Who is Alvaro
Luna Hernandez?
 Alvaro
Hernandez Luna was sentenced in Odessa, TX on June 2-9, 1997 to
50 years in prison for defending himself by disarming a police officer
drawing a weapon on him (unarmed). The trial evidence clearly showed
Alvaro was the victim of "witchhunts" and a police-orchestrated
conspiracy to frame or eliminate him.
History of
A Longtime Freedom Fighter
Police informants
were used to monitor Alvaro's organizing activites in the barrio.
They were told Alvaro was "typing legal papers," "had many
books" and was working on police brutality cases in Alpine.
The police knew
of Alvaro's history of community-based organizing and his legal
skills. Alvaro was recognized nationally and internationally as
the national coordiantor of the Ricardo Aldape Guerra Defense Committee,
which led the struggle to free Mexican national Aldape Guerra from
Texas' death row after being framed by Houston police for allegedly
killing a cop. Alvaro's human rights work was recognized in Italy,
France, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico and other countries.
Facts about
Alvaro Luna Hernandez
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Alvaro Hernandez
Luna was recognized nationally and internationally as the national
coordiantor of the Ricardo Aldape Guerra Defense Committee,
which led the struggle to free Mexican national Aldape Guerra
from Texas' death row after being framed by Houston police for
allegedly killing a cop. Alvaro's human rights work was recognized
in Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico and other countries.
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Alvaro spearheaded
the National Movement of La Raza, Stop the Violence Youth Committee
and the Prisoners Solidarity Committee in Houston, Texas (USA),
where he is known as a symbol of resistance to injustice.
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Alvaro was
sent to prison (narrowly dodging the death penalty) in 1976
for a murder he did not commit, a fact that was exposed by various
media outlets and led to his eventual release. "What I
learned about the prosecutorial behavior in the trial of Alvaro
Hernandez in West Texas made my stomach turn," wrote columnist
Paul Harasim. "Coming in the wake of Randall Dale Adams
and Clarence Brandley -- new evidence surfaced to get them off
and out of prison -- I wonder if I can support state sanctioned
executions any longer." [Source: Houston Post, 8 April
1991]
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From his
previous case, Alvaro's struggle, along with hundreds of other
cases of political imprisonment, was adopted on Dec. 9, 1990
at Hunter College in New York City by the Special International
Trubunal on violations of human rights of political prisoners
and prisoners of war held in U.S. prisons and jails.
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In March
1993, Alvaro was a non-governmental organization (NGO) delegate
before the 49th session of the United Nations Commissionon Human
Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. Before the U.N. General Assembly,
he vociferously exposed and condemned the U.S. government's
dismal human rights record and its human rights violations of
U.S. political prisoners.
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Alvaro addresses a street meeting, early 1990s.
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Alvaro was
a public speaker invited to speak at many colleges, universities
and conferences in this country. His topics ranged from from
injustices of the criminal justice system against people of
color, to self-determination, human rights, political prisoners,
Aztlán, national liberation and revolution. His eloquent,
dynamic presentations would electrify audiences.
- On July 18,
1996, Sheriff Jack McDaniel of Alpine, Texas, went to arrest Alvaro
at his home on a charge of aggravated robbery (later dismissed
with Alvaro as his own counsel). No warrant for the arrest was
issued. When the unarmed Alvaro questioned the sheriff’s
action, the cop drew his weapon. Before he could shoot, Alvaro
disarmed him and fled. Alvaro did not inflict any injury on the
officer and, as several people conceded, Alvaro could have further
harmed the sherriff and did not, as such was not his intention.
Alvaro was in fear for his life.
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At Alvaro’s
trial, police described Alvaro as a “troublemaker.”
Other officers indicated that there was concern Alvaro was collecting
information about police brutality in the barrios, as well as
pursuing a potential suit against law enforcement over the killing
of Mexicano youth Ervay Ramos when Alvaro was a youth.
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Alvaro was
no stranger to the police. He had previously won civil rights
suits against the Pecos County Sheriff’s Department and
county for a brutal beating he endured at the hands of police
years ago. Two deputy sheriffs were convicted for the criminal
civil rights violations stemming from the beating. The police
received five years probation and never spent a day in jail.
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On June
2-9, 1997, Alvaro was convicted of “threatening” the
sheriff, but acquitted on the charge of shooting Sgt. Hines.
He received a 50-year sentence.
What You Can
Do
The political
trial of long-time Chicano Mexicano ("Latino"/indigenous people
of the southwest U.S.) activist Alvaro Hernanadz Luna is another
example of this government's plot to discredit, falsely imprison
or kill freedom fighters of liberation movements of oppressed internal
colonies battling to free themselves from the yoke of U.S. imperialism.
By "criminalizing"
these movements for political self-determination, the government
denies their existence, the existence of political prisoners and
the class contradictions in this society. As the world joined hands
to expose the racist regime of South Africa, and won the freedom
of Nelson Mandela, we must expose the U.S. government's lie that
it holds no political prisoners of war in its prisons.
Alvaro deserves
the support of all honest progressive freedom forces in the United
States and throughout the world. While his case if on appeal, al
legal defense fund has been established to solicit funds for appeal
costs and organizing materials, including a book, Alvaro's writings
and recordings.
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WHO
IS ALVARO?
