Dear CRN friends,

Once again, we are asking you to stand in solidarity with the people of El Salvador.

WHEN: Friday, May 31, 11am
WHERE: Consulate General of El Salvador in Chicago, 8605 W Bryn Mawr Ave STE310, Chicago, IL 60631

On June 1, the people of El Salvador will be subjected to an illegitimate regime led by President-elect Nayib Bukele, who intend to entrench themselves indefinitely as part of the oligarchy. The recent elections were unconstitutional and fraudulent, giving rise to an imposed, illegal, and illegitimate government. We urge you to speak up and stand with the people of El Salvador who REJECT AND REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE this new government.

As part of the international Human Rights community we have repeatedly expressed concerns about the authoritarian and repressive nature of Bukele’s government, which has become particularly urgent following his election into office through an unconstitutional election process.

Nayib Bukele and his legislative majority have undermined democratic checks and balances by allowing Bukele’s re-election against constitutional prohibitions, removing independent judicial figures, and weakening anti-corruption measures. This has raised significant concerns about the state of democracy in El Salvador.

This reality disproportionately impacts impoverished and marginalized communities hardest through repression and criminalization in the form of mass disappearances under the guise of a “state of emergency;” targeted political persecution; ruthless evictions and land dispossession; severe disinvestment in the education and agricultural sectors; relentless harassment of health care workers; massive, unlawful municipal layoffs; the deliberate defunding of educational institutions, notably the National University of El Salvador (UES);and escalating violence against women and LGBTI+ communities.

The 25-month state of emergency, initially adopted to combat gang violence, has led to widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, overcrowded prisons, due process violations, and political prisoners. Over 73,000 people, including children and non-gang-related individuals, have been detained, with reports of harsh prison conditions and numerous deaths in custody.

As CRLN, we join in the efforts of the diaspora community of El Salvador in Chicago, Alma de Izote collective, Cipotex de Chicago collective, and especially the international call of action by the Bloque de Resistencia y Rebeldía Popular.

Therefore, the people of El Salvador in Chicago, along with community and human rights organizations, demand:

• Cease the abuse of the judicial apparatus for persecution against the political opposition and left-wing social and environmental movements.
• The end of the “state of emergency” and the immediate release of all people detained without evidence.
• The immediate release of all political prisoners who have been unjustly detained under Bukele’s regime.

We join the struggle of the people of El Salvador in their effort to reclaim their country and the democracy for which generations of Salvadorans fought and sacrificed their lives.

En resistencia y solidaridad permanente

Jhonathan F. Gómez

May 23, 2024

President Robert L. Manuel, Executive Vice President Sherri Sidler, Director of Public Safety Mike Dohm, Vice President for Student Affairs Eugene L. Zdziarski, DePaul University Administration,


We write on behalf of the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN), an organization dedicated to Immigrant Rights and Latin American Human Rights, committed to dismantling structures of oppression and violence both domestically and internationally. Our mission compels us to challenge militaristic agendas, capitalism, imperialism, and white supremacy, standing in solidarity with marginalized communities in Latin America and the Immigrant Justice community in Chicago and across the United States.

CRLN has a decades-long history of collaboration with DePaul University, recognizing the Vincentian commitment to respecting human rights. As long-time partners in student education, we are deeply troubled by the University’s violent eviction of the peaceful student encampment on May 16, 2024. The students’ desire for dialogue, activism, and dissent should never be met with violence. The disproportionate nature of these actions not only undermines the principles of academic freedom and free expression but also contradicts the University’s professed commitment to social justice and human rights.

We unapologetically stand with the students and find it imperative to express that the violent acts of May 16 should never have happened. DePaul University’s decision to send riot police against its own students is an unspeakable offense against freedom of expression and the right to dissent. These actions have inflicted trauma on students, university staff, faculty, and the community, which the University must acknowledge and repair.

In 2023, CRLN was awarded the HumanitiesX fellowship, an honor we greatly appreciate. In collaboration with DePaul faculty, we developed a course for the 2024 academic year, where students connected historical events of the past to current movements and injustices impacting Central America, specifically in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Students interrogated the Western idea of democracy within the context of neoliberalism, highlighting how U.S. governments fund wars while promoting an imperialist version of democracy. The student encampment and activism in support of the people of Palestine embodied the challenge set out by HumanitiesX. Students are now critically examining how democracy functions in the United States amid rising global fascism and have experienced firsthand how their rights have been limited for holding dissenting opinions. This is not merely historical analysis; it is a lived experience of Democracy and Rights today.

