Mexican Human-shields on Trip to Iraq

Latin American Human Rights Organizations from several countries also send activists to Middle East to protest against the war.

A crowd gathered at Mexico City's international airport to say goodbye to eight Mexican volunteers on trip to Iraq to demonstrate against war plans for Middle East. People celebrated with music, banners and anti-war slogans the departure of the human-shield on their will to stop the imminent armed conflict.

Two women, a 55 years psychologist and a 45 years nun, together with six men flew to Baghdad. "Give peace a chance" and "Not in our name" was the preferred slogans of the demonstrators. The famous Mariachi singers also took part on the farewell meeting.

In Buenos Aires, the leader of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, the Human Rights organization that claims for information about the fate of 30.000 of "dissapeared" people during the military rulings, also confirmed she was ready to fly to Iraq. Hebe de Bonafini is an experienced "Human Shield, as participated in the anti-war demonstrations in Belgrade during the NATO bombing to the city in 1999.

"Mothers from all over the world know about the pain and the courage of the Iraqi people. We support this brave country that has been standing up for the arrogance of the US imperialism for years", said in a statement, the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Association.

As they, many organizations from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and other Latin American nations are sending representatives to challenge the imminent US bombing to Baghdad. Since February, hundreds from all over the world reached Iraq's Capital to protect with their bodies the civil population from the US weapons. The British HR Group, Human Shields, coordinates the activity in all major capitals.

"We do not want to go there to die, we want to stop the war", told reporters in Mexico, Alexis Forcada, a 32 years Sociologist before boarding his plane to Baghdad. "We expect Fox (Mexico's President) will be strong enough not to surrender to the US blackmail", said Mercedes Perello, group coordinator in Mexico.

Both Latin American seats at the UN Security Council, Chile and Mexico, are under a strong pressure from Washington to support a new resolution including the "use of force" clause. Surely this is part of the explanation why diplomats from both countries keep silence since Monday.

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina