#FreeNico Bond Fund - Mijente
Nico is one of the most peaceful people you’ll ever meet. He practices reiki, encourages his mom not to swear, and talks about bringing light into the world.
The state has placed a record bond of $750,000 and has kept him in Juvenile detention since Thursday June 9th.
Please donate to raise the $75k we need to get him out and more to pay the legal fees we’ll need to beat his false charges.
Nico (Tomas) Gaete is a 17 year old Chicago teen being unjustly charged for a crime he didn’t commit. His mother, Carolina Gaete, is a well-known community activist who is working day in and day out to see him freed.
Caro has helped many of us, now its time for us to show up for her and the Gaete family.
Caro is the co-director of Blocks Together, an organization that “tackles social justice issues relating to education, housing, economic justice and the criminalization of youth and frames its work through the lens of racial justice and human rights and makes connections to broader social justice movements.” She participated in the 19-day hunger strike for Little Village High School in 2001. Her father was a Chilean political prisoner. She grew up a Chilean exile in Little Village, the neighborhood she raised her son Nico.
Describing what happened when the police took Nico from her, Caro said, “I feel like my child has been ripped away from me and unless I have 75K for ransom I don’t get my child back. It is an understatement to say I was a wreck and lost it for a bit.” Despite being wrongfully accused and imprisoned, Caro reports Nico is keeping his spirits up. ““He shared stories of the guys he met and how he felt bad for them because many of them don’t have the support system and he has. Even in the midst of his own pain and confusion he recognizes he is blessed. He told he has felt the love and knows that he has a community of people that love him, and believe in him. …. he had a lot on his mind and asked one of the guards for a paper and pen and he wrote — writing is his therapy.”
We filed for a bond reduction and the next hearing is on Friday. With your help, we could have Nico out this weekend. Please support.
UPDATES:
June 17: The judge granted the motion to reduce Nico’s bond to $300,000. That means he should be able to be released today. Please keep donating for the legal fees for the fight ahead.