APPEAL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMPOSER MIKIS THEODORAKIS ON BEHALF OF DR. RUBÉN ABIMAEL GUZMÁN REYNOSO (PRESIDENT GONZALO) AND THOUSANDS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND PRISONERS OF WAR IN PERU

Athens, Greece.
To the Greek People and the International Public Opinion:

Since September 12, 1992, when the leader of the Communist Party of Peru (PCP) and the People's War was captured in combat, he is now sick and buried in an underground cell in complete isolation from the outside world and confined to an inhuman incarceration. At the same time, thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of war are being slowly annihilated without food and health care in blatant violation of basic international law. The violations of human rights in Peru continues unabated: disappearances are frequent, massive number of tortures and rapes of poor people by the army are taking place in the shantytowns and countryside. All of these crimes are taking place daily by the regime's dictatorial orders.

All people of good will in the world, especially us, Greeks, with the experience we had with the military dictatorship in our country from 1967 to 1974, must raise our voices and demand an immediate stop to the barbaric incarceration of Dr. Guzmán. We demand that the butcher Fujimori must treat political prisoners and prisoners of war in accordance with international agreement on human rights and respect for the democratic rights and freedom of the Peruvian people who are undergoing a brutal repression and torture.

June 21st, 1996
Signature of Mikis Theodorakis.

[Editor's Note. Note. M. Theodorakis is a well known composer of music in Greece and one of the best in the world. His major presentation in the United States was at the Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 6th 1994. His concern for the oppressed in Peru is admirable.]

Spanish Translation
Al pueblo Griego y a la Comunidad Internacional,

Desde Setiembre 12, 1992, fecha de la captura en combate del lider del PCP y la Guerra Popular, el Dr. Rubén Abimael Guzmá,n Reynoso (Presidente Gonzalo) se encuentra enfermo en una celda subterranea, completamente aislado del mundo exterior y en la mas cruel e inhumana condición. Lo mismo ocurre con miles de prisioneros políticos que estan siendo aniquilados poco a poco en las prisiones de la tiranía con una escasa alimentación y sin tratamiento médico en violacion de los mas básicos requirimientos de la ley internacional y los tratados de derechos humanos. Las violaciones de los derechos humanos en el Peru continuan. Las desapariciones de personas son frequentes; las torturas y las violaciones sexuales son masivas en los pueblos jóvenes y en el campo. Estos crímenes ocurren a diario por órdenes de la dictatura.

Todas las personas concientes de esta situación en el mundo, en especial nosotros los griegos, que hemos experimentado la dictadura militar del 67 al 74 en nuestro país, debemos levantar nuestra voz de protesta por la encarcelación barbárica del Presidente Gonzalo. Por último, demandamos a la dictadura del criminal Fujimori tratar a los presos políticos y prisioneros de guerra de acuerdo a los requerimientos básicos de la ley internacional y los tratados de derechos humanos, al igual el respeto de las derechos demócraticos del pueblo peruano.

Atenas, Grecia, Junio 1996.

PCP Web page: http://www.blythe.org/peru-pcp