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10 de septiembre de 2012

La denuncia difundida el 8 de septiembre de 2012 por de Junta de Buen Gobierno Nueva Semilla que va a Producir es extremadamente grave.

Como parte de su estrategia, el Estado, para ocultar la presencia de grupos paramilitares y de contrainsurgencia, los disfrazó de organizaciones civiles. De este modo, sus agresiones mantendrían la apariencia de grupos indígenas que “libremente” se oponen al proyecto zapatista y, en caso de enfrentamientos, se difundiría información sobre enfrentamientos entre organizaciones o comunidades. Sin embargo, parece que el Estado regresa al ataque brutal directo al utilizar sus paramilitares con uniformes y armados con AR-15 como sucedió el 6 de septiembre de 2012 en la Comunidad Autónoma Comandante Abel. Grupos de priistas despojaron territorio liberado en las inmediaciones de la Comunidad Autónoma Comandante Abel con el Apoyo adicional del grupo paramilitar Paz y Justicia

En menos de un mes hay tres agresiones en territorio zapatista: en el Caracol de Morelia, en la Realidad y ahora en Roberto Barrios. Estos actos de contrainsurgencia son peligrosamente más frecuentes y violentos. Junto con los despojos de territorio, quemas de sembradíos, destrucción de escuelas autónomas, robos de cosechas esta ahora el descarado operar del grupo paramilitar Paz y Justicia. La presencia de este grupo es una clara provocación al EZLN.

La Red Contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad responsabiliza de cualquier ataque, de cualquier agresión contra nuestros compañeros y compañeras zapatistas al gobierno federal encabezado por Felipe Calderón, al estatal de Juan Sabines, a las autoridades oficiales de la Sabanilla y Tila. Refrendamos nuestra solidaridad con las Comunidades Zapatistas, llamamos a nuestros compañeros y compañeras de México, a los compañeros y compañeras internacionales a realizar actos de solidaridad con los zapatistas, según nuestras formas y capacidades, a mantenernos atentos y atentos a acciones que este misma Red convoque, pues el proceso zapatista, la lucha zapatista es parte de las luchas de los procesos de liberación de la gente de abajo que comienzan a caminar con dignidad.

ALTO A LA AGRESIÓN A LAS COMUNIDADES ZAPATISTAS
NO MÁS PROVOCACIONES AL EZLN
SÍ A LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE ABAJO Y A LA IZQUIERDA
SÍ A LAS COMUNIDADES ZAPATISTAS Y AL EZLN

Contra el despojo y la represión:
La solidaridad
Red Contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad
(RvsR)

“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and
Francisco Sántiz López”

http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/

“Those from above have declared war on the Zapatista communities, a war which these days is focused on the community in resistance of San Marcos Avilés and the Zapatista political prisoner Francisco Sántiz López.” – Raúl Zibechi

Compañeras and compañeros:

Another letter in support of our Zapatista sisters and brothers is born amidst the global consciousness raising activities which form a strategic part of the first phase of the “Worldwide Echo in support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López” campaign.

This time the words of solidarity come to us from Uruguayan lands by way of the pen of the thinker and activist Raúl Zibechi. Like in the previous letters, these words are full of truth, anger, and dignity. Our compa Raul sums up for us the true goal of those from above in their war against the Zapatista communities–“to defeat a dream made ​​reality, one which we can see in the Good Government Junta of Oventic, and in so many other places.”

That dream is ours as well.

Here is Raúl Zibechi’s letter in full:

Those from above have declared war on the Zapatista communities, a war which these days is focused on the community in resistance of San Marcos Avilés and the Zapatista political prisoner Francisco Sántiz López.

The information sent to us by the compañeros and compañeras of the Movement for Justice in El Barrio shows us the nature of this offensive: it is aimed at eliminating all resistance at a time when capital is unleashing hunger and misery upon those from below in order to increase and protect its gigantic profits. To safeguard their continued accumulation of wealth, it is necessary to wipe from the face of the earth all obstacles, every kind of resistance.

What the media and the “experts” call crisis, is actually part of this offensive to remove from the scene the peoples and the individuals who refuse to give way. Those from above are not in crisis. It is we, our strategies to survive and change the world, who have entered a crisis after decades of being anaesthetized with electoral illusions which promote the idea that it is possible to build an Other World without struggling, without addressing the hatred and the crimes of those from above.

It is not a coincidence that the Zapatista communities are being repressed. They have shown millions, throughout the whole world, a path of resistance and construction that is multiplying in the most remote places. For those from above, destroying the Zapatista movement would be a double victory: against the peoples and communities of Chiapas and against all those in the world who find inspiration in their example. It would mean bringing down a dream made flesh, like the one we can see in the Good Government Junta of Oventic, and in so many other places.

For all these reasons, solidarity with San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López is as essential as it is urgent.

Raúl Zibechi

CALL TO ACTION
“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López”
http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/

Second Phase:
From Truth to Action, Stopping the Repression
October 12th until November 17th

To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of San Marcos Avilés:
To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of Francisco Sántiz López:
To our Zapatista sisters and brothers:
To our compañer@s of The Other Campaign:
To our compañer@s of the Zezta Internazional:
To our compañer@s, adherents to the International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio and all our allies from around the world:
To Civil Society in Mexico and in the world:
The following is an urgent call to action from Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York, to carry out the:

Second Phase:
From Truth to Action, Stopping the Repression
“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

Sisters and brothers:

Receive an affectionate embrace from the Mexican migrants of Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York. We hope that you are well, and ready to continue the struggle.

In order to expand the reach of the ongoing activities taking place as part of the current First Phase of our Campaign: “Walking the True Word”, which will continue until October 11, we are writing to you to propose that we join forces once more to carry out the Second Phase: “From Truth to Action, Stopping the Repression.”

This new phase will be different from the current first one – which aims to raise awareness in our communities about the dire situation that our Zapatista compas of San Marcos Avilés and the Zapatista political prisoner, Sántiz López, are facing – this second phase will be a period of direct action and protest from October 12 to November 17. As you will understand, these dates were chosen for their great significance in the history of indigenous struggles throughout the world: the Day of Indigenous Resistance and the anniversary of the Birth of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN).

If you would like to join our efforts and accept our proposal, please let us know as soon as possible, by sending an e-mail to:

laotranuevayork@yahoo.com.

For further background and to keep up-to-date with the phases and developments in this campaign, we invite everyone to read the first call to action, released on July 25, which is available here:

http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/1st-call-to-action/

SECOND CALL TO ACTION:
“FROM TRUTH TO ACTION, STOPPING THE REPRESSION”

First and foremost, we would like to thank all the people who are continuing to give light and breath to this worldwide campaign, which for over a month now we have been creating and shaping together. Thank you for sharing this path with us and for continuing to walk alongside us.

Since its beginning at the end of July, when the first call to action was released, the “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López” International Campaign has been a meeting point for thousands of people of good heart who have responded to call of the Zapatistas for support and solidarity.

In addition, in many countries, solidarity cells called “Committees of the True Word” have been organized around this meeting point, and are continuing to build support networks and raise public awareness about the repression currently being faced by the Zapatista community of San Marcos Avilés and the Zapatista political prisoner Sántiz López.

More of these “Committees” continue to be set up every day, as more groups and people of good conscience join the campaign.

Together, we have all started the work of, to borrow a phrase from the wise Old Antonio, “walking the true word” by organizing in our respective communities, ejidos, towns, neighborhoods, and countries to sow the words of San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López like seeds which will grow, in their turn, into the struggle in their support.

More and more people are finding each other every day, seeking and meeting in the darkness and obscurity of lies and indifference which those from above have constructed in order to keep us divided. Fumbling in the dark, we continue to meet each other, and searching, day after day, for a way to break through into the light. As our ancestors say, our collective words contain the essence of life on this planet: memory – and, once spoken and shared, our words become fire.

