As the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers gathers for its Seventh Congress, this work takes on a renewed urgency. From the defense of those arrested on September 21, to legal challenges against repression and corruption, to the pursuit of justice in international tribunals — the struggle continues. Seven Congresses strong, we carry forward this mandate: to use the law to challenge the status quo, confront power, and serve the people.

We reiterate our call for the immediate release of all those unlawfully arrested on September 21, for urgent medical treatment of those injured, and for a full, independent inquiry into the acts of torture, cruel treatment, and arbitrary detention committed under police custody.

It is not disorder or damage to property that most endangers society, but the daily violence of hunger, corruption, and repression. It is the poor who are punished swiftly and harshly, while those truly responsible for the country’s decay are shielded from accountability.