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:48:34 +0000

This important article from the Washington Post provides an outline & sense of the tone of issues discussed -and possibly proposed- by Obama’s Immigration reform task force, which includes some influential Latinos like the SEIU’s Eliseo Medina and Raul Yzaguirre of National Council of La Raza:

- Placing a priority on “national security concerns,”

” – “strict quotas on work-based immigrant visas to maintain its scientific, technological and military edge,”

- “must include expanding temporary-worker programs.” (McCain) – “earned legalization, not amnesty” -

And, of course, this: ” Sen. Charles E. Schumer, chairman of a Senate immigration subcommittee that is taking the lead on reform legislation, said the recommendations track his plans for the bill, particularly the “biometric” document verification system. “Their basic principles are similar to ours,” Schumer said in a statement, “. . . but there are lots of details that must be filled in.”

What I’d like to know-and what I think we ALL need to know- is if Eliseo Medina & the SEIU & Raul Yzaguirre & NCLR and the groups in Washington DC are on board with including proposals for National ID Card as part of immigration reform-or any other reform, for that matter.

The ACLU, one of the country’s leading lights on matters of state surveillance denounced the national ID idea the day it was brought up by Schumer .

I’ve tried to interview some-NCLR, America’s Voice, others- in DC about the National ID Card & all I get are evasive or no responses. One person who did actually respond to the National ID question when asked on GRITTV said “It’s perfectly reasonable that the American people to expect that the borders will be controlled, that we’ll know who’s here and that we’ll have a process going forward where enforcement works.”

In all frankness, I see no difference between this message and the message of right wingers-except the messenger.

I truly and honestly implore those of you in DC to do the right thing on the National ID Card idea: Repudiate and denounce it immediately as the ACLU and even libertarian and right wing groups have done. Your failure to come out against national identification card proposals needlessly moves the discussion away from the nuts and bolts disagreements about what constitutes “real immigration reform” and into questions about your commitment to civil liberties and I, for one, really think that we all lose in that wasteful discussion. While I’ve questioned and differed on matters of immigration policy, you’ve never given me a reason to question your commitment to civil liberties. I really hope the National ID card does not become that occasion.

And, this just in from our friends at the Department of Homeland Security: President Obama and DHS head Napolitano back strengthening E-verify.

Can’t say I look forward to discussing and debating this stuff in larger forums.

Respectfully,

Alerta: Clinton to meet Zelaya today. call State Dept. to demand cutoof aid, reinstatement of Zelaya http://www.cispes.org/

robvato — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:47:10 +0000

Alerta: Clinton to meet Zelaya today. call State Dept. to demand cutoof aid, reinstatement of Zelaya http://www.cispes.org/

Honduras Action: Clinton to meet with Zelaya today; tell Obama Cut aid to illegal Honduras gov.

Tuesday, 07 July 2009

Call the State Department to demand that the Obama administration comply with U.S. law by immediately suspending aid to the de facto government of Honduras.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to meet with Zelaya TODAY – CALL Clinton’s Chief of Staff at 202-647-5548. Call script below

Democratically elected Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a military coup on June 28th, and the de facto government has categorically refused to allow his return to power, threatening instead to arrest him if he sets foot on Honduran soil. Zelaya attempted to return to his country on Sunday, but his plane was unable to land after the Honduran military placed vehicles on the runways of the international airport. Meanwhile, at least two peaceful protestors have been killed and others injured, civil liberties have been suspended, and journalists have been harassed and detained by the current authorities.

In a notable break from past administrations’ policies, the U.S. has denounced the coup and called for Zelaya’s reinstatement. However, President Obama has not cut aid to the illegal government that assumed power following the early morning kidnapping of President Zelaya ten days ago.

Military Coup in Honduras – Stand in Solidarity with the People of Honduras

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC) condemns the military coup against the democratically elected Honduran President Zelaya. The Honduran social movements, who are courageously resisting the military take-over through protests, occupations and strikes, are calling on the international community to speak up in defense of real and direct democracy, for life, justice, liberty, dignity and peace.

