Carlos montes
Encyclopedia
Carlos Montes was a co-founder of the Brown Berets
, a Chicano
working class youth organization in the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s. The Brown Berets were inspired by and often compared to the Black Panther Party
. Montes was one of the leaders of the Chicano Blowouts, a series of walkout
s of East Los Angeles
high schools to protest racism and inequality in Los Angeles-area high schools. He is portrayed by Fidel Gomez in the 2006 HBO movie Walkout
.
The agenda of the Brown Berets was to fight police harassment, inadequate public schools inadequate health care, inadequate job opportunities, minority education issues , the lack of political representation, and the Vietnam War
. It had a 13 point program that included self determination for Chicanos. It set up branches in Texas, New Mexico, New York, Florida, Chicago, St. Louis and other metropolitan areas with Chicano populations.
Montes was indicted twice for the ELA Blowout (he was one of the East LA 13) and later with 10 others for conspiracy to commit arson by the LAPD
at a demonstration against then Governor Reagan
in 1969. After threats against his life and beatings by the police and many arrests on false charges he went underground and lived in Mexico and later Juarez and El Paso where he did labor organizing. He was rearrested in May 1977 and tried. However, with a competent legal defense, community support and a defense committee he was found not guilty of all charges. The Walkout indictment was thrown out of court as unconstitutional.
Montes remains an activist and is a leader of Latinos Against War, a Latino
antiwar organization based in Los Angeles and a member of the immigrant advocacy group the Southern California Immigration Coalition.]].
home. According to reports, his home was ransacked and his computer, cell phones, and hundreds of documents such as photographs, diskettes, and mementos of his current political activity were removed by FBI.
He was arrested under one charge of dealing with a firearm code, and released the following morning.
His court appearance is scheduled for June 16, 2011.
Brown Berets
The Brown Berets is a Chicano nationalist activist group of young Mexican Americans that emerged during the Chicano Movement in the late 1960s and remains active to the present day. The group was seen as part of the Third Movement for Liberation. The Brown Berets focus on community organizing...
, a Chicano
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
working class youth organization in the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s. The Brown Berets were inspired by and often compared to the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
. Montes was one of the leaders of the Chicano Blowouts, a series of walkout
Walkout
In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace as an act of protest.A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an organization, especially if meant as an expression of protest or disapproval.A...
s of East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles (region)
East Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles that lies east of Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River and the unincorporated areas of Lincoln Heights, west of the San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles and City Terrace, south of Cypress Park, and north of Vernon, California and...
high schools to protest racism and inequality in Los Angeles-area high schools. He is portrayed by Fidel Gomez in the 2006 HBO movie Walkout
Walkout (film)
Walkout is a 2006 HBO film based on a true story of the 1968 East L.A. walkouts. It premiered March 18, 2006 on HBO. Starring Alexa Vega, Efren Ramirez and Michael Peña, the film was directed by Edward James Olmos...
.
The agenda of the Brown Berets was to fight police harassment, inadequate public schools inadequate health care, inadequate job opportunities, minority education issues , the lack of political representation, and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It had a 13 point program that included self determination for Chicanos. It set up branches in Texas, New Mexico, New York, Florida, Chicago, St. Louis and other metropolitan areas with Chicano populations.
Montes was indicted twice for the ELA Blowout (he was one of the East LA 13) and later with 10 others for conspiracy to commit arson by the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
at a demonstration against then Governor Reagan
Reagan
Reagan is an Irish surname, most commonly associated with Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Reagan may also refer to:-Surname:*Nancy Reagan , widow of Ronald Reagan and First Lady from 1981 to 1989...
in 1969. After threats against his life and beatings by the police and many arrests on false charges he went underground and lived in Mexico and later Juarez and El Paso where he did labor organizing. He was rearrested in May 1977 and tried. However, with a competent legal defense, community support and a defense committee he was found not guilty of all charges. The Walkout indictment was thrown out of court as unconstitutional.
Montes remains an activist and is a leader of Latinos Against War, a Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
antiwar organization based in Los Angeles and a member of the immigrant advocacy group the Southern California Immigration Coalition.]].
Current Political Activity
Carlos Montes has been organizing against unnecessary FBI raids which tend to focus on dismantling and preventing activist group activity through intimidation.Arrest
On May 17, 2011 Carlos Montes was arrested following an FBI raid in his Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
home. According to reports, his home was ransacked and his computer, cell phones, and hundreds of documents such as photographs, diskettes, and mementos of his current political activity were removed by FBI.
He was arrested under one charge of dealing with a firearm code, and released the following morning.
His court appearance is scheduled for June 16, 2011.
External links
- Interview with Carlos Montes About the Brown Berets (Winter 2003)