<pre>Background:Gustavo Vera and at least seven other activists from La Alameda in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were attacked and wounded on July 10 after they went with journalists to free workers and their families from a secret garment sweatshop they had earlier identified. The workers and family were able to leave with their belongings while the inspectors from the city’s labour department stayed inside. Within minutes arrived “Alfredo Ayala” who identified himself as “a representative of the Bolivian community”, who called by phone to “send me more people”, and then in less than ten minutes up to a hundred men had gathered, and when the TV cameras of the reporters who were accompanying Gustavo had left, those men began to attack Gustavo and his companions from La Alameda – while two policemen diverted traffic and the chief of the operation said that there were no more personnel to send.

 
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<pre>
While the attackers ran off, Gustavo Vera was brutally attacked and had 
to be taken out from the crowd by the police. Five wounded were taken to 
the hospital and various companions of La Alameda giving statements in 
police station No. 40, two blocks from the sweatshop. 
(<a href="http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/</a>)
Gustavo now has 7 stitches in the head, a swollen face, a bandaged arm. 
He said he's glad they could bring the workers out and they are now 
safely at La Alameda. But don't ask where the secretary for human rights 
or for assistance to victims of trafficking are, he said, because he 
hasn't seen them.
Many of us in AMRC, ATNC Network and other groups in Hong Kong and rest 
of Asia met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 
2009, when Asian countries were already many months into worsening 
financial and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared 
with us the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 
2001 and their strategies for empowerment and survival. /He also shared 
how his organization La Alameda grew from a popular assembly to include 
a worker-run cooperative and now keeps defending workers' rights by 
exposing and helping workers where mainstream unions often don't reach - 
trafficked migrant workers in hidden sweatshops, trafficked sex workers, 
plantations where even children are forced to work.
/
/Since then, much more news has been reported about the July 10 attack 
situation. Some of that news says:
- there were 20 machines and at least 10 people living in the small 
sweatshop
- the daughter of one, a girl of 15, was abused by the owner
- two of the workers had been trafficked in directly from Bolivia to 
this sweatshop just two weeks ago
- the sweatshop made bags and clothes for a garment shop owned by 
Koreans (but note, the Korean was the final purchaser and also the 
retailer in Argentina)
- the sweatshop was closed last year after an exposure protest but for 
some reason continued producing
- the workers and people were kept enclosed in horrible living 
conditions, dirty, poor food, exposed cables, toilet in terrible state
- they had to work from 7 a.m. to 23 p.m.
- the workers were paid US$0.92 per bag produced
/
/- The guy Ayala (who is known by the garment sweatshop workers and 
called for the attack) has previously stopped an inspection. It seems 
someone is protecting him, and he is totally above the law. However now 
they have both sound recording and also a video recording showing him 
and the other attackers -including Ayala saying "get me more people" and 
policemen nearby were redirecting traffic and did not get more help, 
saying 'we are only transit police', while the thugs were beating the 
men and women to their heart's content. 40 people from La Alameda were 
there while the thugs were more than double the number.
/
/La Alameda wants the Subscretary of Labour of the city to make a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, close the sweatshop 
immediately, sue the owner for violating the law on homebased work, the 
law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and trafficking in 
persons. Extensive charges brought against the owner of the brand 
‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given  adequate 
assistance. So far the victims are being taken care of by La Alameda.
/
/_*What you can do:
*_1. Please read the below statement and give your organization/name if 
you wish to support!
/
/2. La Alameda requests donation for a carriage or two for the baby and 
a marriage bed. These materials are destined for the familes that were 
freed from the sweatshop. They need it urgently until they receive help 
from the city or national government.
3. Organize an action at the Argentine Consulate in your country. Inform 
us if you will do so - may//be our groups can do on a single date!
