SEPTEMBER 2007 CHIAPAS / ZAPATISTA NEWS SUMMARY
[Dear Friends: As several of us leave for Chiapas and Sonora, It seems
urgent to call attention to the worsening situation in the Zapatista
communities. The Zapatistas’ recent communiqué suspending their tour
through central and southern Mexico reveals the seriousness of the threat.
We will present a Report Back on our trip to Chiapas and to the Indigenous
Encuentro in Sonora on December 5 at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley.
We plan to film and hope to have a video for the Report Back. Our
offices will be closed from October 2 until October 16 while we are
traveling.]
1. EPR Blows Up More Gas Pipelines -
On Monday, September 10, 6 explosions at ten pipelines disrupted
oil and gas supplies, forced thousands from their homes and caused hundreds of
millions of dollars in damage to Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Mexico’s
state-owned oil monopoly, as well as to other businesses. No one was injured.
The Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) issued a communiqué taking
responsibility for the bombings and demanding that 2 of its
detained/disappeared members be presented alive. It was the second such attack
in two months and the EPR said it planned more until all its demands are met.
In addition to the presentation of its members alive, the EPR includes among
its demands the decriminalization of popular social struggles, and dismantling
of government-affiliated paramilitary groups. The EPR blames Oaxaca
Governor Ulises Ruiz for the disappearances.
2. Army Enters Chiapas Community to Search for EPR Guerrillas -
At the end of August (8/29), the Tzotzil Maya community, 28 de Junio, in
Venustiano Carranza municipality, was occupied by Mexican Army troops, who
arrived in two trucks and four armed personnel carriers. Establishing
checkpoints at the entrances to the community, the troops then spread out
through the streets and surrounding fields, questioning residents about the
alleged presence of Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) guerrillas. Helicopters
conducted flyovers, searching for a supposed EPR training camp. Residents of
28 de Junio are members of OCEZ-Casa del Pueblo and, to the best of our
knowledge, have no connection to the Zapatistas.
3. Opddic Members Attack Zapatistas in Bolom Ajaw - On September
11, 50 members of the Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino
Rights (Opddic) attacked 9 Zapatista support bases, including two children,
from the community of Bolom Ajaw. The Zapatistas were struck with
machetes, beaten with clubs and shot at. Three Zapatistas were captured
and brutally beaten with the side of machetes and clubs on the head and the
body. All three sustained serious injuries. They were released and taken
to a clinic for medical treatment after members of the Good Government Junta
in Morelia arrived on the scene and negotiated their release. Bolom Ajaw
community is adjacent to the Agua Azul Cascades, a popular Chiapas tourist
attraction, and the state and federal governments want the land to further
develop ecotourism. Not only were the police and state government
representative planning to take the three injured Zapatistas to jail before
the Junta intervened, the government issued a false press release about the
incident and photos were published by at least one Chiapas newspaper of EZLN
insurgents from 1994, as if they were photos of the current Bolom Ajaw
incident. Reminiscent of the days of Albores Guillén!
4. Numerous Zapatista Communities Threatened - A recent report
from the Center of Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research (CAPISE)
reveals how widespread the pressures are against Zapatista communities.
According to an article in La Jornada, CAPISE lists 13 communities at
high risk: two sections of ejido Mukulum y eight villages of Agua Azul, Chilón
municipality; Ranchería El Nance, Altamirano; 24 de Diciembre
community, Las Margaritas municipality; San Juan del Río, San Alfredo, Casa
Blanca, Miguel Hidalgo, 20 de febrero, Nuevo Rosario, within the region
of La Garrucha, and Nueva Revolución and San Patricio, Caracol of Roberto
Barrios. Five of those communities at high risk are in our sister
municipality of San Manuel: San Juan del Río, Miguel Hidalgo, San Alfredo,
Casa Blanca and 20 de Febrero! We are also aware of other
communities at risk in addition to those mentioned. The situation seems
to worsen by the day as the pressure increases by paramilitary groups acting
as the shock troops for economic interests. Their goal is to take away
the land recuperated by the Zapatistas in 1994, thereby effectively crippling
many autonomous municipalities.
5. EZLN Suspends Other Campaign Tour - Just 6 days after it
issued a schedule for the 2nd Stage Other Campaign tour during October,
November and December, the EZLN posted a September 22 communiqué on its
Enlace Zapatista website suspending the tour. The September 22 communiqué
is surprising, not only for the sudden change in plans, but also because it
“legitimizes” the EPR’s political-military campaign for the lives of its
disappeared/detained guerrilla leaders. When the EZLN travels through
territory where other revolutionary armed groups have a presence, it
customarily asks them to call a truce so as not to endanger the EZLN
delegation with a political-military action. The September 22 communiqué
says that the EZLN cannot ask the EPR to declare a truce and suspend its just
and legitimate demands. It fears that the government could mount an attack and
blame the EPR. However, the obvious reason for the suspension of the
tour is the rapidly deteriorating situation faced by Zapatista communities:
the evictions, paramilitary attacks, invasions, persecution and threats. The
September 22 communiqué says that the EZLN delegates will remain in Chiapas
during the time originally scheduled for the tour and carry out peaceful
actions in defense of the Zapatista communities. An EZLN delegation will,
however, travel to Vícam, Sonora for the continental Indigenous Encuentro
(See next news Item).
6. Continental Indigenous Encuentro - The continental Indigenous
Encuentro is just weeks away (October 11-14). It will take place on
Yaqui territory in Vícam, Sonora, Mexico. Preparatory meetings have also been
announced and all non-indigenous adherents to the Sixth Declaration have been
invited to participate as Observers (without voice or vote). This will be a
very important gathering! You can sign up to attend the Encuentro on the
Enlace Zapatista blog: <
http://enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx>
For more information about the Indigenous Encuentro, visit the web site
at <
http://www.encuentroindigena.org>
7. Montes Azules Detainees Safe in La Realidad - The 33
indigenous people who were evicted from the Montes Azules on August 18 and
housed in a La Trinitaria bordello,
were first moved to an Ocosingo warehouse and, finally, sent to La Realidad
where the Good Government Junta agreed to provide shelter for them. The six
men who had been taken to prison have been released and the four who are
Zapatistas are also headed for La Realidad.
8. San Andrés Autonomous Council Receives Death Threats - The
Good Government Junta located in Oventik denounced death threats made against
specific members of the autonomous municipal council of San Andrés
Sakamch’en de los Pobres (officials know as San Andrés Larráinzar) on the
evening of September 22. The death threat are written and attributed to
two allegedly paramilitary groups: “Opddic Roja” and a “young group.”
9. Comandantes Leave Chiapas for Indigenous Encuentro - According
to a brief report in La Jornada, Marcos and 8 other commanders left San Cristóbal
de las Casas, Chiapas on September 27 for Mexico City. From there, they
will head for Sonora to participate in the continental Indigenous Encuentro
(October 11-14). Rumor has it that 2
little girls, daughters of comandantas, will travel with the delegation.
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Compiled by Mary Ann Tenuto Sánchez for the Chiapas Support Committee
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The Chiapas Support Committee is a grass roots all-volunteer human rights
organization in Oakland, California. We work with indigenous and
campesino organizations in Mexico. We have an hermanamiento
(partnership) with San Manuel autonomous Zapatista municipality. In the
Bay Area we provide public information about Chiapas through public events,
our newsletter, Chiapas Update, our listserv and web site.
We organize delegations to Chiapas and also recruit and certify human rights
observers and volunteers. We participate in the Other Campaign and the
International Campaign in Northern California. Our contact information
is below!
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