On Monday, a group of friends and family of Laurence Maxwell, a Chilean student detained during a massive march held in Mexico City to protest the disappearance of 43 student teachers in Iguala, gathered outside the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco to deliver a letter asking for Maxwell’s human rights to be protected. The letter also requests for proper follow up to his due process and immediate release.
Deputy Consul Enrique Maldonado received the group of family and friends outside the Mexican consulate in San Francisco and assured them that he will send the letter to the Foreign Relations office in Mexico, which in turn will deliver it to the Mexican District Attorney’s office.
“I can tell you that I do not know the details of what happened, except for what I’ve read in the papers,” said Deputy Consul Enrique Maldonado. “We are anticipating further notice on what’s happening in our country given the case in Iguala, which is painful and hurts us and all Mexicans as well as many other people around the world that are not Mexicans,” concluded Maldonado.
Laurence Maxwell (aka Moro) was detained at the march which made its way to the main plaza or Zócalo last Thursday, where thousands of people gathered.
Laurence has lived in Mexico City for the past 7 years, where he is studying a PhD in Literature at the main university (UNAM), where he will present his thesis in December -a comparative study of poetic groups in Brazil and Chile.
At the November 20th march -the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution-, protesters demanded justice and a statement from the government as to the disappearance of the 43 student teachers. That day, Laurence Maxwell had arrived from Oaxaca and after getting his bicycle from his house, he made his way to the Zócalo at around 10 p.m. to join the protesters. As the march was winding down and Maxwell was getting ready to grab his bicycle and head back, a crowd fled from police in his direction. At that point, the riot police leaped on him, beat him and arrested him.
Maxwell was taken to the Terrorist Crime Unit of the SEIDO (Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Special Investigation into Organized Crime) along with another 10 students that were also arrested at the march. Maxwell and the other students were charged with terrorism, attempted homicide, disorderly conduct and criminal association despite having no evidence of the alleged crimes.
His legal situation is sensitive and complex. Alejandro Jimenez, Maxwell’s human rights lawyer in Mexico, requested police to see the video surveillance, but the police has not released any evidence.
Maxwell’s brother, Dennis Maxwell, lives in San Francisco and has traveled to Mexico to better advocate for his brother. The Mexican ambassador traveled to Chile to get together with Maxwell’s father to assure him that his son’s case is of importance to the Mexican government.
It remains uncertain when Maxwell and the other 10 students will be released. The students have been taken to maximum security prisons in Veracruz and Nayarit until their cases are resolved.
Marc Hors is a freelance photographer and Mission Local contributor.