Published 18/05/2026 12:00
The Tales of Resistance Exhibition of the Municipal Union of Secondary Students of São Paulo (Umes) this Saturday (16) began with an enthusiastic demonstration of solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoner Mohamed Bouchana, unjustly detained since January 27th, at the request of the Moroccan monarchy, at Guarulhos international airport.
“As this is an exhibition that tells of the resistance of black people, I would like to talk about the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which is experiencing a situation very similar to Palestine, of occupying the territory. Just like Israel, there is a brutal domination of Morocco”, said the director of Culture at UMES, Guilherme Lima.
Welcoming the presence of young Ibtissam Wiklandour, Mohamed’s wife, Guilherme called on everyone to join the anti-colonial struggle of the Sahrawi people, illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975.
The fact is that despite having faced countless persecutions and torture throughout his life for his independence actions, Mohamed was not accused of any other “crime” besides his activism for human rights. He obtained a passport legally, issued by the Moroccan government itself, which was given to him while he lived in neighboring Mauritania. They passed through the international airports of Mauritania, Tunisia, Dubai and Ethiopia until they arrived in Guarulhos and were surprised by the “red alert” launched against Mohamed.
After months of detention in the restricted area at Guarulhos airport, the activist was sent to the Federal Police Superintendence in São Paulo.
In the asylum request, given the risks that Mohamed Bouchana is exposed to, the lawyers point out that “he has been a collaborator of the political organization Coordination Kdim Izik, founded with the aim of promoting the defense of the right to self-determination and the demand for sovereignty of the Sahrawi people”. “Mohamed participated in demonstrations for the pro-Sahrawi cause, as can be seen in photographic evidence. In 2010, while still a minor, he suffered reprisals and illegal imprisonment for exercising his freedom to demonstrate against Morocco’s occupation of Sahrawi territory”, they emphasize.
“The last colony in Africa”
“The center of the dispute is the enormous riches of the territory of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa: phosphate, fishing, fertile land for the production of vegetables, fruits and gourmet vegetables, the various minerals. Occupation is synonymous with plunder”, declared professor Monica Fonseca Severo.
As part of a solidarity brigade for the Saharawi people, in November 2025, Monica reported having “seen up close the difficulties of the just resistance of the people of the desert. From the refugee camps, in the midst of enormous needs, the armed struggle begins. Those who live in the occupied territories face violence every day for the slightest protest: carrying a SADR flag could mean kidnapping and disappearance.”
The Moroccan occupation relies on assistance from the Mossad (“Israeli special operations”), the United States war machine and mercenaries. “The Moroccan monarchy built the largest segregation wall on the planet, 2,750 kilometers, with the most modern radars, minefields and an army of 150,000 soldiers. Even so, the brave Sahrawi fighters achieved significant victories on the battlefields”, recalled Monica. “We now need to enforce the resolutions of the United Nations and international courts and respect the sovereignty and self-determination of the people”, he concluded.
Source: vermelho.org.br