Call the State Department and the White House and ask for actions, not merely words, including:

1. A cut off of all US aid (as required by US law) until Zelaya is safely returned to office.
2. Financial sanctions against the coup plotters
3. An investigation into what signals U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens gave to coup plotters before the coup.

State Department: 202-647-4000 or 1-800-877-8339
White House: Comments: 202-456-1111
Click here to send a message to President Barack Obama

Background: A military coup took place in Honduras on Sunday, June 28, led by SOA graduate Romeo Vasquez. In the early hours of the day, members of the Honduran military surrounded the presidential palace and forced the democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya, into custody. He was immediately flown to Costa Rica.

Mexico Builds Border Wall To Keep Out US Assholes

robvato — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:28:07 +0000

I predict that this video from our friends at the Onion will go viral. Chistosisimo!!! (Those of you who don’t speak Spanish can go to the Onion site to view the version with subtitles (they didn’t provide this version or I couldn’t figure out how to post it -or I’d have posted it)

more about “Mexico Builds Border Wall To Keep Out…“, posted with vodpod

Posted in HUMOR

Latin América’s Neda: Video of Killing of Isis Oved Murillo

robvato — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:37:54 +0000

The parallels -mass protest against military governments, military killing non-English-speaking millenials, worldwide denunciation-could not be greater. But the differences between coverage and official treatment here in the U.S. of the situation in Iran and the situation in Honduras couldn’t be starker. Why? I am working through a piece on this for later. In the meantime, check out this video and see for yourself what most U.S. media and many elected officials in the U.S. are mum about (Warning: this video is extremely graphic, gut wrenchingly so):

Posted in CENTRAL AMERICA, Clinton, el salvador, Empire, HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS, LATIN AMERICA-US RELATIONS, LATINO POLITICS, NATIONAL SECURITY, Obama, Uber-Hypocrisy Tagged: Clinton and Honduras, cristina fernandez and honduras, honduras and killing protestors, honduras and school of the americas, honduras and whinsec, honduras coup and obama, hugo llorens and honduras, hugo llorens and venezuela, miguel d'escoto and honduras, Obama and honduras, Obama and Uribe, romeo vasquez and school of the americas, school of the americas and honduras, u.s. and latin american relations, u.s. support for honduran military, uribe and honduras, us military aid to honduras, venezuela and honduras, world condemnation of honduras coup, Zelaya and honduras

“NUESTRO NEDA”: PIC OF HONDURAN YOUTH KILLED BY US-FUNDED MILITARY

robvato — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:25:37 +0000

Picture of our Neda: boy killed by Honduran military with bullets and M-16’s paid for by the U.S. government.

Posted in ACTIVISM, CENTRAL AMERICA, Clinton, el salvador, Empire, HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS, LATIN AMERICA-US RELATIONS, LATINO POLITICS, NATIONAL SECURITY, Obama

Honduran Violence, U.S. Aid Test Obama’s Global Image

robvato — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:13:15 +0000

While English language television in the United States mined the minutiae of Michael Jackson’s upcoming funeral, millions watching Spanish, Portuguese and French language media in the rest of the Americas were transfixed by live broadcasts of the Honduran military shooting and killing a 10 year-old boy and other protesters.

From the U.S.-Mexico border to the southern tip of Argentina and Chile, Latin Americans were besotted by television and internet images of the tens of thousands of Hondurans who risked their lives while staging a peaceful march to the airport where a plane carrying the ousted President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, and United Nations President Miguel d’Escoto was trying to land.

In the course of Sunday’s mass mobilization by Hondurans, many throughout the continent watched the drama of the police stepping out of the way of the marchers when their chief declared that he “holds the military responsible” for any bloodshed. Shortly after blood was, in fact, spilled as at least 2 people were killed by the military and several others were injured, according to Telesur, which broadcast live from the Tegucigalpa airport.

