It was with sadness and indignation that we learned of thearrest of Alex Sanchez, executive director of Homies Unidos in Los Angeles, by the FBI on June 24.  Alex is a longtime fighter for justice in theimmigrant community and has worked tirelessly to support the rights of youth inthe US and El Salvador.  He and Homies Unidos, the violence preventionand gang intervention organization he helped found, have been close allies ofCISPES in the struggle for justice and against police violence throughout the Americas. 

We are concerned that the federal indictment against Alexfollows in a long line of false charges against him and appears to be part of apattern to target him for his work to promote an alternative strategy forcombating violence than that of the LAPD and Salvadoran National CivilianPolice (PNC), which over the years have chosen iron-fist tactics over crimeprevention programs.  While Alex andHomies Unidos have sought to promote reconciliation within their community, manypoliticians in El Salvadorand the UShave stood by a failed model of combating gang violence with indiscriminatepolice violence, criminalizing youth and utilizing corrupt institutions like theLAPD and PCN to attack suspected gang members and social movement leadersalike.

CISPES stands by Alex and Homies Unidos in rejecting thechanges against him, and we repeat the statement of the Homies Unidos boardthat “an indictment is an allegation only”. Though the media seems intent of vilifying Alex and the work he has doneto rescue youth from gang violence, we stand by him and believe that he isinnocent of the crimes he is being accused of. 

In solidarity,

The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador(CISPES)

For more information, check outthis article by Roberto Lovato: Arrestof Gang Intervention Leader Alex Sanchez Raises Questions, Concernsin Community