Newlands pursued similar strategies on Arreaga’s behalf, taking two trips to Mexico to attend numerous meetings with government officials, and to hold press conferences that were very well attended. She again worked with local lawyers, and with local, national, and international organizations in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe, in order to rally support for Arreaga.
In August 2005, while still in prison, Arreaga received the Sierra Club’s prestigious Chico Mendes Award ”for outstanding environmental heroism, courage and leadership.” Celsa Valdovinos, Arreaga’s wife and the founder of a local women’s environmental group, was a co-recipient of the award for the work she conducted in the face of threats to her personal safety.
The Trial
Felipe Arreaga’s trial was finally held over the summer of 2005, and the evidence against him was indeed as weak as his supporters had always claimed. The defense team was optimistic. After a nerve-wracking wait of some weeks, Judge Ricardo Salinas’ decision was announced on September 8, 2005. After spending over ten months in prison, Felipe Arreaga was found innocent and was released.
Marcia Newlands’ extraordinary work on behalf of Isidro Baldenegro and Felipe Arreaga surely merited recognition, so EDLC nominated her for a pro bono award from the Washington State Bar Association. In September 2005, Newlands was honored with the “Courageous Award” by the Association. Incredibly, just one hour before the awards ceremony, Newlands and EDLC learned that the judge had found Arreaga innocent and released him from jail that very afternoon.
Two weeks later, Felipe Arreaga wrote an open letter to his supporters:
I have always believed in the law, and my fight has been for a government that respects the law, but my disillusionment has been great during these months in prison because I can see that the interests of the powerful are greater than the respect for the law. I suffered a ten month nightmare. The prison I had to endure is a torture whose wounds cannot be healed.
You can be sure that my fight will not stop and that you can count on me. I will continue to walk through the sierra and talk about human rights and everyone’s right to a healthy environment. I will work arm in arm with my wife watching over the forests and planting trees, which is like planting water. I am thinking of all of you with gratitude. I am indebted to you and will try to remain true to my cause, which is the cause of everybody.
Sincerely,
FELIPE ARREAGA SANCHEZ
A free man, as I was born
Postscript
On September 16, 2009, while traveling along the highway connecting Acapulco and Zihuatanejo, Felipe Arreaga was struck and killed by a minibus. The driver fled the scene and was never apprehended.
- Felipe Arreaga, letter to supporters after his release from prison