/
Regards
Doris
{DRAFT LETTER TO ARGENTINA AUTHORITIES FROM ASIAN WORKER GROUPS]
Att: Argentina Consulate in HK
1210 Jardine House, 1 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong Special 
Administraive Region, People's Republic of China
Tel: (852) 2523 3208 Fax: (852) 2877 0906
Attn: Cancilleria Argentina
Ministro Jorge Taiana
Jefe de Gobierno de la Ciudad Mauricio Macri
Presidente Cristina Kirchner
**
Esmeralda 1212, C1007ABR, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Tel. +54 (11) 4819-7000
Dear ______________,
It was brought to our attention that Gustavo Vera and at least seven 
other activists from La Alameda in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were 
attacked and wounded last night (July 10) after they went with 
journalists to free workers and their families from a secret garment 
sweatshop they had earlier identified. Though police were not far away, 
they did not do the job of protecting people who are working on behalf 
of all Argentinians to expose gross exploitation and enslavement of 
workers in hidden sweatshops, for the profits of heartless companies 
that fail to bear full responsibility.
La Alameda and Gustavo Vera have been working tirelessly and 
relentlessly for many years on behalf of workers and against slavery, 
and in recent months have made great media exposures of networks of 
prostitution, of places disguised as bars, where women were found to 
have been victims of trafficking, including minors. They exposed these 
with the help of the cartoneros, with hidden cameras. They exposed the 
use of dangerous chemicals in drycleaner chains owned by the sister of 
politician Michetti. They have continually been working with formerly 
entrapped migrant Bolivian workers rescuing other workers from hidden 
sweatshops where they often have been trafficked in and kept to work for 
long hours, low pay, and atrocious living conditions.
In Asia as well workers are forced to work long hours, with exposure to 
health problems and often sexual harassment, and with no protection from 
their national police, but rather often the terrorism and harassment of 
their own police and of hired thugs, for their attempts to assert their 
rights as workers.
We met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 2009, 
when Asian countries were already many months into worsening financial 
and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared with us 
the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 2001 and 
their strategies for empowerment and survival.
We applaud and appreciate his strong sense of solidarity with workers 
and constant struggle to raise the rights and living standards of all 
workers regardless of origin. This is true international solidarity.
We were horrified and outraged to hear of the attack that happened on 
July 10 to Gustavo Vera and La Alameda members. We strongly condemn the 
thugs who attacked Gustavo and his companions of La Alameda in such a 
cowardly way immediately after they carried out the necessary and 
important work of rescuing workers from slave labour and exposing this 
scourge of the country which ends up profiting large companies. We also 
strongly question the role of the police, and urge that the police of 
the city and of the country make a full investigation. We urge the 
police and the government to ensure that the criminals who carried out 
the attacks are found and punished, and that Gustavo Vera and the other 
members of La Alameda are given medical care and protection from further 
attacks.
/We also support the demands of La Alameda for the victims of 
trafficking whom they rescued. We strongly urge that the city and 
national government take responsibility by immediately making a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, closing the sweatshop 
immediately, and suing the owner for violating the law on homebased 
work, the law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and 
trafficking in persons. Charges should brought against the owner of the 
brand ‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given adequate 
assistance. /
With all solidarity from Asia
 

 
While the attackers ran off, Gustavo Vera was brutally attacked and had 
to be taken out from the crowd by the police. Five wounded were taken to 
the hospital and various companions of La Alameda giving statements in 
police station No. 40, two blocks from the sweatshop. 
(<a href="http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/</a>)
Gustavo now has 7 stitches in the head, a swollen face, a bandaged arm. 
He said he's glad they could bring the workers out and they are now 
safely at La Alameda. But don't ask where the secretary for human rights 
or for assistance to victims of trafficking are, he said, because he 
hasn't seen them.
Many of us in AMRC, ATNC Network and other groups in Hong Kong and rest 
of Asia met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 
2009, when Asian countries were already many months into worsening 
financial and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared 
with us the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 
2001 and their strategies for empowerment and survival. /He also shared 
how his organization La Alameda grew from a popular assembly to include 
a worker-run cooperative and now keeps defending workers' rights by 
exposing and helping workers where mainstream unions often don't reach - 
trafficked migrant workers in hidden sweatshops, trafficked sex workers, 
plantations where even children are forced to work.
