Rev. Prof. Luis Barrios abused in solitary confinement

Revolutionary priest and professor Luis Barrios has been subjected to abuse and solitary confinement at Manhattan Correction Center since March 9. The Rev. Barrios is serving a 60-day sentence there for “trespassing on government property” during a protest last fall at the School of the Americas, located at Fort Benning, Ga. Renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in 2001, the SOA teaches assassination and torture tactics in order to advance U.S. imperialism’s interests in Latin America.

For nine days, Barrios was held in a 10-by-6-foot cell for 23 hours each day. On the fourth day he became ill, complaining of severe kidney pain, vomiting, fever and headache. After 12 hours he was taken to an emergency room.

Going to and from the hospital, shackled from head to foot, Barrios was subjected to repeated body and cavity searches. He has been denied access to writing materials, telephone use, attendance at Sunday worship, heat in his cell, visits from loved ones and friends, and contact with his lawyer.

Minerva Mella, the reverend’s spouse, told Workers World that Barrios plans to publicize his experience and observations about the treatment of prisoners upon his release. Barrios told Mella that the executive warden’s assistant came to his cell “upset” about a letter from the president of John Jay College, where Barrios teaches, complaining about the abuses. “Luis told the assistant warden the content of that letter was completely accurate and he refused to sign a piece of paper that the warden wanted him to sign,” she reported.

Manolo De Los Santos told Workers World that his father’s revolutionary spirit remains high, despite the abuse and isolation. He thanked supporters who gather in front of the prison every Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at 150 Park Row, near City Hall.

A colleague of Barrios at John Jay College, professor David Brotherton, reported that Barrios was referred to a prison psychologist while in solitary confinement for “smiling a lot.” He said they couldn’t understand why he always smiled at the correction officers and refused to have his spirit broken. In an article in the British Guardian, Dr. Brotherton states: “In one of Luis’s most recent letters from prison, he writes: ‘Under these circumstances with my dear brother inmates I remain highly motivated. My spirit is still looking for peace with justice. Sometimes I think this system has but one goal: to dehumanise and break you. Believe me, this is not going to happen. I’m a person of faith, vision and action. I came in here with my dignity and although I’ll be going out differently my commitment to social justice remains intact.” (April 16)