Bishop Samuel Ruiz Intervenes in Chiapas Hunger Strike

from the Chiapas Support Committee

As of April 5, the hunger strikers and those fasting in El Amate prison ended their protest at the request of Bishop Emeritus Samuel Ruiz Garcia. Bishop Ruiz is also the president of the board of directors of the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center and he instructed its staff to represent the prisoners in their legal proceedings with the state. Bishop Ruiz asked them to end their protest for “humanitarian” reasons so that there would not be irreversible damage to their bodies. The status of the hunger strikers in the Los Llanos prison in San Cristobal is unclear as of this writing (04/06/08).