Public and official outrage in response to the killings and shootings are sure to intensify pressure on the military coup leaders who already face worldwide denunciation and pressure. The Organization of American States (OAS) suspended Honduras’ membership Saturday; The European Union and most countries in Latin America with embassies in Honduras have withdrawn their ambassadors; the World Bank and some governments have either suspended or frozen loans to Honduras.

But the military coup leaders are still recipients of U.S. economic and military aid.

As a result, the whole Latin American world is watching Honduras and President Obama, who still has not heeded calls to suspend U.S. military aid to Honduras. In fact, Latin America may well be where the decline and fall of Obama’s global rock star status begins.

The Obama Administration has chosen to respond to the crisis in a manner that will signify little to millions watching the bloodshed taking place in Honduras; While nobody in the hemisphere wants the return of the actions of the Bush era, many already believe that the Obama Administration’s inactions mean that the “new” or fundamental “change” Obama promised during his also widely-viewed Summit of the Americas speech last April adds up to little more than this: more militarismo, but with a smile.

For example, rather than officially declare and denounce the Honduras putsch as a “coup”, which would, among other things, trigger a cutoff of military and other aid, the Obama Administration has instead chosen the symbolic act of suspending joint military operations.

In a region where U.S. military aid, U.S. military training and U.S. political support for dictatorships responsible for killing, torturing and disappearing millions are at the heart of why Obama needed urgently to signal a “new” U.S. policy, Obama’s continued “Si Se Puede” (Yes We Can) to continued military aid for such human rights violation-plagued governments as those of Colombia, Mexico and Honduras will only tarnish his and the U.S.’ image in the region.

The President’s inability or unwillingness to call for an immediate suspension of U.S. military aid is already raising questions about the motives and role of Obama Administration operatives like Hugo Llorens, the current U.S. Ambassador to Honduras.

From 2002-2003 – the year many in Latin America condemned the attempted military coup in Venezuela – Llorens was the Director of Andean Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC).

Llorens was charged with advising then President Bush and his National Security Advisor on issues pertaining to Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. Although Llorens and the Obama Administration do not recognize the current government, they did, apparently, know that the coup in Honduras was going to take place.

That the Obama Administration knew of the coup and did not cutoff aid immediately after it took place, makes its claims that it tried to “stop” the coup seem naive, at best.

That the Administration may not cutoff aid even after coup-appointed Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez described President Obama as “ese negrito que no sabe nada de nada” (that little black boy who knows nothing about nothing) is to add political insult to tragic injury before a hemispheric audience; That Obama may not cutoff military aid even after Sunday’s increased bloodshed adds even graver injury to that insult.

And in Latin America, a region where the word “Honduras” now means “defend democracy”, a region where many know that Democrat-led U.S. regimes have propped up military dictatorships, assassinated leaders and covertly destabilized left-leaning governments with the same zeal and effectiveness as Republican regimes, President Obama and the United States, no longer have the luxury of being on the wrong side of history made on the streets. This hemispheric sensibility was articulated forcefully by Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez, who traveled with the Presidents of Ecuador and Paraguay to El Salvador on Sunday in order support Zelaya. During their late night press conference, Fernandez seemed to speak to and for millions when she stated, “We’re not just defending Honduras. We’re defending ourselves.” The question President Obama must answer as unequivocally and rapidly as possible is, “Who are Latin Americans defending themselves from?”

