How a community group freed a farmworker facing life in prison
When Virgilio Aguilar Mendez was falsely accused and arrested for the tragic death of a sheriff officer, he faced life in prison. But everything changed when Mariana Blanco from an organisation representing his community, the Guatemalan-Maya Center, started a petition to spread the word that Virgilio's constitutional and civil rights were violated.
“Change.org played a huge part in the release of Virgilio. We couldn't sit knowing he would spend the rest of his life in prison for a crime he didn't commit.”
Mariana Blanco, criador do abaixo-assinadoHer campaign quickly became viral with support from influencers on TikTok who shared the petition widely. It soon grew to over 500,000 signatures. This nationwide effort soon led to a victory when prosecutors dropped all charges. Mariana says the petition was critical to freeing Virgilio after almost a year in prison, "Change allowed us to tell a story we knew wasn't going to be told in other outlets - voices together are louder".
Confira o abaixo-assinado para saber como ele alcançou tanto sucesso.