Sorry, this entry is only available in Español. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

El pasado viernes 30 de agosto desde las 10 de la mañana más de 200 personas se acercaron a la mesa informativa y de solidaridad con lxs zapatistas en Chiapas.

Se repartieron flyers informativos en donde narramos la situación de continuas agresiones que vive la Base de Apoyo San Marcos Áviles, las estrategias divisionistas del mal gobierno para que lxs compas resistan de su proyecto de autonomía y cómo las comunidades a pesar de la violencia que viven constantemente no se rinden y siguen luchando por mantener su proyecto de autonomía.

Informamos también sobre la situación del compañero Francisco Santiz Lopez, preso político zapatista desde diciembre del año pasado, quien es víctima de las falsas acusaciones del mal gobierno.

Una galería fotográfica de Chiapas fue expuesta durante todo el día en donde se intentaba reflejar las creaciones autónomas de las comunidades indígenas que allí viven: las oficinas de mujeres por la dignidad, las escuelas autónomas zapatistas, los tribunales alternativos contra los feminicidios, la riqueza natural que allí existe y que lxs zapatistas vienen defendiendo ante los continuos ataques del mal gobierno para apropiarse de estos territorios y hacer de ellos fuentes de explotación para el capitalismo, mediante la construcción de reservas turísticas, el fomento de los monocultivos depredadores, la construcción de carreteras. Todo ello a costa del despojo de quienes ancestralmente han vivido, cuidado y resignificado sus vidas a partir de la pertenencia a estos territorios.

El arte característico del zapatismo también formó parte de esta jornada de solidaridad, utilizamos unos marcos para estampar diseños zapatistas que expresan sus ideas de lucha y resistencia, sobre las camisas de quienes se iban acercando: “Trabajar para luchar, luchar para trabajar” y “Las mujeres con la dignidad rebelde” fueron las frases zapatistas que han inspirado las luchas por la tierra y por la dignidad de las mujeres y su importante papel en las luchas por la transformación social.

En esta jornada también fue posible recaudar algunos fondos a través de los aportes solidarios por los estampados y de las postales zapatistas que serán utilizados para apoyar la educación autónoma zapatista mediante la compra de materiales para las escuelas y para apoyar la digna lucha por la memoria de la Sociedad Civil las Abejas de Acteal, organización hermana de la lucha Zapatista.

Todas las personas que participaron de la jornada manifestaron una abierta simpatía con el zapatismo y afirmaron la gran influencia que han ejercido sus ideas y prácticas políticas basadas en la autogestión, la horizontalidad, el feminismo y la autonomía sobre los distintos procesos de resistencia en Bogotá, que también luchan día a día por un mundo mejor.

De esta forma, al igual que lo que expresó el pensador uruguayo Raúl Zibechi en su carta de apoyo al Eco Mundial por lxs Zapatistas, esta jornada fue una expresión más de que quienes participamos en ella creemos que “destruir al movimiento zapatista sería una doble victoria: contra los pueblos y comunidades de Chiapas y contra quienes en el mundo nos inspiramos en su ejemplo”.

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

http://sanmarcosavilesen.wordpress.com/

A NEW “COMITÉ” TAKES ROOT IN ENGLAND

Since the beginning of the “Worldwide Echo” campaign, the dignified and courageous story of our compañer@s from San Marcos Avilés has been a source of profound inspiration and transformation. Forcing us to recognize our own humanity and interconnectedness in this world, the pain and resilience of our Zapatista compas continue to inspire and move people of all walks of life to join the struggle to support them.

Although our campaign is indeed made up of many longtime supporters and seasoned social justice veterans, the moving story of the community of San Marcos Avilés has been so powerful that it has also motivated people with limited exposure to social justice struggles and literally no prior knowledge of the Zapatistas.

This is the power of the true word. It enables us to continue building and strengthening our local and global struggles by reaching out to new people of good hearts to join forces and transform our world.

