So ends the longest political trial in the history of the country*.
A small victory that is a breath of fresh air for the social and popular movement in Costa Rica
Executive Committee of the Partido Revolucionario de las y los Trabajadores
We are very happy that our comrade Orlando Barrantes was acquitted yesterday morning, October 27, 2022, of all the charges for which he was unjustly accused. After this ordeal, the comrade will be able to sleep peacefully today, as will we who have been closely following the judicial process against him.
In spite of the fact that Orlando Barrantes’ attorney requested the acquittal for certainty, in the reading of the sentence the court acquits them; both Orlando and Ivan Angulo, the other accused; with the figure in dubio pro reo, which means that they are acquitted because their guilt cannot be proven. In spite of this, it represents a triumph for the social and popular movement. Especially because, explained comrade Barrantes at the exit of the Courts of Guápiles, that, due to a change in the legislation, the prosecution will not be able to accuse him again, which puts a definitive end to the longest political trial in the history of our country. Although in the reading of the sentence the court maintains that it is not a political trial, the viciousness with which the Costa Rican bourgeois judicial apparatus has persecuted Orlando Barrantes is clearly a violation of human rights, the comrade was tried and acquitted several times for the same cause in a trial that had become endless.
We must emphasize the importance of solidarity and mobilization, which makes the case visible and brings it to the public’s attention. We thank all the people who mobilized and were present at the courts and all the national, foreign and international organizations that expressed their solidarity with the comrade.
In the midst of a political climate in which there is a lot of accumulated anger but little organization and few actions for demands, this small victory is very important to begin the work of political regrouping and accumulation of forces to wage struggles against the government of Chaves and the big bourgeoisie, movements and struggles that are on the horizon, such as, for example, the defense of pensions, of social security, for general wage increases to compensate the accelerated rate of inflation, for the budget for public education, among others.
We will continue to fight alongside comrade Orlando!
Let’s prepare the organization to fight against the anti-worker policies of the government and the big bourgeoisie!
* Originally published in periodicobanderaroja.com