In Chiapas
1.
Good News: 170 Zapatista Bases Return to Chilon - The 170
Zapatista support bases that were expelled from San Marcos
Aviles, Chilon, Chiapas, by members of the PRI, PRD and PVEM political
parties in retaliation for building an autonomous Zapatista school have
returned to their homes in San Marcos. According to the Good Government
Junta in Oventik, they were accompanied in their return by a
group of Zapatistas from nearby communities and are now working their
lands again. The return demonstrates the Zapatista practice of
defending their lands with the non-violent solidarity of numbers!
2.
The Army of God's "Commander" Writes To Blake Mora - Esdras Alonso
Gonzalez, Director of the Eagle Wings Church and self-described
commander of the evangelical grouping known as the Army of God, sent a
letter to federal Interior Minister, Jose Francisco Blake Mora. In it
he asks the federal government to intervene in the Mitziton Ejido
against ejido members adhered to the EZLN's Other Campaign and
against the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba)
for supporting the Other Campaign adherents. He claims that the Other
Campaign adherents never stop provoking and destabilizing.The letter
denies that the Army of God is an armed group or a criminal group and
blames the Zapatista movement, including its supporters and its
"outside" "advisors", as well as foreigners of supporting conflict and
asks the government to check the visas of the foreigners. And on and
on...
Prior
to the letter, Mitziton had denounced that attacks and provocations
were increasing. Much of the current conflict is over the Army of God's
illegal logging on Mitziton's ejido lands. After the letters,
members of the Army of God allegedly kidnapped and tortured 2 soldiers
from the Rancho Nuevo Military Base. There is no report of any charges
being brought against them.
3.
Mitziton Responds - Mitziton Ejido owners adhered to the Other
Campaign sent their own letter to Blake Mora. They indicate that the
problem in the community is not because of religious divisions. "That
has only been a pretext for those who attack and demean us. We know
that the right to freedom of religion exists and we comply with it. We
are not Catholic traditionalists. We are men, women, girls, boys and
elderly that struggle for our indigenous rights, recognized in
international laws and our own Constitution, which at times have been
violated by the three levels of government." They assert that all the
facts they state in their denunciations are true. In another
denunciation, Mitziton once again demanded that the government relocate
the ejido members belonging to the Army of God.
4.
Release 15 More Sentenced for Acteal Massacre - Another group of
those sentenced for participating in the Acteal Massacre on December
22, 1997, were released early from the El Amate Prison in Chiapas due
to "good behavior." Las Abejas of Acteal, the Catholic pacifist
organization to which all the victims belonged, expressed their "rage
and indignation" at the release. Bishop Arizmendi of the San San
Cristobal Diocese criticized the "progressive liberation" of those
involved in the killings, fearing that over time it would be like there
was no massacre.
5.
Chiapas Wins Appeal Over Mining As New Threats Emerge Against Mining
Opponents - An appellate court
in Mexico City determined that the barite mine located in
Chicomuselo Municipality will have to remain closed until the Canadian
company Blackfire, concessioner of the deposit, fulfills the
regulations indicated by the Chiapas Secretary of Environment, Housing
and Natural History (Semavihn). The Semavihn closed the mine for
alleged violations of state environmental law after the November 2009
murder of Mariano Abarca, leader of the community movement against
mining. This April, Blackfire obtained a protective order (injunction)
enabling the company to continue mining, but the Chiapas government
appealed and won. The movement of Chicomuselo residents opposed to the
barite mine continues and death threats have been made to a parish
priest and to Mariano Abarca's son, Uriel, who is working with
those opposed to the mine because of the contamination it causes to the
soil, air and water.
6.
Police Dismantle Radio Proletaria - On October 12, police
dismantled Radio Proletaria, a community based station operated for the
past four years by the Emiliano Zapata Proletarian Organizacion
(OPEZ-MLN) in the OPEZ-MLN offices in a barrio of Tuxtla Gutierrez, the
capital of Chiapas. At least five people associated with
the station were arrested, including a 15-year-old who hosts a music
program. OPEZ is in the midst of a statewide protest, demanding
the release from prison of two of its leaders, Caralampio
Gómez and Juan Díaz Gómez. In recent days
the radio station reported on permanent encampments maintained by
OPEZ-MLN in front of the state government palace and the United Nations
office in San Cristobal de las Casas. Gómez is considered a
"political prisoner" by his organization.
7.
