News from Lori's Parents

16 May 2002

In this update:

Lori asks for your help in defending Peruvian prisoners' rights

Mark visited Lori in Huacariz Prison last weekend and found her in good spirits. It is autumn in Peru and the rainy season has finally ended in Cajamarca. Lori's hands were already bright purple from the now chronic circulatory problems that began when she was imprisoned at Yanamayo in Puno and she attributed this to the night-time temperatures which already drop to the mid forties.

Lori wishes to inform you of the abuses now faced by Peruvian political prisoners, including transfers to prisons that the international human rights community (including the International Red Cross and Amnesty International) have condemned and want closed down. She asks for your help on this. Please read the complete text, including names, addresses, and emails of Peruvian officials.

Lori organizes "Peru prisoner pen pal program"

Lori suggests that some of the people who have been interested in her situation might want to become pen pals with Peruvian prisoners. She sees a great opportunity for people both in the U.S. and around the world to make contact with Peruvians and learn, first hand from them, about life and politics in Peru, and establish a channel of communication that would enable mutual growth, development, and understanding. Many of these Peruvian prisoners receive no, or very few, visits and little mail and a pen pal program would certainly be beneficial to their mental well being. Peruvians citizens are encouraged to participate.

Habla espanol? If you can write in Spanish and want to join the pen pal program and learn more about Peru and its people and its politics contact us (see below) and Lori will put you in touch with a Peruvian prisoner. If you prefer to correspond with a prisoner based on specific gender (male or female) also let us know.

Please note that letters and cards into and out of the prisons will be censored; to facilitate this process, the letters and cards have to be written in Spanish.

For further information, please contact National Organizer Laura Furst at 202-548-8480 or write to her at lmfurst@freelori.org

- Rhoda and Mark Berenson