Such is the case in the following letter written by a group of good-hearted co-workers who, despite being unfamiliar with the Zapatistas, were so taken by the video-message from San Marcos Avilés that they banded together, researched the history of the Zapatistas, and formed a Comité de la Palabra Verdadera (Committee of the True Word) to support our compas. Here are their moving words which illustrate the power of organizing from below.

To the people of San Marcos Aviles

We are a group of people from England who have just watched the video message you sent to the world asking for support in the crisis you are facing.

We were deeply moved by the video, and shocked at what you are having to endure. We had never heard of the Zapatistas before, and knew nothing of your history. As a result of watching this video, we have now learned about you and are going to tell others. We have asked for the video to be screened much more widely so many more people can learn about it, and are going to ask our friends to come and watch it too.

We have stated that we wish to back the campaign in your support, and have signed the Declaration.

We have been told that we can send you a short letter of support. We want you to know that we are thinking of you, that we wish you well, and that we are reaching out our hands to you.

Veronica, Cameron, Gregory, Henry, Tammy, Betty and Katy.
England, UK

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

SYLVIA MARCOS TO ZAPATISTA WOMEN:

“THE WOMEN OF MEXICO JOIN YOUR STRONG AND DETERMINED STRUGGLE”

In a moving and crucial letter, Dr. Sylvia Marcos adds her voice and the voices of all Mexican women to the “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López” Campaign, demanding in burning words an end to the aggression against the Zapatista project and the immediate release of Sántiz López.

The great Mexican thinker, academic, and feminist—known worldwide for her numerous articles and books on gender, Mesoamerican religions, and indigenous knowledge in Mexico—addresses directly the women of the Zapatista movement in the following statement. She writes that the dignified women of Mexico are on their side, as they see “in the Zapatista women the model of being a woman who defends her rights without forgetting to support the collective rights of her people.”

Author of the recently published book Women, Indigenous, Rebels, Zapatistas, Dr. Marcos expresses her hope that the “cry” emanating from around the world manages to stop “the aggressions against the autonomous education project and against all the ways of life of the Zapatista organization,” as “autonomous education forms the new beings who will make this other world a reality.”

These words serve as an important reminder that what the Zapatista project offers extends beyond the jungles of Chiapas; it holds significance for the entire world. Leading the construction of this project are the indigenous zapatista women.

On behalf of all the women who lead Movement for Justice in El Barrio, it is with great pride that we share the full letter from Dr. Sylvia Marcos.

Long Live the Zapatista Women! Long Live the Women of the World!

Message from Dr. Sylvia Marcos for the Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López

Dear compañeros,

I am totally outraged by the situation of violence and repression that exists in the Zapatista community of San Marcos Avilés, and by the situation facing the compañero political prisoner Francisco Sántiz Lόpez.
Here’s my message for the Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López.

Compañeras women and men of the world,

The Zapatista women, brave and rebel compañeras, are defending the legacy of Zapatista autonomous education; and from here, the women of Mexico join their strong and determined struggle. They can count on our support as they continue building the world we all long for. We can glimpse the daily and painful struggles which are facing our Zapatista compañeras and we join together with them.

We demand an end to the acts of aggression from the enemies of this educational, social and political Zapatista project which gives hope, especially to women, who see in the Zapatista women the model of being a woman who defends her rights without forgetting to support the collective rights of her people.
You must know, Zapatistas compañeras, that your project is the hope and the light on the road to the construction of an “other” world, where it can become a reality that “we are equal because we are different”, as you yourselves have said.

We support them and we hope that the cry emanating from around the world will stop the aggressions against the autonomous education project and against all the ways of life of the Zapatista organization. In San Marcos Avilés, Zapatista support base, a way of life is being put in action which makes possible today the worlds to come which we all wish for: Worlds where justice, dignity and peace and gender harmony can be experienced and made possible. Autonomous education forms the new beings who will make this other world a reality.