Shooting at Zapatista Bathing Spa; Zapatistas Detain 1 Man - On
October 22, 2 men began to shout death threats at Zapatistas who were
working at the El Salvador Spa, adjacent to Agua Clara Ejido,
Comandanta Ramona autonomous municipality. When the 2 men palmed their
machetes while making the death threats, the Zapatistas decided
to detain them. One was able to escape and, from a distance, fired 50
shots at the Zapatistas. The other man was detained. Both men are known
as assailants who rob tourists on the highway between Ocosingo and
Palenque. In fact, the man detained is none other than Manuel Perez
Gomez, who had been detained previously by Zapatistas after the 2009
incident in Bachajon. In that incident, police detained 7 Other
Campaign adherents and 1 Zapatista after anti-Zapatistas accused them
of being the ones who were robbing tourists. The Zapatistas then
detained the "real robbers" and announced their detention. After that
announcement, the Zapatista was quickly released and the Other Campaign
members were eventually all released.
In Other Parts of Mexico
1.
Oaxaca: 2 More San Juan Copala Murders - Two members of
the Movement of Unification and Triqui Struggle Independent (MULTI),
identified with San Juan Copala autonomous municipality, were murdered
on October 17 in an ambush perpetrated on the highway to Yosoyuxi by
men that were carrying high power rifles. One of the victims, Teresa
Ramirez Sanchez, together with another 134 inhabitants of San Juan
Copala, enjoys the precautionary measures dictated by the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IAHRC). Jordan Ramirez
Gonzalez, husband of the dead woman, to whom the organism also granted
said measures, was injured in the attack. Serafin Ubaldo Zurita, the
34-year-old driver, and Teresa Ramírez Sánchez, 30, died
in the vehicle, while Domingo Ramírez Ortega, 62, and Jordan
Ramirez Gonzalez, 34, were injured. On October 9, the IAHRC had asked
the Mexican government to implement precautionary measures to protect
the 135 Triquis of San Juan Copala. The IAHRC is a commission of the
Organization of American States (OAS).
2.
Oaxaca: CODECI Leader Murdered in Tuxtepec - On October 22,
Catarino Torres Pereda, Secretary General of the Citizen's Defense
Committee (Codeci) and one of the first prisoners because of the APPO's
2006 popular movement in Oaxaca, was executed in the
organization's offices, located in the city of Tuxtepec, in the
northeast corner of Oaxaca near the Veracruz border. Torres Pereda was
a leader in the struggle for indigenous and campesino rights, an
adherent to the EZLN's Other Campaign and a leader in the APPO. Codeci
is pointing fingers directly at the state government of Ulises Ruiz
(PRI). Torres Pereda worked for the election of the successful PRD
candidate for governor.
3.
Oaxaca: MULT Leader Also Murdered in Triqui Region - On October 23,
a leader of the Movement of Unification and Triqui Struggle (MULT),
Heriberto Pazos Ortiz, was executed in Cinco Senores, located to the
east of the city of Oaxaca. Earlier in the month, on October 12 (Dia de
la Raza), Pazos Ortiz was one of the MULT leaders calling for a
dialogue with the rival Triqui group, the MULTI. Church officials have
called for a peace dialogue between the 2 groups and the MULT marched
for peace and introduced its representatives to the dialogue. The MULT
is also a member of the Other Campaign.
Pazos
Ortiz was shot and killed as he was riding in the back seat of a
vehicle, escorted by 3 guards; one private bodyguard and 2 agents from
the State Investigation Agency (AFI, in Spanish). The killers pulled
alongside the car and shot at Pazos Ortiz through the open back window,
killing him. The guards did not immediately realize what had happened
because the guns had silencers. State officials are investigating the
murder and have detained the 3 guards. The MULT is defending the guards
and claiming they are innocent. Meanwhile the current PRI government of
Ulises Ruiz leaves office at the end of November. A PRD Governor will
take office December 1.
__________________________________________________
Compiled
monthly by the Chiapas Support Committee.
The
primary sources for our information are: La Jornada, Enlace
Zapatista and the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center
(Frayba).
We
encourage folks to distribute this information widely, but please
include our name and contact information in the distribution.
Gracias/Thanks.
News
Summaries from previous months are now posted on our web page:
_______________________________________________________
Chiapas
Support Committee/Comité de Apoyo a Chiapas
P.O.
Box 3421, Oakland, CA 94609
Tel:
(510) 654-9587