ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRAPHICS
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SOSA VILLAVICENCIO, FLAVIO Activist, spokesperson for the Popular Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO),
Below: Dr. Bertha Elena Muñoz confers with Flavio Sosa and other members of APPO outside the installations of Radio University.
On December 3, three days after the naming of Felipe Calderón as president of Mexico, he announced the opening of dialogue with the APPO. Flavio Sosa and three other APPO members traveled from Oaxaca to Mexico City to the offices of the Secretariat of Government. When they entered the offices for the meeting, they were arrested. They were sent to four different high-security prisons throughout Mexico where they have been held without charges since that time.
On Thursday last (February 22) was an interesting event. Sergio and the Teatro Vivo de Oaxaca invited Flavio Sosa's wife, Beatriz Castañeda, and daughter, Carina (BELOW), to the studio. We had made a small book/card for him and all the theater gang had signed it. We asked his wife if she thought she could get it to him. She was quite moved by the little book, “words cannot express” she said, but at the moment the government does not allow even a slip of paper to enter into the prison. Visitors have to remove their shoes (!), she told us. But she said the family would hold it dear, they would tell him about it and at the earliest opportunity it would be put in his hands. It was an inspiration to see her quiet, sad optimism.
So, I'm reading the paper yesturday, June 23, and glance at the colorful back pages where they show the big demonstrations and protests and I notice another nice photo of Flavio Sosa, locked up in prison in Mexico State, and one of my favorites. I reach for my scissors to cut it out and I notice it's actually a picture of his wife, Beatriz, and she's holding ... that's right! She's holding up the little book I made as a tribute to Flavio and which we presented to her.
A few days later, June 29, Beatriz again appeared in a march demanding the release of political prisoners.
Below, July 14, 2007, another rally in the zócalo.
Below, shaved and shorn of his hair, he was recently moved to a Oaxaca prison, August 27, 2007.
The latest march took place on October 29, the one year anniversary of the most deadly of the attacks on the city by four thousand federal and state troops. I was glad to see Flavio's image still used as symbol of the fight.
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Last Monday, December 3, marked one year since Flavio Sosa was arrested by the Calderón government after being invited into the government offices to "negociate." A small but noisy demonstration observed the anniversary, below. There is rumor that he may be released soon though he's still being held, of course, without formal charges.
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A short time later, on January 19, a federal judge ruled the charges against Flavio Sosa had no foundation and that his rights had been violated in the manner of his arrest and in depriving him of his lawyer's services. He was ordered to be freed after a few days in case new charges are filed.
That's all the time the local judges needed to bring more charges against Flavio. He will continue to be held during the processes of the new charges.
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CONTINUING ...
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