On the twenty-year anniversary of the L.A. riots, and in the wake of the killing of Trayvon Williams, the country is revisiting its familiar demons of racial violence and police abuse of power. Now it’s time to broaden the dialogue on law enforcement and racial oppression to the border. Please view this video appeal from Presente.org, featuring footage from PBS Need to Know, and support the campaign calling for justice for Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas.
From Maria Puga, widow of Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas:
In 2010 near San Diego, Border Patrol beat and tasered my husband Anastasio while he was hogtied and face down on the pavement. They tortured him to death, despite his repeated pleas for help.
Over the last two years, Border Patrol has refused to release the names of the agents responsible or to reveal whether those involved have been disciplined. Anastasio was not their only victim. Since the year Anastasio was killed, Border Patrol agents have killed or seriously injured at least 9 people from San Diego to Texas.
My family is demanding that the Department of Justice conduct an open and thorough investigation of all the killings committed by the Border Patrol since 2010. Will you join me in bringing justice to my family and the other families that have been victimized?
To learn more about this case, read and watch the story on PBS Need to Know.