Tagged: Clinton and Honduras, cristina fernandez and honduras, honduras and killing protestors, honduras and school of the americas, honduras and whinsec, honduras coup and obama, hugo llorens and honduras, hugo llorens and venezuela, miguel d'escoto and honduras, Obama and honduras, Obama and Uribe, romeo vasquez and school of the americas, school of the americas and honduras, u.s. and latin american relations, u.s. support for honduran military, uribe and honduras, us military aid to honduras, venezuela and honduras, world condemnation of honduras coup, Zelaya and honduras

Death, Detention and the Dream of Legalization: GritTV Panel on Immigration Reform

robvato — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:30:08 +0000

This show about the possibilities of immigration reform this year was deftly done by the folks at GriTV. Host Laura Flanders steered panelists in what I think is one of the better discussions on this topic I’ve seen. Check out show which includes Mallika Dutt, Executive Director of Breakthrough, Ravi Ragbir who spent two years in immigration detention and is a member of Families for Freedom, Lynn Tramonte, Deputy Director of America’s Voice and yours truly. Issues hidden away in the shadows of the debate are brought to light and the results are really infromative. So, check it out the clip below! And if you like it, then check out the full episode here.

Posted in ACTIVISM, BORDER ISSUES, Economic crisis, Global Migration, HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS, HISTORY, HOPE, ESPERANZA, IMMIGRATION, LABOR, LATIN AMERICA-US RELATIONS, LATINO POLITICS, McCain, MEDIA, Obama, RACE, the Politics of Language, Uber-Hypocrisy

Alex Sanchez Denied Bail. Prosecution Case Decried as “Weak”

robvato — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:22:49 +0000

Looks like some very , very questionable legal practices are coming out in the Alex Sanchez trial. For example, as you will note from the material below, the judge appears predisposed against Alex. More on this to follow.

Check out this video from the recently established Alex Sanchez Channel.

Alex Sanchez Denied Bail,
Prosecution Case Decried as “Weak”
By Tom Hayden
For The Nation

LOS ANGELES. A federal magistrate today denied Alex Sanchez bail in his gang conspiracy trial as expected, but the prosecution entered a surprisingly “weak” case according to defense counsel.

If the bail denial is endorsed by federal judge Manual Real, an appeal to the US Ninth Circuit Court could take months, keeping Sanchez in federal isolation. His defenders argue that bail denial is a violation of his equal opportunity to participate in his own defense, tipping the scales of justice against the indigent defendant, former gang member and decade-long leader of Homies Unidos, a gang prevention organization highly regarded in juvenile justice circles.

Sanchez appeared in court today chained and shackled, dressed in a white prison uniform. He made brief eye contact with his family and supporters, tapping his heart in a gesture of love and strength. He remained quiet through the proceeding.

In arguing that Sanchez was a danger to the community and a flight risk, the prosecution case revealed the core of its conspiracy case for the first time since Sanchez was arrested at home at 6 a.m last Wednesday.

In the eye of this observer, who has personally experienced and covered many past conspiracy cases, the prosecution’s narrative seemed weaker than others brought during the police and FBI’s long wars against crime, the Left, revolutionaries, anti-war activists and, more lately narco-terrorists and violent gangs. As Father Gregory Boyle argues, the problem is not so much a police conspiracy as a deep ignorance and cultural bias in the ranks of prosecutors and law enforcement. Both a conspiratorial mindset and ignorance seemed on display today, leading Sanchez’ attorney Kerry Bensinger to call the government case “weak” and “laughable.” A notably professional attorney who refuses to argue the case in the media, Bensinger reddened and shook his head at several points during the proceeding.

As evidence that Sanchez leads a “double life” as community healer by day and secret member of a hierarchical racketeering organization [mara salvatrucha] by night, the prosecutors offered the following evidence:

-that Sanchez claims to support gang tattoo removal as a path out of the gang life, but has a gang tattoo across his chest. In fact, laser tattoo removal programs, which are painful, lengthy and expensive, are offered only for the hands, wrists, neck or other areas which are barriers to training and employment programs. Fr. Boyle credits Sanchez will helping 250 young people undergo tattoo removal. Sanchez openly admits he was a tattooed member of MS in the 1980s and early 1990s. [As a state senator, I authorized $2 million for tattoo removal programs.]
-that Sanchez has a long criminal record. But defense counsel noted that several of Sanchez’s previous convictions have been struck down, and that those which remain are two offenses dated in 1991. Subsequently, Sanchez has not only been exonerated of past offenses in LA Superior Court, but granted political asylum by an immigration judge during the Rampart police scandal in 2002.
-That a poem by Sanchez was found in papers taken by police during a house raid several years ago.
-That Sanchez appeared in a 2000 photo taken at a gang peace conference in San Francisco, smiling with an associate and posing with gang signs. Attorney Bensinger noted that millions of young people, including his own kids, sometimes throw gang signs without such behavior being criminal.
-That several weeks ago, Sanchez and several young men were talking and drinking after a sporting event, when police rolled up and took notes on field identification cards. There were no charges made.