We remember that this darkness was both born in and gave rise to, that time the EZLN describe as “the long night of those 500 years.” While the political, economic, cultural, and social systems of those from above continue to move our lives and Mother Earth closer towards total extinction, the resistances of those from below continue to build other exits to escape this obscurity.

To prevent us from joining hands and rising from this darkness, those from above have committed to douse all the lights radiating from dignified people. This is why they are deploying their strategies of violence and destruction, and are attacking, imprisoning, repressing, assaulting, violating, robbing, silencing, and lying to us.

This is also why those from above, those who have created this long night, have chosen as their main target the indigenous peoples of the world, who have made such significant contributions to the struggle against the darkness.

Faced with this threat of planetary extinction, we must mobilize urgently to defend each and every light that illuminates our path towards the construction of another possible world. And as the True Word was and is the first form of light, it is vital that we defend those words which Old Antonio tells us were the first three in every language: “democracy, freedom, justice.”

It is no coincidence that these three words cannot be found in the governments, jails, schools, mass media, or the other institutions serving the privileges of those from above. Nor is it a coincidence that these same three words are alive, in many different ways, among the dignified people from below, especially the indigenous people of Mexico and the world. While those from above continue to attack and destroy these lights, we will continue to defend and create more lights, more exits, more worlds.

Even though those from above are using the lies which give the night its darkness to keep us divided, in our hearts we carry that which makes the light shine…This is called truth.

In order to actively support the defense of the light that shines from the Zapatistas, an exemplary indigenous movement, whose struggle has always been for and with both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples alike, we call on and invite everyone once again to join this campaign, and to carry out its second phase, which will consist of a month of strategic and direct actions.

Beginning on October 12, the Day of Indigenous Resistance, and lasting until November 17, the anniversary of the birth of the EZLN, we invite everyone to organize actions – according to our own ways and abilities – in our respective communities and countries during this period, so as to echo the call of the indigenous Zapatista community of San Marcos Avilés and the indigenous Zapatista political prisoner Francisco Sántiz López.

As our compas from San Marcos Avilés explain in their video-message, available below, they have endured a constant nightmare at the hands of a local attack group, backed by political party members, for having opened their own autonomous school “Emiliano Zapata” in 2010. From forced displacement to sexual assault, these compas have suffered numerous forms of violence and repression solely for wanting to live with dignity and freedom as indigenous peoples.it

Their video-message, which has already had over 30,000 views! It can be watched here:

At the same time, our compañero Francisco Sántiz López, a Zapatisa support base member and indigenous Tzeltal, has been imprisoned since December 2011 for crimes that he did not commit. His only offense, as has been stated over and over again, is that of being a Zapatista Support Base member. For this reason, he is being held as a hostage of the Mexican State.

For background on this, please consult the video-message from the Zapatistas about Francisco Sántiz López here:

For those who wish to learn more about the background and progress of this campaign, please visit the San Marcos Avilés website here:

http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/

We hope that the videos and website continue to be useful tools in this struggle, which is already spoken in 10 languages and is seen in dozens of countries in our world. Hopefully it will continue to grow, reaching new places and peoples.

Lastly, if you accept this proposal and will participate in the Second Phase, we ask that you please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to:

laotranuevayork@yahoo.com

From our brown and dignified heart, from this Barrio of migrants, we send you our warmest greetings and embraces.

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR SAN MARCOS AVILÉS & FRANCISCO SÁNTIZ LÓPEZ!
LONG LIVE THE ZAPATISTAS!
LONG LIVE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES!

“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos  Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López”

http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/

The UK-based National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts
Declares it’s Support for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López

From the United Kingdom, the National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts (NCAFC) has issued the following declaration endorsing the international  “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López” Campaign.

In opposition to the destructive trend towards privatization that is destroying higher education the world over, the nearly 8,000 student and education worker activists who form the NCAFC have fought since February 2010 for a just system of higher education that is free and funded by “the taxation of the rich and business.” The following statement approved by the NCAFC joins the thousands of individuals, collectives, and organizations from dozens of countries worlwide who stand in firm solidarity with San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López. In doing so, the NCAFC makes the necessary connection between the struggle for autonomous education in San Marcos and the struggle for socially just education at the global level. 

Statement of the National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts (NCAFC)

200 Zapatista supporters in the indigenous community of San Marcos Avilés in Chiapas, Mexico, are at very serious risk of violent assault and displacement. The threats made against them have increased sharply since the Mexican elections in July 2012.

The aggressors are government supporters organised in paramilitary style groups who are heavily armed with shotguns, rifles and pistols, and are specifically threatening the women and children. They have already stolen the land, crops and livestock of the community, leaving them without a food supply and destroyed their free autonomous school. Observers report that the situation is one of siege, and that the families are heavily traumatised.

In 2010, 170 men women and children were forced to take refuge in the open on the mountainside during the rainy season for 33 days. The current situation is one where it is feared another such tragedy may occur at any time. The aggressors are threatening to kidnap the community authorities and forcibly displace the rest of the population. Anyone denouncing this harassment, they say, will be locked away like Francisco Santiz Lopez, political prisioner since December 2011.

In the face of this alarming situation, an international solidarity campaign was launched recently, and a Worldwide Declaration in support of the community of San Marcos Avilés has been issued calling for an immediate end to the repression.  

WE DEMAND

–An immediate end to all death threats, verbal and physical harassment, and threats against the property and well-being of the Zapatista Support Base members by elements of the political parties in the San Marcos Avilés ejido

–Protection for the lives and safety of the Zapatista support base members of San Marcos Avilés

–Respect for the Zapatista Support Base community’s inalienable right to autonomy as indigenous peoples, as enshrined in the internationally recognized ILO Convention No. 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, both of which the government of Mexico has signed

–Immediate release of Francisco Santiz Lopez

For further information, please see:    http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/

If you’d like to actively participate in the campaign please contact:   laotranuevayork@yahoo.com

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Hoy 12 de agosto, la Brigada de Observación y Solidaridad con las Comunidades Zapatistas, iniciativa de la Red Contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad, en el marco de su quinto aniversario, piso territorio rebelde.

Treinta y cinco compañeras y compañeros de México, Chile, Brasil, el Estado Español y Alemania, acordamos formas y métodos de trabajo, que permitirán tener un mejor aprendizaje en los próximos días, para aportar nuestro granito de arena que ayude a documentar los avances de la autonomía zapatista y que permita hacer eco de las denuncias hechas por parte de las comunidades rebeldes en contra de los malos gobiernos y todos los partidos políticos, particularmente del desgobernador del estado, Juan Sabines Guerrero y el Partido de la Revolución Democrática.

Venimos con el ánimo y las ganas de aprender en y desde lo colectivo. Nuestra convicción y fuerza para iniciar estos trabajos tiene su origen en el año de 1994, cuando desde la Selva Lacandona, miles de indígenas bajaron de las montañas con las banderas de democracia, libertad y justicia para todas y todos.

Nosotras y nosotros, reivindicamos aquel amanecer del ¡Ya Basta! que cimbró al mundo.

Al encontrarnos, al mirarnos, al escucharnos entre las y los brigadistas, hemos reconocido al otro y a la otra como compañeras y compañeros de lucha. Coincidiendo que las fronteras que impone el Poder son un absurdo más, cuando la geografía del abajo y a la izquierda se encuentran y acuerdan desafiar al enemigo en común que es el capital.

Nuestros pasos andarán cuatro de los cinco Caracoles Zapatistas: en La Realidad, La Garrucha, Morelia y Roberto Barrios emprenderemos la tarea a la cual nos hemos comprometido.

Vamos con el principio de que si tocan a los zapatistas nos tocan a todos, pondremos nuestro mejor empeño para construir en los hechos el no están solas, no están solos.

