Texas political prisoner urgently needs health care

Austin, Texas — Supporters of Texas prisoner Xinachtli demonstrated at the Texas governor’s mansion in Austin on Dec. 13 to demand immediate medical care for this elderly activist who has been held in solitary confinement for 23 of the 29 years he has been incarcerated.

It is well-documented that most incarcerated people in the U.S. receive horrible medical care. And for those who are elders, abuse is severe.

At the rally, Maria Salazar, a facilitator for the Campaign to Free Xinachtli, told the crowd: “We are here today to demand that Xinachtli is released from prison and gets justice for the elder abuse that he has experienced in the McConnell Unit, in Beeville, Texas. In the last six months, this includes losing his ability to walk, leaving him in a wheelchair. He has lost his mobility and is unable to stand on his own. He is experiencing numbness in his hands and feet, he is experiencing potential memory loss, and his vision is declining.

“Because of the conditions on the McConnell Unit, which includes a rat infestation, starvation of needed nutrition, and isolation, he has been unable to  recover or even slightly heal. The most recent decline in his health happened after two major falls – one in the shower where he was not given any disability accommodations and the second one in his cell where he fell and experienced injury to the scalp.”

Due to intense pressure from supporters, Xinachtli was recently transferred to the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital in Galveston. Activists from Houston, Austin and San Antonio were militant and firm in their demands.

Once he leaves the hospital, they ask that Xinachtli is either transferred to an ADA (American with Disabilities Act)-accessible geriatric and medical unit, preferably the Richard P. LeBlanc Unit in Beaumont, Texas, or receives approval of Medically Recommended Intensive Supervision (MRIS) so he can receive appropriate medical care outside of the abusive environment of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Salazar ended by saying, “Movements around the world are showing us what people power can accomplish. From the resistance of the Palestinian people, to the self determination of the people of Venezuela, and countless political prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal, Monsour Owolabi, and Kamau Sadiki, we are lucky to have their guidance of what it means to fight for the right to live.”

Incarcerated as Alvaro Hernandez, Xinachtli is now 73 years old. He can receive letters of encouragement by writing to:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Alvaro Hernandez #00255735
P. O. Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266

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