To our brothers and sisters from San Sebastian Bachajon,

To our Zapatista brothers and sisters,

To the members of the Other Campaign, from Mexico and abroad:

In an afternoon full of soft spring light, us, who do not believe in visas, passports or frontiers, came together. We gathered outside the Mexican Embassy in London to demand the immediate release of our 5 brothers from San Sebastian Bachajón. Many of us travelled long distances in order to be there, to show our support and respond to the call launched by Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio. Just in front of the Embassy, with music and flyers, this action took place.

On Saturday, 2nd of April, we gathered as UK Zapatista Network and we watched the videos of San Sebastian Bachajón that our compas from MJB sent. People from different solidarity groups from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Exeter, Dorset, London, Lancaster, Bristol and Mexico attended this meeting. The voices of our sisters in particular reached our hearts. We see in their strength and courage a great source of inspiration.

Previously, on Tuesday 29th March Glasgow and Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Groups presented a talk on the links between paramilitary attacks and corporate tourism developments in Chiapas.  The latest situation in San Sebastian Bachajón was mentioned and discussed.  The event at the Glasgow University Occupation was attended by about 50 people.  We will also be screening the 2nd Bachajon Videomessage at a public event at the Autonomous Centre
Edinburgh on Tuesday 19th April along with other ‘Other Campaign’ films.

We know that the struggle of our brothers and sisters from Bachajón is a just and dignified struggle. We understand that those who govern from above want to intimidate you, in order for them to control you through fear, so that you accept the ingrained violence of dispossession. So that you stop reclaiming your rights and accept to walk with your head bent in submission.

How else can we explain the arbitrary detention of 117 people? What about the harassment by police and soldiers alike? How could it be possible that 5 people still remain in jail today?

But all the public relations work and campaigns of the Mexican government and of the Chiapas governor, Juan Sabines, do not fool anyone. Political prisoners are being used as hostages by the State in order to negotiate and bring down the struggle of San Sebastian Bachajón. Only through social mobilization we will be able to get them out of prison.

Brothers and sisters, your courage and rebelliousness are a great example for us. We want you to know that we are very proud of being able to call you that: brothers and sisters. We see a lot of hope and light coming out from that corner of the jungle in Chiapas called San Sebastián Bachajón. This light of hope is so strong that it reaches us all the way here.

We are with you, accompanying you in spite of the distance. We raise our voices with yours in order to demand the immediate release of our 5 brothers from Bachajón as well as the end of the repression towards the Other Campaign.

¡Freedom for the Bachajón 5 and all the other Political Prisoners!

¡Long live the organized resistance of San Sebastian Bachajón!

¡Long live the Other Campaign!

¡Long live the Zapatista communities!

UK Zapatista Network