También manifestamos que estaremos atentas y atentos a toda agresión que pudiera darse en estos días en cualquiera de las comunidades que han recibido amenazas de desalojo.

Celebramos el noveno aniversario de las Juntas de Buen Gobierno, convencidas y convencidos que el motor de este proceso de resistencia son las comunidades zapatistas, para las mujeres, hombres, niños y ancianos nuestra admiración y respeto.

Agradecemos al Ejército Zapatista Liberación Nacional el poder permitirnos estar en su territorio, para nosotras y nosotros es un honor esta oportunidad de aprendizaje y compartir en estos días, con sus bases de apoyo, el alimento, el techo y la dignidad que sustenta y abona muchas de nuestras esperanzas y rebeldías.

Con el corazón en la mano, marchamos a las comunidades zapatistas a entrelazarnos con el pasado revuelto de memoria, con la historia hecha presente, con nuestro futuro de lucha.

¡VIVAN LAS COMUNIDADES ZAPATISTAS!

¡VIVAN LAS JUNTAS DE BUEN GOBIERNO!

¡VIVAN LOS CARACOLES ZAPATISTAS!

¡VIVA EL EZLN!

¡Contra el despojo y la represión: la solidaridad!

Red Contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad

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A los aherentes a la Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona
A las organizaciones sociales
A lxs de corazón digno y rebelde

La comunidad de Cherán K´eri se ha mantenido organizada por más de un año, con el objetivo de defender sus bosques, su territorio y su gente, que continuamente son violentados por los talamontes y el crimen organizado en complicidad con los gobiernos estatal (PRD y PRI) y federal (PAN). Ante la falta de respuesta a sus demandas de seguridad y de justicia, el 15 de abril de 2011, surge una digna lucha en defensa de su comunidad, con la cual comenzaron la reconstrucción de su tejido social.

La comunidad de Cherán ha mantenido su propio proceso organizativo para garantizar que su vida cotidiana se lleve a cabo bajo sus expresiones culturales y normas de gobierno propias. Conformando así su Consejo Mayor de Gobierno Comunal y su ronda tradicional comunitaria para garantizar la seguridad entre los mismos pobladores, manteniendo guardias en las entradas y salidas de la comunidad.

Como consecuencia de este proceso, los partidos políticos fueron expulsados, debido a que ninguno garantizaba sus demandas, por el contrario, eran generadores latentes de conflictos y como consecuencia rompían con la cohesión social.

Cherán es un jemplo para otras comunidades de la región purépecha, y de los pueblos indios de todas partes, que crecientemente se organizan por su autonomía, tierra y territorio. La comunidad de Cherán día a día sigue trabajando por mantenerse, por seguir participando y funcionando colectivamente; sin embargo, el Estado, por medio de sus partidos políticos, crimen organizado y paramilitares (talamontes), continúa con el asesinato, persecución y hostigamiento en contra de las muejres, hombres y niños de la comunidad purépecha.

Los más recientes hechos de violencia en contra de nuestras y nuestros compañeros ocurrió el pasado 8 de julio cuando fueron secuestrados nuestros compañeros Urbano Macías Rafael y Guadalupe Gerónimo Velázquez y encontrados muertos el día 11 del mismo mes. Estos cobardes asesinatos se suman a los trece comuneros que han sido secuestrados, cinco asesinados y más de seis heridos desde aquél 11 de abril de 2011. Otro caso documentado de estas agresiones se da el 2 de agosto, cuando la ronda comunitaria es emboscada por un grupo de 20 paramilitares.

Bajo este contexto es importante que el mundo mantenga la mirada y la solidaridad atenta a Cherán, se debe reforzar el proceso de resistencia que surgió desde los corazones soñadores, rebeldes y sedientos de libertad y justica, de mujeres, niños, jóvenes, hombres y ancianos con gran sabiduría y fortaleza, debemos seguir encontrándonos, mirándolos como un ejemplo de lucha y dignidad, y un pueblo que sigue de pie, un pueblo rebelde.

