Honorable Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Having exhausted the means of communication within my reach, I respectfully write to you as a final recourse, to update you on the political and criminal siege of which I am the target of in Tamaulipas and Chihuahua, and how I have been left without help from the Secretary of the Interior, who you instructed to deal with my case since July 27th, 2020, the day you received me at your offices with infinite chivalry.

I request, Mr. President, a new meeting to explain to you in detail what has happened since then, and the shocking situation I face, not only with respect to my liberty, but my very life. You know better than anyone about the age-old marriage that exists between the authorities and criminal organizations in Tamaulipas, as well as the political and business collusion that flourish not only here, but in Chihuahua, my home state: a convergence of illegal interests that drives the persecution of which I am the target...

Beyond the judicial systems — in which decisions are made without autonomy and always under the control of the government — a criminal wing operates that aims to stop my activities through intimidation and the threat of death. The governors of Tamaulipas and Chihuahau, who have kept me in house arrest, are maneuvering to eliminate me since they are unable to counteract my movement in support of workers through fair play of the law.

The most recent threats took place on December 22. A series of intimidating messages were sent to my cellphone, in which I was informed it would be in my personal interest to stop criticizing Juan Villafuerte, general secretary of the Union of Day Laborers and Workers of the Industrial Maquiladora in Matamoros (SJOIM), or the “situation could lead to mishaps.”

Mr. President, my case has been lost in the labyrinths of bureaucracy and the disdain that dwells in the Secretary of the Interior. Nothing describes a broken agreement better than small details. For instance, suffice it to say that I was given a “panic button” [to call for help from the government] that does not work. 

The political persecution against me and my imprisonment affect the decades-long fight to improve the living conditions of workers in Mexico. This became visible with the struggle for union democratization and freedom of association by the workers of the companies Tridonex and Fischer Dynamics, which were restraining the freedom of association and collective bargaining rights enshrined in the reforms to the Federal Labor Law of 2017 and 2019, as well as Chapter 23 of the USMCA, for which our country may be held liable before international tribunals.

Time must be of the essence. I hope you can receive me as soon as possible and that you are aware that my life is in danger if the Mexican State refuses to protect me.

Attorney Susana Prieto Terrazas

Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua

January 12, 2021