Last Saturday, after deciding in an assembly to return to their homes after 15 days on permanent guard at the community building, some compañeros who live far away from the center were received by members of the Army of God; they were beaten, attacked with knifes, and had to be taken to the Red Cross.(Descarga aquí)  

Read the communiqué by the community of Mitzitón (Spanish).

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Comunidad de Mitzitón, Chiapas. A 28 de febrero de 2011.

A las Juntas de Buen Gobierno
A la Comisión Sexta
A la Zesta Internacional
A la Otra Campaña
Al Congreso Nacional Indígena (CNI)
A los Organismos Defensores de Derechos Humanos
A los Medios Alternativos de comunicación

Compañeras y compañeros:

Antes que nada agradecemos a todas y todos sus voces de protesta y sus acciones demostrando apoyo para nosotros y los otros adherentes de Chiapas. Como pueblo organizado de Mitzitón nos encontramos reunidos día y noche en la casa ejidal, desde el día 13 de febrero en que fuimos agredidos a balazos por los paramilitares de nuestra comunidad. Como medida de seguridad ante las agresiones y amenazas continuadas por parte de los integrantes de los grupos paramilitares, decidimos permanecer juntos en este espacio comunitario.

El día 26 de febrero aproximadamente a las 5:00 p.m. el compañero Clemente Jiménez Jiménez fue agredido a pedradas por un grupo de los agresores paramilitares, pero pensamos que sólo eso era toda su agresión y como a las 7:30 p.m. tomamos el acuerdo de ir a nuestras casas a descansar por dos días, ante el cansancio de las compañeras y compañeros.

A las 8: 00 p.m. el compañero Juan Cresencio González Hernández, adherente a la Otra Campaña, llega a su casa y se encuentra con su papá y su mamá, Juan González Gómez y Micaela Hernández Estrada. Sus papás participan en uno de los grupos agresores y en ese momento se encuentran tomando alcohol junto con Ciro Heredia Jiménez, Gabino González Hernández, Aurelio Jiménez González y Laura Ruiz Hernández. Al llegar el compañero Juan Cresencio, lo agarran entre Ciro, Gabino y Aurelio y lo empiezan a golpear.

Al escuchar los gritos del compañero Juan Cresencio, sus primos Clemente Jiménez Jiménez, de 23 años de edad y Gerardo Jiménez González de 35 años de edad acuden a auxiliarlo. Al tratar de rescatar a Juan Cresencio de sus agresores, el compañero Clemente recibe una cuchillada en la cara, partiendo su nariz en dos. Al tratar de protegerse la cara recibe otra cuchillada en la mano derecha. Ambas heridas son producidas por Ciro Heredia Jiménez. Acto seguido el mismo sujeto Ciro hiere al compañero Gerardo Jiménez González con la misma arma en la cara y el hombro izquierdo. También lo tiraron al piso y le siguieron golpeando con saña cuando él ya estaba herido.

El compañero Juan Jiménez Ventana, de 24 años de edad, también llega a auxiliar y es recibido a cachetadas por Micaela Hernández Estrada, antes de ser tirado al suelo por Gabino y Ciro, quienes le amarran el cuello con el propósito de asfixiarlo. El compañero se salva porque la compañera Guadalupe González Gómez que es su suegra, estaba cerca de ahí, escuchó sus gritos de Juan y valientemente se metió a la casa e intervino para liberarlo. Las agresiones produjeron la pérdida de conciencia de los dos compañeros Gerardo y Clemente. Pero entre su mamá, su mujer y la compañera Guadalupe, los rescataron y los sacaron de ahí. El Clemente es trasladado a la Cruz Roja por su propio papá, en donde recibe las primeras atenciones médicas.

La valoración médica actual del compañero Clemente: presenta tres heridas producidas por arma blanca, dos de ellas en la nariz (una de las cuales es profunda y corta el cartílago nasal) y otra más en la mano derecha. Las tres heridas fueron suturadas en la Cruz Roja. El compañero Gerardo presenta múltiples contusiones en cara y pecho, una herida profunda en el hombro izquierdo y otra herida en la nariz, además de varias erosiones superficiales en la cara. Ambos compañeros están estables, pero están muy afectados emocionalmente por lo sucedido. Mientras fueron atendidos los heridos, los agresores permanecieron en la casa, destrozando los muebles de la cocina.