And the unjustly imprisoned Zapatista compañero Francisco Sántiz Lόpez must be freed.

Sylvia Marcos

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

“Eco Mundial en Apoyo a l@s Zapatistas:
Justicia y Libertad para San Marcos Avilés y Francisco Sántiz López”
http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com

EN BERLÍN, ALEMANIA:
SE FORMA OTRO “COMITÉ DE LA PALABRA VERDADERA”

Cruzando mares y continentes, y rompiendo las fronteras políticas, ideológicas, y lingüísticas de los de arriba, los “Comités de la Palabra Verdadera” siguen naciendo en suelos tantos lejanos como proximos alrededor del mundo.

Se están formando de modo muy orgánico, primero entre compañer@s de trabajo, familiares, amig@s, grupos de estudiantes, etc., y luego llegando a un punto en donde pueden estirarse para organizar eventos y acciones informativos. La mera meta de cada comité es sensibilizar, educar, compartir, y reunir difundiendo la verdad sobre la represión en contra de l@s Bases de Apoyo Zapatistas de San Marcos Avilés y Francisco Sántiz López. Y de esta forma, van construyendo redes de apoyo y respaldo mundiales con las comunidades Zapatistas y preparándose para organizar acciones directas en contra del mal gobierno.

Enmarcadas en el contexto de la campaña internacional “Echo Mundial en Apoyo a l@s Zapatistas,” estas células organizativas ahora ya cuentan con otra.

Desde Berlín, Alemania, un grupo de compañer@s dign@s da a conocer la formación del “Comité de Berlín.” Este comité es único ya que es compuesto por algun@s que vivieron con l@s compas de San Marcos Avilés habiendo sido observadores y observadoras de derechos humanos en el Campamento Civil por la Paz. Por medio de la siguiente declaración el Comité de Berlín anuncia su formación y denuncia la historia de represión vivida por las bases de apoyo zapatistas a través de los años. Se invita a todas y a todas a que se hagan parte de esta campaña conforme a sus modos y capacidades.

Aquí les va la declaración del Comité de Berlín en su totalidad:

Fundación del Comité de Berlin en apoyo de l@s Zapatistas en San Marcos Avilés

El 1 de Enero de 1994, l@s campesin@s indígenas en el estado mexicano suroriental de Chiapas se alzaron contra el gobierno. L@s zapatistas, como llaman a sí mism@s, desde entonces luchan por tierra, autonomía, libertad, democracia, justicia, salud y educación. A pesar de que ell@s persiguen este objetivo ahora pacífica, después de 12 días iniciales de la lucha armada, están expuesto a la represión estatal masiva desde su alzamiento. En el curso de la contrainsurgencia, desarrollado de l@s norteamericanes, el gobierno mexicano ha actuado en contra del movimiento con el uso de (grupos) paramilitares, la desinformación y descrédito por los medios de comunicación leales al gobierno, y el desgaste por el uso del ejército regular, del cuál está situado un tercio en el territorio zapatista ahora.

El climax triste fue una masacre de l@s ayudantes pacifistas de l@s zapatistas por paramilitares en 1997, en la que 45 personas fueron asesinadas. Desde el alzamiento han ocurrido regularmente asesinatos, violaciones, detenciones y actos de destrucción, con el objetivo de intimidar al movimiento y en última instancia destruirlo. Diversas organizaciones internacionales y extranjeras como la WWF y GIZ, así como empresas internacionales como Bayer y Coca-Cola están involucradas en la contrainsurgencia, dado que persiguen sus propios intereses en la zona rica en recursos y muy atractiva para el turismo.

La base del movimiento zapatista son las bases civiles de apoyo. Hay cientos de comunidades insurgentes, cuáles soportan principalmente “la rebelión digna” de l@s indígenas y quienes son los que están más expuestos a la represión estatal. Así el estado mexicano contraviene con su procedimiento contra el derecho internacional a la autodeterminación de los pueblos indígena, que ha declarado por las Naciones Unidas en 2007.

