Words of Comrade Mónica Caballero with Alfredo Cospito
November 22nd, 2022
A few days ago, I received the news that the indomitable Alfredo Cospito began a hunger strike to demand his release from the 41 bis legal torture regime.
For those who do not know Alfredo Cospito, he is an anarchist comrade kidnapped by the Italian state, since 2012, for an attack against one of those responsible for the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. This action was claimed by the Olga FAI-FRI faction and Alfredo took responsibility for it.
Since this conviction, the comrade has been prosecuted in several repressive operations, such as Scripta Manet, Sybilla, which have managed to obtain convictions and have added more years to the comrade’s already long sentence.
The 41 bis is basically a regime of total isolation in which the prisoner is restricted, limited and censored in all his communications. Censorship is one of the Italian state’s main motivations for applying the 41 bis to Alfredo since the comrade has always had the opportunity to spread informal anarchist ideas that incite action, and he has also concerned himself with being part of the debates that various groups and individuals promote in different territories.
In this way Alfredo, despite all the difficulties, continues to be an active and very valuable comrade in the construction of destructive ideologies. Those in power know that Alfredo’s pen is dangerous, that is why it is better to keep him in the smallest cage possible with as many eyes on him as possible to control his every move.
The 41 bis, was born to dismantle criminal gangs, mafias, subduing their leaders by accepting their repentance and exist from their organization, in exchange for letting them out of the regime. It is necessary and urgent to denounce the fact that a prisoner can die, as has already happened because of 41 bis, isolated in a special penitentiary regime that, among other restrictions, consists of an isolation of 22 hours a day, with only one possibility of visit with a member of your family per month lasting no more than one hour through a glass divider, without physical contact. It is forbidden to receive books and any other type of documents from the outside.
According to the last modifications of 2009, the Minister of Justice may order this prison sentence for any detainee accused of crimes related to organized crime, through a first decree for a period of four years, indefinitely renewable, every two years.
In Alfredo’s case, leaving the regime is somewhat more complex, since he does not belong to any organization and in terms of repentance, he would have to renounce Anarchy.
Alfredo has been very clear in his position against the prison regime, his unwavering response of not submitting or repenting, maintaining a willingness to fight, using his body as a tool, is another example of the strong seditious convictions that he possesses.
With these words, I would like to make a call to everyone to join with Alfredo to spread news of his situation, to show solidarity and above all to act against those who are adding more chainlinks to Cospito’s chain.
I take this opportunity to send a big hug to my comrade Juan Sorroche, who joined Alfredo’s mobilization. Alfredo and Juan, their actions and coherence, fill anti-authoritarian hearts with pride!
For the destruction of all forms of domination,
Fire to the prisons,
End 41 bis.
Long live Anarchy!
Mónica Caballero Sepúlveda
Anarchist Prisoner
November 2022
To write to the comrade:
Mónica Caballero Sepúlveda
San Miguel Women’s Pretrial Detention Center
San Francisco 4756
San Miguel, Metropolitan Region
Chile