Hoy 27 de febrero a las 9 a.m. llegaron a la casa otros miembros del mismo grupo agresor, los dirigentes Gregorio Gómez Jiménez, Manuel Jiménez Jiménez y Francisco Gómez Díaz a tomar fotos dentro de la cocina y se teme que ellos culparán falsamente a los compañeros heridos por los daños, porque así es su costumbre de andarnos fabricando delitos para que el mal gobierno tenga pretexto de llevarnos a la cárcel, y así a ver si nos echan miedo y dejamos la lucha, pero eso no lo vamos a hacer.

Denunciamos que las graves amenazas y agresiones de este grupo, se han aumentado desde 2009 en que decidimos luchar organizados para defender nuestro territorio del despojo que nos quieren hacer y que la violencia de su parte en nuestra contra ha ido escalando y coincide con los ataques a nuestros compañeros adherentes de Bachajón y de la Costa.

Hacemos responsable a los malos gobiernos en sus tres niveles de todas las agresiones que hemos sufrido y de lo que podamos sufrir porque continúan y se hacen más graves las amenazas, porque mantiene en la impunidad todo lo que nos han hecho, ha liberado hasta al asesino de nuestro compañero Aurelio, mientras que a nuestros compañeros y a otros compas que su único delito es luchar los mantiene secuestrados en sus cárceles. Nosotras y nosotros no hemos olvidado que el mal gobierno del estado se comprometió desde el 5 de junio del año pasado a reubicar a los paramilitares.

¡JUSTICIA!
¡YA BASTA DE AMENAZAS Y AGRESIONES!
¡REUBICACIÓN INMEDIATA DE LOS AGRESORES!

Pueblo Organizado de Mitizitón Adherente a la Otra Campaña

To the Other Campaign
To the Zezta International
To the People of Mexico and the World

Compas, the campaign “Thousands of rages, one heart: the Zapatista communities live!” started off on July 24, 2010 as a way to respond in an organized way to the harassment of the Zapatista communities, recognizing in this the same struggles we have everywhere, and raising the flag that says, “if they touch one of us, they touch all of us”.

Since the beginning of the campaign we have joined together as individuals, groups and organizations from across Mexico, Europe, Asia, America and Oceania, adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle proposed by the EZLN. All of us in our very different ways, places and times, have actively participated in the dissemination of the history and struggle of the Zapatista communities, and the challenge to capitalism represented by their autonomy and their initiative of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, which makes us all compas.

Now, after several months of work and confronted with the ongoing strategy of the bad government, in its federal, state and municipal levels, to harass our Zapatista compas by means of paramilitaries, armies, political parties (PRI, PAN, PRD, PT, PVerde) and through the media, we believe that the objectives of the campaign are in place and we want to reaffirm our commitment. While Power offers us the path of destruction, death and misery, the Zapatista autonomous communities and their daily struggle to solve the demands of work, land, shelter, food, health, education, information, culture, independence, democracy, justice, freedom and peace with their own hands, are a worthy benchmark for the construction of our destiny.

This is why, compas, we make the call that through the Campaign “Thousands of rages, one heart: the Zapatista communities live!” we all undertake actions on certain days to publicize specific projects that are part of the Zapatista demands, this time with a monthly theme, with actions that can be undertaken in whatever time, way, space and company each of you decides. We make a three month proposal which is open for you to alter, change, and add what you think is missing, under the umbrella of the campaign. As before, the idea is to have some common themes so we can join our efforts together, or in other words, remain open to collective construction.