On May 16, at 5:30 AM, riot police from the Chicago Police Department, following a complaint signed by DePaul President Rob Manuel against its own student body, violently raided, and dismantled the student solidarity encampment for Palestine. CPD officers tore through the encampment, throwing students’ personal belongings into garbage trucks paid for by the administration, violently arresting at least two students, pulling off the hijab of one, and injuring others. CPD prevented students from retrieving their belongings. The raid occurred just hours after Nakba Day commemorations. It is now clear that DePaul University’s administrators chose to call the Chicago Police Department on the student protest encampment following President Rob Manuel’s decision to cease negotiations with students.

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Over 40,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including the destruction of hospitals, schools, and universities. The DePaul Divestment Coalition, a multiethnic, multifaith group of students, has been calling on DePaul University to divest from the killing of Palestinian civilians. The DePaul student encampment on April 30th was the longest-standing encampment in the country. This space cultivated political education sessions, dancing, singing, shared meals, community building, praying, discussions, debates, and unity until it was violently destroyed.

We are grateful and commend the courageous students who built the peaceful encampment as a protest against the genocide being committed with U.S. tax dollars against the people of Palestine. Their commitment to transparency and their advocacy for divestment from companies and institutions complicit in the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime is a lesson to us all. The students are on the right side of history, and we must listen to their call.

We echo the demands of the DePaul Divestment Coalition, supported by thousands of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members, which is committed to ensuring that DePaul University divests from entities involved in harm and violence abroad, and instead invests in the community.

In light of these urgent concerns, we urge the DePaul University administration to take immediate action by engaging in meaningful dialogue with students, disclosing its investment portfolio, and committing to divestment from complicit entities. It is imperative that the University uphold its principles of academic freedom, social justice, and human rights by respecting the rights of students to peacefully advocate for justice and equality. Dissent should not be punished. We call upon the administration to heed the demands of the students and take concrete steps towards creating a campus environment that fosters inclusivity, transparency, and a genuine engagement with social justice.


Silence is complicity. Silence will not absolve us.



Sincerely,

The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America                      

May 9, 2024

President Paul Alivisatos, Dean Michelle Rasmussen, Vice President Erin Lane, University of Chicago Administration,


We write on behalf of the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN), an Immigrant Rights and Latin America Human Rights organization committed to dismantling structures of oppression and violence, both domestically and abroad. Our mission drives us to challenge imperialistic, capitalist, and militaristic agendas, and to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities in Latin America as well as with the Immigrant community in the United States.

CRLN has a long history of collaboration with institutions like the University of Chicago in educating students and the public on the importance of respecting human rights. As neighbors in the Hyde Park neighborhood, we are deeply troubled by the University’s violent response to student activism and dissent. This disproportionate reaction not only undermines the principles of academic freedom and free expression but also contradicts the University’s professed commitment to social justice and human rights.

As an institution of higher learning, the University of Chicago bears a profound responsibility to safeguard the rights and freedoms of its diverse community, including students, staff, and faculty. Central to these rights is the freedom to express dissenting views without fear of reprisal or suppression.

We adamantly reject any attempts to vilify or stifle peaceful expressions of political dissent, particularly regarding the urgent issue of the Genocide against the people of Palestine. The University must recognize that criticism of oppressive state policies, such as those perpetuated by the Israeli government, is not only legitimate but also essential to fostering meaningful discourse and social progress.

Recent efforts to suppress student activism, both in Chicago and at other academic institutions across the country, only serve to exacerbate tensions and undermine the principles of academic freedom and democratic governance. We implore the University of Chicago to refrain from resorting to heavy-handed tactics such as deploying law enforcement to intimidate peaceful protests, which only escalate conflicts and endanger the safety of our community.

We unequivocally condemn the violent destruction of the peaceful student encampment in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Such actions not only infringe upon the fundamental rights of students to engage in peaceful protest but also perpetuate a culture of repression, silence and intimidation on campus. It is imperative that the University administration recognizes the importance of respecting the rights of students to express solidarity with marginalized communities without fear of reprisal or violence.

Moreover, we echo the demands put forth by students advocating for divestment from companies and institutions complicit in the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime. It is unconscionable for the University to continue profiting from investments in weapons manufacturers that fuel violence and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. We call upon the University to immediately divest from such entities and to disclose its investment portfolio in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Furthermore, we stand in solidarity with the students who have bravely and peacefully occupied space in the form of an encampment to protest against injustice. Their steadfast commitment to solidarity with the people of Palestine must be respected, not met with intimidation or violence. We condemn any actions taken by the University to suppress dissent and join in the call for meaningful dialogue and engagement with the students.

In light of these concerns, we urge the University of Chicago administration to take immediate action by engaging in meaningful dialogue with students, disclosing its investment portfolio, and committing to divestment from complicit entities. It is imperative that the University uphold its principles of academic freedom, social justice, and human rights by respecting the rights of students to peacefully advocate for justice and equality. We call upon the administration to heed the demands of the students and take concrete steps towards creating a campus environment that fosters inclusivity, transparency, and genuine engagement with social justice issues.


Sincerely,

The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America