Iguala - Ms Ethel Kennedy, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Centre, yesterday visited two Mexican peasant activists behind bars who say they were jailed for fighting illegal logging in their community. Ms Kennedy, sister-in-law of the former US president, John F. Kennedy, presented an environmental activism award to Rodolfo Montiel at his jail in Iguala, 122 miles south of Mexico City.
Ms Kennedy gave the Chico Mendes Award to Montiel on behalf of the US environmental group, the Sierra Club - the fifth such award since it was launched in 1989 in memory of Mendes, a Brazilian ecologist who was murdered for defending the Amazon jungle.
"We can say we've won because we have all the world on our side, because our struggle has been fair and reasonable. . . I would gladly give my life to see new generations enjoying the forests," said Montiel, as he embraced Ms Kennedy from behind bars.