Defiant: Los Mineros say international solidarity is helping them endure a difficult struggle.
Manny Armenta, a sub-district director for the United Steelworkers (USW) in Albuquerque, NM, was arrested on January 24, while on his way to meet with attorneys for the Mexican mineworkers’ union, Los Mineros. The USW has been supporting the mineworkers who have waged a nearly four-year strike against Grupo Mexico with a copper mine property at Cananea in Mexico’s northern state of Sonora. The USW is filing a formal complaint with the US State Department.
At about 2 p.m. (MST), a customs officer stopped Armenta’s car, which is leased by the union, accusing him of driving a stolen vehicle. Armenta presented documentation to no avail. After searching the vehicle with dogs, the officer attempted to extort a “fine” of 185,000 pesos (about $15,000). When Armenta refused to pay he was arrested, detained overnight, and released early Tuesday, Jan. 25 after posting a bond of 80,000 pesos (about $7,750).
Armenta’s car was impounded and it has not been returned. Armenta’s wallet was taken from him in the arrest, but later returned, minus $700 in cash.
USW President Leo W. Gerard declared in a statement, “This outrageous treatment by Mexican federal authorities shows the extent of the government’s corruption.” He adds: “We demand that these bogus charges be dropped with the immediate return of the union property along with what belongs to Manny.”
He said, “It is ironic that although Mexican courts have issued 20 warrants for German Larrea – the owner of Grupo Mexico – the government has never been able to arrest him. Yet they can arrest Manny because he is in Mexico helping the mineworkers defend their rights.”
On January 17-18, Mexican mineworker leaders joined USW copper miners who met with officials of Asarco – a copper producer also owned by Grupo Mexico – at a “sound-off” event to open union negotiations in Tucson. The USW contract with Asarco expires in June. Armenta is the lead negotiator at Asarco.
Gerard said, “By arresting Manny, the Mexican government is trying to intimidate the USW copper miners from exercising our right to collective bargaining and showing solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Mexico.”
Commenting that Armenta was arrested on the same day the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Mexico in support of that country’s law enforcement actions on illegal drug activity, Gerard said: “I hope the U.S. State Department will put as much energy into seeking justice for Manny and for the rights of workers at Cananea as they have in praising the Mexican government.”
Armenta said the arrest was just another example of the repressive approach taken by the Mexican government an Grupo Mexican against workers.
“There’s been fatalities, there’s been a lot of teargas in some of the places [miners] try to organize – and even in the places they’re already organized and represent the workers. This week is just an indication of how corrupt the Mexican government is – along with the company Grupo Mexico – a very powerful company and they obviously control a lot of the government officials,” Armenta said.