It was a chronicle of an announced sentence. Indigenous Argentinian social leader Milagro Salas was sentenced to 13 years in prison in her fourth consecutive trial.

Absolved in three previous trials, in which she was accused of very serious crimes, finally the social leader was sentenced in a trial which looked much more as a political revenge than a legal procedure.

The court was composed of three substitute judges (they did not win fix place for not having overcome the necessary legal steps) and the evidences produced were generic and even photocopies and not original documents, without date.

The main prosecutor witness, in fact, could not testify in Court because he had been  detained a few days before the trial in Taiwan, found in possession of 1,5 Kg of cocaine. The same witness had originally be a defendant and later reached an agreement with the Prosecutor becoming one of the main accuser of Milagro Salas.

This last trial turned into a trial against the Tupac Amaru organisation, led by Salas. As well as the social leader, Graciela López y Javier was sentenced to 8 years in prison, P Patricia Cabana, Iván Altamira and Miguel Angel Asivila to 7 years (and immediately jailed). On the other hand Aizamas Gladis and Mirta Guerrero, who had been in prison for two years and nine months were sentenced to 6 years in prison, while Milagro Salas’ partner, Raul Noro, who is seriously ill, was sentenced to 3 years suspended prison sentence.

During the controversial trial, defendant Graciela López declared: “We have been formed as militants since 2001 and we have been fighting since then for education, health and work, and today we are witnessing how social organisations are being destroyed.”

Defence lawyers exposed the numerous irregularities and accused the Jujuy State Governor, Gerardo Morales, of having directly influenced the composition of the Court. The lawyers said that they will appeal to federal instances, in particular the Supreme Court and the InterAmerican Human Rights Commission (CIDH), an institution which has ruled in several occasion in favour of Milagro Salas.

On its part, the Committee of Solidarity with Milagro Salas said: “We are facing the trying of events tailored according to the needs of a clear decision to politically persecute the main political opposition in Jujuy.”