A Letter From Hugo Blanco

The following letter has been received by John Edmunds , secretary of the British Committee for Solidarity with the Victims of Repression in Peru, it is dated July 2nd and was sent from the El Fronton prison: " I am deeply moved on reading your letter and the newspaper cuttings of your march and demonstration of February 19th and your meeting on May 26th 1967. Senorita Rose Alarco (of The Human Rights Committee in Peru) delivered these to me personally, in spite of all the trials and difficulties in getting permission to visit me here in El Fronton prison, At the same time she gave me one of the red badges your Committee had made, and also a great deal of news of your Committee's activities, We are deeply grateful for the great work undertaken by your Committee", (British Committee for Solidarity with the Victims of Repression in Peru). "It is evidence of your deep concern and your spirit of internationalism, Your solidarity with suffering and struggling Peru gives us great encouragment to continue the struggle to emancipate all mankind from its degradation. All my fellow political prisoners join me in thanking Bertrand Russell, Isaac Deutscher, William Molloy, Syd Bidwell, Hamza Alavi, Koger Protz and the two ladies Frida Laski and Millie van Gelderen. And to all those members of your Committee who are doing so much for our country, You have expressed your solidarity in such well-chosen words which strike such a sympathetic chord in me, and the news which you give us of your solidarity will resound from the heights of the Andes to the depths of the jungles and the valleys, so that all Peru in her anguish will know that our hearts beat with our brothers in distant lands....." N.B. The Committee forwarded the sum of £20 to Peru last week for Hugo Blanco's family and for his and other prisoners' defence, More activities are to take place to raise further sums - these activities will be publicised in The Week.