/
/Since then, much more news has been reported about the July 10 attack 
situation. Some of that news says:
- there were 20 machines and at least 10 people living in the small 
sweatshop
- the daughter of one, a girl of 15, was abused by the owner
- two of the workers had been trafficked in directly from Bolivia to 
this sweatshop just two weeks ago
- the sweatshop made bags and clothes for a garment shop owned by 
Koreans (but note, the Korean was the final purchaser and also the 
retailer in Argentina)
- the sweatshop was closed last year after an exposure protest but for 
some reason continued producing
- the workers and people were kept enclosed in horrible living 
conditions, dirty, poor food, exposed cables, toilet in terrible state
- they had to work from 7 a.m. to 23 p.m.
- the workers were paid US$0.92 per bag produced
/
/- The guy Ayala (who is known by the garment sweatshop workers and 
called for the attack) has previously stopped an inspection. It seems 
someone is protecting him, and he is totally above the law. However now 
they have both sound recording and also a video recording showing him 
and the other attackers -including Ayala saying "get me more people" and 
policemen nearby were redirecting traffic and did not get more help, 
saying 'we are only transit police', while the thugs were beating the 
men and women to their heart's content. 40 people from La Alameda were 
there while the thugs were more than double the number.
/
/La Alameda wants the Subscretary of Labour of the city to make a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, close the sweatshop 
immediately, sue the owner for violating the law on homebased work, the 
law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and trafficking in 
persons. Extensive charges brought against the owner of the brand 
‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given  adequate 
assistance. So far the victims are being taken care of by La Alameda.
/
/_*What you can do:
*_1. Please read the below statement and give your organization/name if 
you wish to support!
/
/2. La Alameda requests donation for a carriage or two for the baby and 
a marriage bed. These materials are destined for the familes that were 
freed from the sweatshop. They need it urgently until they receive help 
from the city or national government.
3. Organize an action at the Argentine Consulate in your country. Inform 
us if you will do so - may//be our groups can do on a single date!
/
Regards
Doris
{DRAFT LETTER TO ARGENTINA AUTHORITIES FROM ASIAN WORKER GROUPS]
Att: Argentina Consulate in HK
1210 Jardine House, 1 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong Special 
Administraive Region, People's Republic of China
Tel: (852) 2523 3208 Fax: (852) 2877 0906
Attn: Cancilleria Argentina
Ministro Jorge Taiana
Jefe de Gobierno de la Ciudad Mauricio Macri
Presidente Cristina Kirchner
**
Esmeralda 1212, C1007ABR, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Tel. +54 (11) 4819-7000
Dear ______________,
It was brought to our attention that Gustavo Vera and at least seven 
other activists from La Alameda in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were 
attacked and wounded last night (July 10) after they went with 
journalists to free workers and their families from a secret garment 
sweatshop they had earlier identified. Though police were not far away, 
they did not do the job of protecting people who are working on behalf 
of all Argentinians to expose gross exploitation and enslavement of 
workers in hidden sweatshops, for the profits of heartless companies 
that fail to bear full responsibility.
La Alameda and Gustavo Vera have been working tirelessly and 
relentlessly for many years on behalf of workers and against slavery, 
and in recent months have made great media exposures of networks of 
prostitution, of places disguised as bars, where women were found to 
have been victims of trafficking, including minors. They exposed these 
with the help of the cartoneros, with hidden cameras. They exposed the 
use of dangerous chemicals in drycleaner chains owned by the sister of 
politician Michetti. They have continually been working with formerly 
entrapped migrant Bolivian workers rescuing other workers from hidden 
sweatshops where they often have been trafficked in and kept to work for 
long hours, low pay, and atrocious living conditions.
In Asia as well workers are forced to work long hours, with exposure to 
health problems and often sexual harassment, and with no protection from 
their national police, but rather often the terrorism and harassment of 
their own police and of hired thugs, for their attempts to assert their 
rights as workers.
We met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 2009, 
when Asian countries were already many months into worsening financial 
and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared with us 
the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 2001 and 
their strategies for empowerment and survival.
We applaud and appreciate his strong sense of solidarity with workers 
and constant struggle to raise the rights and living standards of all 
workers regardless of origin. This is true international solidarity.
We were horrified and outraged to hear of the attack that happened on 
July 10 to Gustavo Vera and La Alameda members. We strongly condemn the 
thugs who attacked Gustavo and his companions of La Alameda in such a 
cowardly way immediately after they carried out the necessary and 
important work of rescuing workers from slave labour and exposing this 
scourge of the country which ends up profiting large companies. We also 
strongly question the role of the police, and urge that the police of 
the city and of the country make a full investigation. We urge the 
police and the government to ensure that the criminals who carried out 
the attacks are found and punished, and that Gustavo Vera and the other 
members of La Alameda are given medical care and protection from further 
attacks.
/We also support the demands of La Alameda for the victims of 
trafficking whom they rescued. We strongly urge that the city and 
national government take responsibility by immediately making a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, closing the sweatshop 
immediately, and suing the owner for violating the law on homebased 
work, the law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and 
trafficking in persons. Charges should brought against the owner of the 
brand ‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given adequate 
assistance. /
 

 
With all solidarity from Asia

 
While the attackers ran off, Gustavo Vera was brutally attacked and had 
to be taken out from the crowd by the police. Five wounded were taken to 
the hospital and various companions of La Alameda giving statements in 
police station No. 40, two blocks from the sweatshop. 
(<a href="http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">http://laretaguardiaam770.blogspot.com/</a>)
Gustavo now has 7 stitches in the head, a swollen face, a bandaged arm. 
He said he's glad they could bring the workers out and they are now 
safely at La Alameda. But don't ask where the secretary for human rights 
or for assistance to victims of trafficking are, he said, because he 
hasn't seen them.
Many of us in AMRC, ATNC Network and other groups in Hong Kong and rest 
of Asia met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 
2009, when Asian countries were already many months into worsening 
financial and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared 
with us the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 
2001 and their strategies for empowerment and survival. /He also shared 
how his organization La Alameda grew from a popular assembly to include 
a worker-run cooperative and now keeps defending workers' rights by 
exposing and helping workers where mainstream unions often don't reach - 
trafficked migrant workers in hidden sweatshops, trafficked sex workers, 
plantations where even children are forced to work.
/
/Since then, much more news has been reported about the July 10 attack 
situation. Some of that news says:
- there were 20 machines and at least 10 people living in the small 
sweatshop
- the daughter of one, a girl of 15, was abused by the owner
- two of the workers had been trafficked in directly from Bolivia to 
this sweatshop just two weeks ago
- the sweatshop made bags and clothes for a garment shop owned by 
Koreans (but note, the Korean was the final purchaser and also the 
retailer in Argentina)
- the sweatshop was closed last year after an exposure protest but for 
some reason continued producing
- the workers and people were kept enclosed in horrible living 
conditions, dirty, poor food, exposed cables, toilet in terrible state
- they had to work from 7 a.m. to 23 p.m.
- the workers were paid US$0.92 per bag produced
/
/- The guy Ayala (who is known by the garment sweatshop workers and 
called for the attack) has previously stopped an inspection. It seems 
someone is protecting him, and he is totally above the law. However now 
they have both sound recording and also a video recording showing him 
and the other attackers -including Ayala saying "get me more people" and 
policemen nearby were redirecting traffic and did not get more help, 
saying 'we are only transit police', while the thugs were beating the 
men and women to their heart's content. 40 people from La Alameda were 
there while the thugs were more than double the number.
/
/La Alameda wants the Subscretary of Labour of the city to make a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, close the sweatshop 
immediately, sue the owner for violating the law on homebased work, the 
law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and trafficking in 
persons. Extensive charges brought against the owner of the brand 
‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given  adequate 
assistance. So far the victims are being taken care of by La Alameda.
