SANTIAGO DE CHILE.- During the recent massive protests in Mexico City over the near two-month-long disappearance of 43 students from a rural teacher training academy, a Chilean was arrested. According to witness accounts, the detention was unjust, and has provoked additional protests in Chile with anti-Mexico sentiment.

Lawrence Maxwell Ilabaca, age 47-years-old, was in the country studying a Doctorate degree at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He was in the area of the protests, in a section where violence erupted, and was arrested by Federal police. The action has generated harsh reactions in Chile given accounts that the arrest was completely arbitrary.

The Mexican Prosecutor has accused the writer and musician of terrorist activities, organized crime, attempted murder, and mutiny (the latter charge was later dropped). Witnesses and friends are countering the charges and state that Maxwell was not involved in the protest. According to Mercedes Rojas, a fellow Chilean and friend of his, told the press that her friend was not participating in the protests and that he had arrived on bike on the outskirts of the protest, which was taking place in the national square (known as the Zocalo) to watch the protest from afar.

"However, a stampede of protesters fleeing from the police trampled him, and that is when he was grabbed by the police", said Rojas. Rojas states that Maxwell was taken into custody at that point.

The Mexican Constitution expressly prohibits foreigners from participating in political activities in Mexico. The Chilean was then forced to submit a declaration, before the time frame established by law and without an opportunity to seek counsel. He was then transported to a prison in Veracruz on Saturday morning. He is reportedly doing fine, but has not yet been able to contact an attorney that has been hired by his family.

More than eighty people protested outside the Mexican Embassy in Santiago de Chile for the cause, and demanded that the authorities do whatever is diplomatically necessary to obtain the freedom of Maxwell. Chilean Authorities have stated that they are currently in discussions with Mexican diplomats on the topic, although the President of the External Relations Commission Jorge Tarud has stated that he does not agree with the detention

via his Twitter account "The accusation of Terrorism in Mexico by Chilean Maxwell for participating in a protest for the 43 missing students is not reasonable.", said Tarud[/p][/p]

According to Maxwell's mother, Maria Eugenia Ilabaca, "This protest is to show ourselves before the Mexican embassy so that they hear us and voice our concern, as parents, for the unfair things that he is being charged with". "It is evident that our son had nothing to do with the violent acts that took place."

The Mexican Government has repeatedly stated that the Chilean will be processed via the legal system, and that all those detained "enjoy the rights afforded by the Mexican legal system."

The diplomatic problems with Chile come in tandem with similar problems with Uruguay, all as a result of the disappearance of the 43 students from Guerrero, reportedly by the hands of Mexican municipal police forces.

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jose.sanchez@sandiegored.com