The 2nd Anniversary of Lori Berenson's Imprisonment:
Bay Area Event Discusses Human Rights Violations in Perú
An evening of speakers and music focused on human rights in Perú and the imprisonment of Lori Berenson will be held at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley on Thursday, February 5th at 7PM.
This is the second anniversary of Lori Berenson's imprisonment by Peruvian officials. Lori is a US citizen currently serving a life sentence in a Peruvian prison on charges related to terrorism without ever having received a fair trial. Present at the event will be Peruvian born Samuel Guia, who faces 20 years in prison on similar charges if he ever decides to return to his homeland.
Berenson and Guia are just two of the estimated 1,000 innocent people who have been convicted in the Peruvian military court system since 1991. These courts are just one example of the horrible human rights record in Perú, where half the population (11 million Peruvians) currently live in poverty. The court system is also a result of corrupt politics. Current president Fujimori, elected in 1990, suspended the Constitution and disbanded the Parliament and the Judiciary in 1992, effectively making him a self appointed dictator.
Come to La Pena on February 5th to hear about the current situation in Perú, an update on the cases of Lori Berenson and Samuel Guia, and the effect that Peruvian human rights violations have had on international solidarity work.