Hello everyone, compas, I send you greetings from my village, Loma de Bácum, from our Yaqui tribe. I want to give some information on Fidencio’s case. We are still in the process of filing an appeal, but we still have not submitted the paperwork because the lawyer is asking us for around $850 dollars. We are fundraising through raffles, selling wooden toys that Fidencio makes in prison. They gave him three months to file the appeal, so we are working on that.

Right now, with the coronavirus, the pandemic, visits to the prison in Ciudad Obregón are only allowed on Sundays. Visits have been prohibited on Saturdays. Each prisoner could only receive two visitors at once before, but now it is only one visitor per prisoner. Since my mother in law is a senior, she can no longer go visit him, only I can go visit him. However, with the coronavirus stuff, it is concerning for me to go because what if something happens to the imprisoned population. What if they catch the virus because I’m infected and I go and get them infected? This would be troubling since the prison would not do much for them. The infirmary does not have sufficient resources to take care of the sick. That is why I have not gone to see him because I do not want to risk exposing Fidencio to COVID. Nonetheless, every day he calls me, we talk, and he feels sad because I have not visited him. I explained to him that is for his own good so nothing bad happens to him. I explained to him the measures he needs to take to prevent him from contracting COVID. When we get there to visit, we just get some hand sanitizer and are told we have to cover our faces when we get to the prison in Ciudad Obregón.

We hope this is over soon so we can go visit our loved ones. Here in Sonora, in Ciudad Obregón, those of us that know people in prison, we have not visited to avoid something bad happening to them. I have not been able to see Fidencio, but I have been fundraising by selling the stuff that he makes. I take the money to him so even though I do not see him I’m still trying to support him. I could take him food every week, but it also costs money to go visit him. Regardless, when I can, I take him food. This is how things are going at the moment. We are seeking to file an appeal, and we continue to resist, collecting funds for the appeal.

I send all the compas greeting and hugs. I hope we all can continue to resist with everything that is going on. We must not abandon our struggles. We must continue with the light, that light that at one time or another our ancestors have given us. The light the Zapatistas have given us. So that we encourage each other. So that we continue in this struggle with that light and lighting the struggles of others and supporting them. I send you all greetings, and I am thankful for everything. Thanks to all the compas that have supported Fidencio. I want to thank the compa Marcelino who is imprisoned in Comitan, Chiapas. Marcelino thank you for the public statement you released in support of Fidencio. Fidecio was really happy about this. He said he would send Marcelino a letter. Thank you for everything. I send you all greetings and blessings.