-On the most sensational charge of conspiracy-to-murder, the prosecution introduced an LAPD officer who wiretapped Sanchez, among others, without the required turning over of transcripts of the actual wiretaps to the defense. Sanchez’ attorney objected to his inability to cross-examine or obtain evidence through discovery. But the officer, Frank Flores, was allowed to take the stand anyway, in support of charges which have yet to be examined. The prosecution argued that the tapes of multiple phone calls around May 5-6, 2006, will reveal arguments, tensions and threats among several gang members, including Sanchez and Walter Lacinos, aka “Cameron”. Sanchez, according to the still-unreleased tape, is quoted as saying “we go to war”, without any further context or quotation. Lacinos was killed the following week in El Salvador by an unnamed MS member, according to the prosecution account.

A sentence such as “we go to war”, without context, could be prophecy, prediction or warning, but is hardly sustainable evidence of ordering a gang killing. The case itself may open up the shadowy world of LAPD collusion with Salvadoran police and the unsolved murders of numerous Homies Unidos members deported back to El Salvador in the past decade.

Many might ask why Sanchez isn’t simply tried for accessory to murder in the proper state or local court. The plain reason is that the evidence would be insufficient. Enter the RICO racketeering conspiracy laws, named after the gangster named “Rico” in an Edward G. Robinson film, which make guilt-by-association the basis of responsibility for concrete “overt” acts. [For example, during the 1969 Chicago conspiracy trial, eight defendants were accused of conspiring to cross interstate lines and carrying “overt acts” in furtherance of said conspiracy. It was not necessary that the eight knew each other. I was charged with the overt act of letting air out of a police car’s tires. Bobby Seale’s overt act was giving a speech in broad daylight. Jerry Rubin, if I recall, was charged with throwing a sweater at a police officer.]

Alex Sanchez will have to show that he was not an active participant in any crime and that his presence on wiretapped conversations was not evidence of murderous intent, and/or that multiple dangers precluded him from just hanging up. It is possible that the tapes themselves will unravel into garbled discussions proving nothing resembling a conspiracy. But the government will refuse to release the tapes for as many months as possible, while Sanchez remains locked away. In the end, the conspiracy may prove to be the LAPD and FBI elements who continue to blame Sanchez for causing them embarrassment in the Rampart scandal a decade ago, when they tried to imprison and deport him.

A movement to demand bail and a fair trial for Alex Sanchez was announced immediately after the bail denial, with the website www.wearealex.com. Led by Homies Unidos activists, the defense committee released over one hundred letters from Salvadoran community leaders, gang prevention groups from across the country, and an array of clergy including Father Boyle, Rabbi Allen Freehling, Rabbi Steve Jacobs, and Minister Tony Muhammed of the Nation of Islam, who attended the bail proceeding.

The actual bail motion is attached above. Note p. 12, which states that “Congress intended the Bail Reform Act to authorize detention only in the rarest of circumstances. The Ninth Circuit has strongly affirmed that “federal law has traditionally provided that a person arrested for a noncapital offense shall be admitted to bail” and that any doubts as to the propriety of release should be resolved in favor of the defendant. An individual detained as a “danger to the community” has the right to an adversary hearing with “specific and quantifiable evidence” presented. Finally, the Ninth Circuit has repeatedly held that the allegation in question is the least important factor to be considered in determining bail.

Tom Hayden is a former state senator and author of Street Wars [Verso, 2005]