/
/_*What you can do:
*_1. Please read the below statement and give your organization/name if 
you wish to support!
/
/2. La Alameda requests donation for a carriage or two for the baby and 
a marriage bed. These materials are destined for the familes that were 
freed from the sweatshop. They need it urgently until they receive help 
from the city or national government.
3. Organize an action at the Argentine Consulate in your country. Inform 
us if you will do so - may//be our groups can do on a single date!
/
Regards
Doris
{DRAFT LETTER TO ARGENTINA AUTHORITIES FROM ASIAN WORKER GROUPS]
Att: Argentina Consulate in HK
1210 Jardine House, 1 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong Special 
Administraive Region, People's Republic of China
Tel: (852) 2523 3208 Fax: (852) 2877 0906
Attn: Cancilleria Argentina
Ministro Jorge Taiana
Jefe de Gobierno de la Ciudad Mauricio Macri
Presidente Cristina Kirchner
**
Esmeralda 1212, C1007ABR, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Tel. +54 (11) 4819-7000
Dear ______________,
It was brought to our attention that Gustavo Vera and at least seven 
other activists from La Alameda in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were 
attacked and wounded last night (July 10) after they went with 
journalists to free workers and their families from a secret garment 
sweatshop they had earlier identified. Though police were not far away, 
they did not do the job of protecting people who are working on behalf 
of all Argentinians to expose gross exploitation and enslavement of 
workers in hidden sweatshops, for the profits of heartless companies 
that fail to bear full responsibility.
La Alameda and Gustavo Vera have been working tirelessly and 
relentlessly for many years on behalf of workers and against slavery, 
and in recent months have made great media exposures of networks of 
prostitution, of places disguised as bars, where women were found to 
have been victims of trafficking, including minors. They exposed these 
with the help of the cartoneros, with hidden cameras. They exposed the 
use of dangerous chemicals in drycleaner chains owned by the sister of 
politician Michetti. They have continually been working with formerly 
entrapped migrant Bolivian workers rescuing other workers from hidden 
sweatshops where they often have been trafficked in and kept to work for 
long hours, low pay, and atrocious living conditions.
In Asia as well workers are forced to work long hours, with exposure to 
health problems and often sexual harassment, and with no protection from 
their national police, but rather often the terrorism and harassment of 
their own police and of hired thugs, for their attempts to assert their 
rights as workers.
We met Gustavo Vera in meetings in Thailand and Hong Kong in March 2009, 
when Asian countries were already many months into worsening financial 
and economic crisis and rising food and oil prices. He shared with us 
the experience of workers under Argentina’s financial crisis in 2001 and 
their strategies for empowerment and survival.
We applaud and appreciate his strong sense of solidarity with workers 
and constant struggle to raise the rights and living standards of all 
workers regardless of origin. This is true international solidarity.
We were horrified and outraged to hear of the attack that happened on 
July 10 to Gustavo Vera and La Alameda members. We strongly condemn the 
thugs who attacked Gustavo and his companions of La Alameda in such a 
cowardly way immediately after they carried out the necessary and 
important work of rescuing workers from slave labour and exposing this 
scourge of the country which ends up profiting large companies. We also 
strongly question the role of the police, and urge that the police of 
the city and of the country make a full investigation. We urge the 
police and the government to ensure that the criminals who carried out 
the attacks are found and punished, and that Gustavo Vera and the other 
members of La Alameda are given medical care and protection from further 
attacks.
/We also support the demands of La Alameda for the victims of 
trafficking whom they rescued. We strongly urge that the city and 
national government take responsibility by immediately making a full 
investigation of the sweatshop's situation, closing the sweatshop 
immediately, and suing the owner for violating the law on homebased 
work, the law on trafficking, and for reduction to servitude and 
trafficking in persons. Charges should brought against the owner of the 
brand ‘Susana L’ and  the victims should be immediately given adequate 
assistance. /
With all solidarity from Asia