Uno de estas bases civiles de apoyo es San Marcos Avilés en el norte del estado chiapaneco. En 2010 l@s zapatistas de San Marcos construyeron una escuela autónoma, despúes de lo cual un grupo de agresores leal al gobierno les desalojó de la comunidad. Sus milpas fueron ocupadas o quemadas, sus casas y haberes devastadas y destruidas. Después de una odisea de un mes, l@s habitantes regresaron a la comunidad, habiendo sufrido hambre severa durante el desalojo, con la ayuda de una organización de derechos humanos, activist@s por la paz y la Junta de Buen Gobierno regional. Aunque desde entonces hay un campamento civil internacional por la paz en la comunidad, l@s zapatistas de San Marcos Avilés están enfrontado regularmente con amenazas, robo, destrucción de sus milpas o ataques físicos desde sus regreso.

En el curso de las elecciones presidenciales y el triunfo disputado del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) en el verano de 2012, las agresiónes y represiones en contra de las comunidades zapatistas se han aumentado. A fines de julio, el colectivo activista Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio publicó un mensaje de vídeo por internet en el que l@s zapatistas de San Marcos Avilés piden por apoyo internacional (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-8CBt3Vkg).

El 6 de Agosto de 2012 l@s agresores leales al gobierno anunciaron un ataque contra “l@s compas en los próximos días”, despúes de lo cual una campaña internacional en apoyo de l@s zapatistas en San Marcos Avilés se inició (http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/deutsch/).

En respuesta a esta solicitud, en distintos países actualmente se están formando comités en apoyo de la comunidad. Los objetivos son el intercambio de información, la interconexión, la difusión de las informaciónes sobre la situación problemática en México y Chiapas en general, y en San Marcos Avilés en particular, para generar presión pública.

El 26 de Agosto de 2012, se fundó el Comité Berlin en Apoyo de l@s Zapatistas en San Marcos Avilés.

Las personas dedicadas y comprometidas en este comité son algun@s observador@s anteriores de derechos humanos, que estuvieron en el campamento civil por la paz y simpatizantes del alzamiento zapatista. No lo vamos a permitir, que se desaloje de nuevo a l@s habitantes valientes de San Marcos Avilés. Junt@s, queremos mostrar a nuestr@s amig@s zapatistas, que su llamada no quedará sin respuesta y que hay corazones rebeldes en todo el mundo. Junt@s queremos luchar por un mundo diferente. Otro mundo es posible.

„Preguntando caminamos“

El Comité Berlin, el 9 de Septiembre de 2012

Por más informaciónes:

La Declaración Mundial en Apoyo a l@s Zapatistas: Justicia y Libertad para San Marcos Avilés y Francisco Sántiz López:
http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/declaracion-mundial/

El blog del Comité Berlin en apoyo de l@s Zapatistas de San Marcos Avilés:
http://sanmarcosberlin.blogsport.de/

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

“THE TIME FOR RESISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY”:
GUSTAVO ESTEVA SENDS NEW LETTER
SUPPORTING SAN MARCOS AVILÉS AND FRANCISCO SÁNTIZ LÓPEZ

“It is urgent to show ourselves at the side of our compañeros in San Marcos Avilés. The threat is immediate. The Committees of the True Word must make ourselves known in every way we can, to show clearly the strength of our solidarity.”

– Gustavo Esteva

Compañeras and compañeros:

From Oaxaca, Mexico, as 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, the long-time Mexican intellectual and activist Gustavo Esteva sends us a critical and poetic reflection that lays bare the reasons we must support and stand in solidarity with the Zapatista resistance. In his moving piece, titled “The Time for Resistance and Solidarity,” which incorporates quotes from the Zapatistas themselves, our compa Gustavo gives language to what we know instinctively, as a feeling. The dignified resistance of the Zapatistas is not some isolated or distant thing, as Gustavo explains, but rather a movement of dignified people that unites us. It is directly relevant to all of us. Therefore, we must defend it; we must defend ourselves.