The themes are:

March: The struggle of the Zapatista women

April: The struggle for land and territory in the Zapatista communities

May: Education and work in the Zapatista communities

Furthermore, we propose in this stage to link with the general struggle of the Other Campaign against plunder and repression, and with the theme of solidarity, leading to a central action on 5 May (the fifth anniversary of the acts of repression in Atenco, by the Mexican state against our compas from the FPDT [Peoples’ Front in Defence of the Land] and the Other Campaign), the day when peoples from the Other Campaign, led by compas from the Sixth Commission of the EZLN, return to Atenco, Solidarity being an action central to the Zapatista struggle.

Compas, we think that spreading information about the activities we undertake is very important, and is part of the same campaign. You are, then, welcome to send your ideas, materials, and proposals to milesderabias@gmail.com to be published on the Campaign’s blog: http://milesderabias.blogspot.com

We know that our struggle will be stronger if it is more diverse, as there are many ways to speak, to act, to raise our voice. So … fill the streets, the schools, workplaces, squares, parks, with music, dance, painting, graffiti, film, performance, photography, theatre, workshops, pamphlets, talks, fliers, sculptures, whatever. Let us express our dignified rage, let us live our tender fury, so the winds may join together and the storm may arrive.

IF YOU ATTACK THE ZAPATISTA COMMUNITIES YOU ATTACK US ALL!

Groups, organizations and adherents of the Other Campaign
Network Against Repression and for Solidarity (RvsR)

In the last weeks, violence against organized communities that defend their territories against multinational projects in Chiapas and against human rights defenders have increased dramatically. In this program, we interview adherents to the Other Campaign in Bachajón and Mitzitón and a lawyer from the Digna Ochoa Human Rights Center. (Subscribe to the podcast of Noticias de la Otra here.)(Descarga aquí)  

(Continuar leyendo…)

Given the alarming increase in repression and violence in Chiapas and the political prisoners, we interviewed today:

Representative from the community of San Sebastián Bachajón, who spoke about the events on Feb 2 and 3 and the current situation of political prisoners.(Descarga aquí)  

Lawyer from the Digna Ochoa Human Rights Center, who spoke on the events on the coast of Chiapas and the situation of the three prisoners from that center.(Descarga aquí)  

Member of the community of Mitzitón, who spoke on the situation currently lived by the community after the new attack by members of the paramlitary organization Army of God. For more than two weeks, 219 men, 302 women, and many children are living in the church and the community building, fearing new attacks.(Descarga aquí)  

After years of a process full of irregularities and impunity, despite extensive evidence, the voice of the community radio comunitaria Ñomndaa continues being stepped on; a radio station that for years has been giving voice to the voiceless, the Nnanncue indigenous peoples.

Program by Radio Ñomndaa on the case of Don Silverio Matías Domínguez, who for 10 years has demanded justice for the agression that made him lose an eye, and the impunity that declared innocent the aggressor, the current municipal secretary of Xochislahuaca and brother of the cacique Aceadeth Rocha Ramírez, José Luis Rocha Ramírez. Part 1:(Descarga aquí)  

Part 2:(Descarga aquí)  

Radio segment in solidarity with the compañer@s from Guerrero from the Other Europe (Nodo Solidale / Colectivo Zapatista de Lugano / Nomads de Xm24).(Descarga aquí)  

More information on the case.

Convocation for the Worldwide Day of Action for the Liberation of the Political Prisoners of San Sebastian Bachajón and the International Day in Honor of the Women of The Other Campaign
To our sisters and brothers of the Ejido of San Sebastian Bachajón:

To our Zapatista sisters and brothers:

To our compañer@s of The Other Campaign:

To our compañer@s of the Zezta Internazional:

To the adherents of the International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio and our allies across the world:

To the civil society in Mexico and the world:

Movement for Justice in El Barrio calls for a:

Worldwide Day of Action for the Liberation of the Political Prisoners of San Sebastián Bachajón

and an

International Day in Honor of the Women of The Other Campaign,

on March 7 and 8, respectively.
Receive greetings and embraces of solidarity from New York. We are
Movement for Justice in El Barrio, an organization of immigrants in El
Barrio, New York City that fights for human dignity and against community
displacement. We fight for the liberation of every marginalized group,
including immigrants, people of color, women, gays, lesbians,
transgender communities, and all the poor of the world. We are part of The Other Campaign.