Por todo esto vemos necesario extender nuestra solidaridad con las y los compañerxs de Cherán, difundiendo su digna lucha, con el objetivo no solo de darla a conocer sino que más pueblo extienda mas miradas y manos solidarias al pueblo purépecha, así mismo que se vea como un ejemplo de lucha y resistencia.

Por lo anterior desde nuestra trincheras

CONVOCAMOS A:

Foro por Cherán K’eri, a que conozcan directamente de los pueblos indios, sus luchas, las agresiones que resisten, sus sueños y esperanzas.

Los objetivos del Foro es difundir la lucha de la comunidad de Cherán, la reivindicación de su autodefensa y así mismo perfilar un plan de acción desde los modos y formas de cada uno de los asistentes

El Foro se llevará a cabo el día jueves 9 de agosto de 2012, en la ciudad de México, en el local del MULT, ubicado en López #23 colonia Centro, a una cuadra del Palacio de Bellas Artes.

PROGRAMA DEL FORO:
11:00 a12:00 Registro
12:00 a 14:00 Primera mesa Salvador Campanur, Fernanda Navarro y Gloria Muñoz.
14:00 a15:00 Comida
15:00 a 17:00 Segunda mesa: Representantes de los pueblos Cucapá, Seri y Yaqui.
17:00 a 17:30 Receso.
17:30 a 19:30 Plan de Acción

Te esperamos, Cherán necesita la solidaridad de todxs……

Multimedios Cronopios y Red por la Solidaridad y Contra la Represión

INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION:
“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

July 27, 2012

To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of San Marcos Avilés: To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of Francisco Sántiz López: To our Zapatista sisters and brothers: To our compañer@s of The Other Campaign: To our compañer@s of the Zezta Internazional: To our compañer@s, adherents of the International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio and all our allies from around the world: To the Civil Society in Mexico and in the world: The following is an urgent call to action from Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York, to carry out the:

“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Justice and Freedom for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

SISTERS AND BROTHERS: From the brown heart of El Barrio, New York, receive affectionate greetings and an urgent proposal of struggle on behalf of Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York. The following is a new and urgent convocation to carry out the: “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

First Phase: Walking the True Word
August 2012
To all those who fight for justice, dignity, freedom, and democracy, and against oppression, violence, hatred, scorn, poverty, and terror that are the world of those from above… To those who work to build another world, another communication, another politics, another knowledge, another culture, another history, another future… To those who search for and create our path by looking from below and to the left… who learn about life by listening to the wise words of the ancestors… To those who dream of freedom in all its resplendent colors… To those who reject the injustices that, in every country, are imposed and called “economy” and “government”… To those who find inspiration, hope, resonance and reflection in the Zapatistas… Today, with urgency, we are called upon to mobilize, with our whole being, solidarity and support for our Zapatista sisters and brothers of the community in resistance of San Marcos Avilés and for the Zapatista political prisoner Francisco Sántiz López: Responding to the numerous denouncements and calls issued by the Good Government Council of Oventic and the community of San Marcos Avilés, we stand in solidarity with them and add our echo to their dignified “ENOUGH!” against the recent attacks that the Zapatista support base members, the essence of the Zapatista Movement, are facing.  Particularly, this convocation seeks to anticipate and prevent further violence against San Marcos Avilés at the hands of local political party members who have, during the past few days, made renewed threats. These individuals are the “strong arm” of the region’s dominant political parties. They have of late revealed their plan to displace our sisters and brothers of the Zapatista support base. According to recent threats, these enemies of the people intend to kidnap Zapatista community authorities and, in turn, violently displacing other Zapatistas from their community. They have stated, additionally, that they will incarcerate anyone who continues to denounce these unjust aggressions.

