The war which has been declared on the original peoples, the guardians of mother earth, forces us to organize in defence of life.

To the peoples and governments of the world
To the media
To the Sixth National and International
To the human rights organisations

The original peoples who are the National Indigenous Congress repudiate the cowardly attack which the Ocosingo Regional Organisation of Coffee Growers (ORCAO) carried out against support bases of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation from the Moisés Gandhi Autonomous Community in Ocosingo, Chiapas, in which compañero Gilberto López Sántiz was seriously injured.

The attack, in which large caliber weapons were used, caused an injury which perforated the compañero’s diaphragm, left three holes in the large intestine and finally injured the spleen. This has left the compañero in a critical condition, which is complicated by the insufficient medical attention he has received. He requires urgent intensive care, but has not been taken in to hospital or moved to any place where he might be properly attended to.

Meanwhile, at the time of publication of this communiqué, the armed attacks against the Moisés Gandhi community continue with complete impunity and to the indifference of the bad governments.

We hold the three levels of government responsible for the escalation of violence against the Zapatista support base communities, and for the integrity and life of our compañero Gilberto López Sántiz,

For these reasons we demand:

  1. Immediate, adequate medical attention for compañero Gilberto López Sántiz
  1. That the attack against the Moisés Gandhi community be stopped and that their autonomous territory be respected.
  1. That those responsible – both materially and intellectually – for these paramilitary attacks be punished.
  1. That the armed groups, through which the active, increasing warfare against the Zapatista communities is maintained, be dismantled.

We denounce once again the war which has been declared against the original peoples, the guardians of mother earth, which forces us to organize in defence of life and so that our brothers and sisters of the indigenous Zapatista communities are not alone.

For the Integral Reconstitution of Our Peoples
Never Again a Mexico Without Us
National Indigenous Congress
24 May, 2023