We thank you for allowing us to share this humble proposal. From where we are at in New York, on the other side, it fills us with pain and rage to know of the situation that our brothers and sisters of San Sebastian Bachajón, fellow adherents of The Other Campaign, are confronting.

On February 3, a group of ejidatarios defending their lands, space, and birthplace of San Sebastián Bachajón, Chiapas, Mexico, was attacked and deprived of their freedom. Ten ejidatarios, who fought to defend the Agua Azul waterfall from the avarice of transnational corporations, remain illegally imprisoned.

These compañeros were taken hostage, as part of a strategy to enable the bad government and multinational corporations to seize the natural resources from their ejido (communal farming land). And now they must face a judicial system that imparts not justice but vengeance upon those who do not bow to the bad government’s interests.

For this reason, sisters and brothers, we urgently request your understanding and generosity in demanding that the repressive governorJuan Sabines Guerrero free the ten, unjustly incarcerated, prisoners.

To that end, we propose that, on Monday, March 7, 2011, we unite our forces and organize actions – from our particular locations and different forms of struggle – such as demonstrations, marches, informative street actions, flyering, public forums, theatre, teach-ins, and any other activity to realize the Worldwide Day of Action for the Liberation of the Political Prisoners of San Sebastian Bachajón.

In addition, we propose that this Tuesday, March 8, be a day to celebrate all the women of The Other Campaign for their dignified struggle, from below and to the left, for a new world. We invite everyone to organize activities for the International Day in Honor of the Women of The Other Campaign. On this day, we will celebrate the brave women of San Sebastián Bachajón; the women from autonomous Zapatista communities who resist with dignity the state and federal governments’ repression; the women of East Harlem, NYC who from here resist and fight against displacement and the avarice of transnational corporations; and ALL the women fighters of The Other Campaign.

We ask that you please let us know as soon as possible if you accept our proposal and will participate. You may contact us by email at movementforjusticeinelbarrio@yahoo.com.

Justice, Land, and Liberty for the
Ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón!
Freedom for the Political Prisoners of San Sebastián Bachajón!
Stop the Aggressions against the Adherents of the Other Campaign!

Long Live the Women of San Sebastian Bachajón!

Long Live the Zapatista Women!
Long Live the Women of The Other Campaign!

With Love and Solidarity,

Movement for Justice in El Barrio
The Other Campaign New York

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Tras arrestos y procesos legales, injustificados, contra las comunidades de Bachajon y Mitziton. la desaparición del activista Gerardo González Miranda. la toma de la caseta de las cascadas de agua azul por la policía federal, los ataques del ejercito de dios en Mitziton y el silencio mediático persistente son una muestra clara de que el gobierno de Chiapas se encuentra a la ofensiva en estos momentos.

El numero de presos de la otra campaña va en aumento de manera alarmante a la par del uso violento de la fuerza publica para arrestar, sin mayor tramite de por medio, a las organizaciones adherentes de LOC. En las acciones del martes 22 de febrero fueron arrestados mas de 50 hombres, mujeres y niños y se estan abriendo acciones legales contra 27 personas, en el arresto contra las campesinos en Bachajon fue contra 110 personas y a 10 se les inculpa sin mas pruebas, que el uso de la fuerza publica.

En estos momentos parecen no importar las crecientes manifestaciones de apoyo y solidaridad en México y en Europa o al menos no han sido un factor para detener la ola de represión, mientras las redes, listas y organizaciones adherentes a LOC se organizan para hacer valer la la consigna surgida de la represión de Atenco en 2006 “Si tocan a uno nos tocan a todos”.

–o-Ø-o–

Denuncia de la Red contra la Represión Chiapas ante escalada de Violencia

Monthly report by the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (in English). In this report the Frayba shares with its listeners the worrisome situation of conflict between Tzeltal indigenous peoples from the ejido of San Sebastián Bachajón in the northern zone of the state of Chiapas, Mexico, the underlying economic interests, and the struggle for control of the tourism resort of Agua Azul and natural resources. We listen to a communiqué by the adherents to the Other Campaign from Bachajón.