We stress here that these attacks are not isolated incidents, but rather are integral components of the prolonged war of extermination that the bad government of Mexico, together with capitalist interests, has carried out for the past 18 years to wipe out the Zapatista movement and all it has given to the world. The objectives of this war have been and remain to continue the colonial project and destroy at any cost indigenous autonomy and resistance, and take over their ancestral lands, and in this way, exploit for the exclusive benefit of those from above the natural resources with which our Mother Earth provides us. Repression, violence, and death are meted out by the bad government of Mexico to those who resist this, who defend their lands, their identities, their cultures, and autonomy – their very existence. The Zapatista ejido and community of San Marcos Avilés, which is made up of Tzeltal indigenous people, has endured an unending nightmare of terror since 2010, when the community’s autonomous school, “Emiliano Zapata,” was constructed as part of the Zapatista Rebel Education System—constituting a major step forward in the community’s advance towards autonomy. During the past two years, this community has suffered various forms of extreme violence, including death threats, harassment, plunder, sexual aggression (including attempted rapes), forced displacement, and others, at the hands of members of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), and the Green Ecological Party (PVEM) of Mexico, and their armed attack groups. Similarly, our compañero Francisco Sántiz López, also an indigenous Tzeltal-speaker and Zapatista from Chiapas, has remained unjustly imprisoned since December 4, 2011, for false crimes that he never committed. His only “crime” is that of being a member of the Zapatista support base. Today he remains a hostage of the bad government of Mexico in its war against all Zapatistas. It is clear that the violence exercised against both San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López stems from that same source. Recently, community members of San Marcos Avilés have reported that the threats against them have spiked at an alarming rate during the past few days. In light of these acts of violence and aggression, we would like to propose the following plan of solidarity and struggle, as part of the “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López.” This campaign is distinguished for its “two-pronged” strategy, and will consist of two interrelated phases. FIRST PHASE:
Walking the True Word: Promotion and Circulation
Timeframe: Entire month of August The first phase, which is called “Walking the True Word,” will span the entire month of August and has as its principal objective the dissemination of information within our respective communities, neighborhoods, ejidos, networks, and countries regarding the current situation of absolute injustice occurring in San Marcos Avilés and the case of the unjust imprisonment of Francisco Sántiz López. To this end, we propose that around the world, from the smallest community to the largest metropolis, we concentrate our organizing efforts and resources on raising consciousness in our communities and networks by forming Committees of the True Word as a way to effectively disseminate critical information regarding the current situation of San Marcos Avilés and the unjust incarceration of Francisco Sántiz López. ·      These “Committees of the True Word” will serve as seeds that will sprout roots in distinct and common lands to grow consciousness, knowledge, and more than anything, rage and inspiration to take concrete action in support of our sisters and brothers of San Marcos Avilés and Franisco Sántiz López.

·      Each committee will seek to disseminate and promote widely the current situation of San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López, as they are both are Zapatista support base members. Of particular priority is reaching out to people who are unfamiliar with the history of the Zapatistas. Everyone should know this history of profound pain, hope, and inspiration.

·      It is not necessary to belong to an organization or collective. In this campaign, we can all form a committee on our own and be supportive.  Committees can be formed with friends, co-workers, neighbors, or relatives.

·      If you are already a member of an organization, association, collective, labor union, group, team, club, etc., you can form your own committee with your fellow members.

·      During this first phase, to be clear, the Committees of the True Word can organize a wide range of activities to accomplish our goal. Among the numerous options include: public forums, distributing informative fliers and pamphlets, teach-ins, publishing articles, reflections, and denouncements, translations, social media initiatives, artistic works, etc. The possibilities are endless.

·      We invite all those from below to come together to support our Zapatista sisters and brothers of San Marcos Avilés and our brother Francisco Sántiz López who are all fighting for our shared liberation.

