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Thank you letter to Hilary Clinton from Rodolfo Montiel's wife, Ubalda Cortés Salgado May 25, 2000 Dear Mrs. Clinton,
Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you, and for your kind words of support. I am grateful that you had your photograph taken with me, to show the Mexican government that important leaders from other countries know that Rodolfo is not a criminal, but a globally recognized defender of the environment. Since my husband’s arrest, I have suffered hardship, loneliness, and sorrow. But I have drawn upon inner strength and courage to survive. I have learned to be both father and mother to our six children, to care for them and provide for them while their father is in prison. More troubling than my loneliness is my fear. Rodolfo is in jail because his struggle to protect the earth angered powerful land-owners in our village who want to keep destroying the forests for profit. They use the soldiers as their personal army, ordering them to harass and harm those of us who are members of the Peasant Environmental Organization. Because of their threats, my children and I fled our village and live in hiding. Yet I live in fear that someone might discover us in our new home and harm or kidnap one of my children. Please help me protect my children, so we can live in safety, without fear of revenge by the land-owners and soldiers. I ask you to support my family and all the peasants of Guerrero, so that we can struggle to protect our forests and our children’s future without fear of repression by the military government. I look forward to the day when Rodolfo is freed, since my children and I miss his warmth and love. Because of the efforts of the Goldman Foundation, that day is closer than ever. Your support would undoubtedly bring my husband home. Rodolfo hopes that all will understand his struggle: If the trees disappear, so will our food, our water, and our earth, and if this happens we will all be in danger. He will never give up his struggle for the forests, for the rivers, and for life. I hope these simple words express my eternal gratitude for your assistance. Yours faithfully, Ubalda Cortés Salgado Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use |
It was an honor to meet you last month during the reception at your home for this
year’s winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize. I came on behalf of my husband,
Rodolfo Montiel Flores, the Goldman Prize winner from Mexico. Rodolfo has been in jail for
more than a year because of his efforts to stop deforestation in Guerrero.