On January 1, 2011, a note began to circulate in some national and foreign newspapers starting with the Spanish press agency EFE. In the note a so-called faithful member of the EZLN's insurgent forces attributed, through a communiqué, the kidnapping of Diego Fernandez de Cevallos to the EZLN. In the confusing note distributed by the Spanish news agency it also accuses different collectives of the Other Campaign of being co-participants in said kidnapping, as well as referring to several electronic pages and ancient communiqués, of free circulation, at the disposition of anyone in the network, as sites where one can look for proof of said accusation against the Zapatistas.

 Now then, the complete communique also arrived by email on our web page, the same one that arrived at different media that published with it their note. It would be enough that they would publish the complete writing that they received so that any reader could see that it is impossible that it has an origin with the EZLN. Well, let's see, it is incoherent throughout its editing, it is clear that whoever did it is only trying to be a star, generate confusion and serve the interests of power.

 The Other Campaign is a political, civil and peaceful movement. It has been that way since its inception and it has mobilized and acted that way throughout the years. It does not resort, therefore, to kidnappings to obtain resources nor to make political propaganda.

 At the same time, it is known to everyone, that the EZLN, and its history and practice for 27 years, from its beginnings until this day, show that it does not carry out kidnappings; that goes against its principles. Therefore, the EZLN has not developed either the organizational structure or the material infrastructure for this type of action. Since the year 1994 in which the Zapatistas decreed a cease fire to the war offensive, to give an opportunity for the construction of a just and dignified peace, it has fulfilled its word, not so the Mexican State that has attacked them politically, economically and militarily since January 1, 1994 until now.

 For all these reasons it is clear, and we repeat one more time, that neither the EZLN nor the Other Campaign carry out kidnappings. Neither the EZLN nor The Other Campaign kidnapped Diego Fernandez de Cevallos.

 If anyone sympathizes or considers it politically correct to practice kidnapping, he or she has no place in the Other Campaign. Balam Warrior, the self-named person who sent the communication to which we referred, already had his 15 minutes of fame. Some media took fragments from his writing and put it on their first pages. He can enjoy them. Meanwhile, the indigenous Zapatista communities suffer a new escalation of attacks as a result of these kinds of opportunist and police occurrences. This is the real danger, companeras and companeros, we are pending before this new provocation against the Zapatista compañeros.

For Enlace Zapatista, Javier Elorriaga, Sergio Rodriguez Lascano.


Mexico, January 2, 2011.