·      Form your Committee of the True Word now!   As soon as you have formed your committee, please let us know what activities you intend to carry out and the location of the committee via email at:    laotranuevayork@yahoo.com. We believe that the true word and knowledge are very important for the struggles of those from below—it is not only the task of the independent/alternative media to circulate truth, but rather it is the responsibility of us all to do so. Moreover, we believe that this phase of consciousness-raising is particularly important, especially in light of the fact that our compas from San Marcos Avilés are suffering this violence for being indigenous, for being Zapatistas, and for having opened their autonomous school. Education and knowledge are also tools and weapons in the struggle for justice, dignity, and democracy—they are nothing less than the forms in which we will construct this new world we seek. As such, in this campaign, education on San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López will serve as another way in which we rebel against this system of injustice and oppression, which oppresses at the level of knowledge as well. We shall make use of what those from above seek to repress in order to achieve what we are fighting for: “a dignified justice.” To facilitate the expansion of this phase, we would like to offer a few small tools: 1.    As some of you may know, we have produced a new and moving video message from the compas of San Marcos Avilés, which is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-8CBt3Vkg
Please contact us if you wish to obtain a high quality version of the video suitable for public screenings.

2.    We also put together a new website in English and Spanish with web pages with content in French, Italian, German and Japanese and with updates, reports, and important information, and other educational materials on San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López. The website is available here:   http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/ Following the lead of the community of San Marcos Avilés and the Good Government Council, the goal of this phase is to imbue with knowledge the hearts of as many people as possible, and to bring awareness to the world regarding the constant government-backed violence and the resistance of the dignified people. Immediately after this intensive educational phase, there will be a phase of direct action. Alongside our Zapatista sisters and brothers of San Marcos Avilés and of the Good Government Council of Oventic, we echo their just demands: ·      AN END TO THE WAR AGAINST THE ZAPATISTAS OF SAN MARCOS AVILÉS.

·      IMMEDIATE FREEDOM FOR OUR ZAPATISTA COMPAÑERO FRANCISCO SÁNTIZ LÓPEZ. The gravity of these two situations cannot be ignored. As part of the global struggle for justice, dignity, and democracy, we must respond with open hearts. ·      If you accept our proposal and will participate in this campaign, please let us know as soon as possible via email at
laotranuevayork@yahoo.com. Likewise, please write and send us chronicles of each activity that is carried out via your Committee of the True Word. We will circulate all report backs on the activities realized as part of this campaign, so as to expand the scope and reach of our struggle. We will also share these reports with the community of San Marcos Avilés and the Good Government Council, so that they stay updated and know that they are not alone. These chronicles and report backs can be sent to the same e-mail: laotranuevayork@yahoo.com Because their humanizing cry of dignity, their “ENOUGH!”, has affected all of us who fight for justice from around the world, from our respective trenches of struggle, and has connected very distinct and similar struggles alike… Because this very cry has dwelled in our hearts alongside hope and happiness… We shall let it resound in our echo by adding our voice, our countenance, to ensure that it is heard more profoundly… As if it were said in the very language of our being… For the defense of the Zapatista Resistance, we add our echo… Long live the EZLN!

Long live the Zapatistas!

Long live The Other Campaign!
With love and solidarity, Movement for Justice in El Barrio
The Other Campaign New York

Radio Autonomía: Zapatismo in the Bay — JUNE 2012 SHOW

AUDIOS from the June 3, 2012 broadcast of Radio Autonomía: Zapatismo in the Bay (formerly Relatos Zapatistas) on Berkeley Liberation Radio, 104.1FM, livestream at www.berkeleyliberationradio.net

1. Durito Storytime: The Story of the Seven Rainbows
(Descarga aquí)  

2. Report from Infinite Solidarity with Montreal March
(Descarga aquí)  

3. Interview with Lobna (Egypt) & Gemma (OO Antirepression Crew)
(Descarga aquí)  

4. Interview with Mariana Mora & Guiomar Rovira (Mexico)
(Descarga aquí)  

5. Entrevista con Mariana Mora y Guiomar Rovira (México)
(Descarga aquí)  

We want to announce that we’re changing the name of our show from Relatos Zapatistas to Radio Autonomía: Zapatismo in the Bay to reflect the increasingly local focus of our reporting on anticapitalist and autonomous politics.

(Continuar leyendo…)