With great pride, we share here this beautiful letter in its entirety:

THE TIME FOR RESISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY
Gustavo Esteva

“Struggling together, the colour of our skin is not important, what matters is the content of our hearts,” they told us in the Good Government Council, somewhere in the Mexican southeast, in the month of September 2012, as the true word continues walking for our compañero Francisco Sántiz López and for the compañeros of San Marcos Avilés.

Struggling together, because that is the only way we are able to confront those who are doing everything in their power to disrupt our initiatives, our livelihoods, our organization, our autonomy.

It is more than ten years now since our Zapatista compañeros told us this clearly, but it seems that at that time we could not hear them. We did not see then with the clarity we have now that we are in World War IV. It is not a war between countries. It is a war of those from above against those from below. Because we, those from below, are now walking in rebellion; because we have been saying “enough!” ever since the first of January 1994, when the Zapatista uprising awoke us. Because we are no longer willing to let them continue to destroy our Mother Earth, and to continue to kill and imprison us. Because we have organized ourselves now, and we are building alternatives. For these and many other reasons they have unleashed a continuous war against us, from outside and inside, making it more and more difficult for us to live. They want to turn the whole world into a prison. The market has already got used to the new situation. It operates within a war scenario and trades everything on the stock market, leading to uncertainty. But the people do not get used to it. And we resist.

“Resistance is no longer just a word,” they said to us at the Junta. “Before, we thought it was easy, we thought it was no more than just enduring. Now we know that it is the only way, the way to show that life is not made with money, but with the resistance with which we live and work. Now we do not often speak of resistance in our communities, because we have become accustomed to it. But we see resistance where the bad government comes to beat us, with attacks by paramilitaries, here yes we see resistance because we have to care for what is ours, because if we give up the resistance even a little we will give a space to the bad government to take away what we have, and we are not going to go back on what we have built. We know that some people do not like us to organize, and for this reason many things happen, they attack us, but never mind, each of us is still here, safe and happy, if something happens to us there are other compas waiting behind us. Despite this, there we see that we are living a quiet life with our brothers and sisters, and that is where we see the resistance. Resistance is the place where we do what we want without asking permission from anyone, and so we say that there are many resistances. We do not have a timetable for the resistance or a set time. We will never come to an end, we know that we will not give up, even if they kill us, because our word will continue.”

“We are finding that there are many like us, for nobody teaches us what we are going to do, and so what matters most is unity, the best way to build the world where many worlds fit is through unity, to be and to want to be together, although we are different. It gives us great pleasure when we hear of the struggles of other countries and places. To be fighters we have to be ready and willing, not only for prison but also for death. But if this is what we want, then let us continue. This is the only way we can go, there is no other way.”

Both Francisco Sántiz López and San Marcos Avilés are frontlines in this great war that escalates daily in the Zapatista communities, because their resistance is walking onwards, because every day they affirm themselves in their autonomy, consolidate their achievements and take them even further. The bad government watches how the Zapatista resistance is enriched, how they extend their own ways of learning and justice and health and all their modes of living and how, despite everything that is done against them, the new social reality, which is the foundation for a different mode of existence, spreads and is strengthened. The attacks are not directed against weakness, or against something sad or dead. They attack all that flourishes, all that is robust, and all that serves as an example and is a source of inspiration.

You might think that these attacks are very distant, that they occur over there in some small community in the highlands of Chiapas, where they think no one will ever witness the horror of this attack unleashed against those who just want to continue to live in their own way, in the construction of their autonomy, and to extend the activities so that their children may learn to participate in this autonomy. But Sántiz speaks well from his prison: “If I’m here, I’m there; if I’m there, I’m here.”

The demons are on the loose. The war is everywhere. But so too is solidarity—that decision to be together in this common struggle that no longer respects territories. In each place it is different. But everywhere the same phenomenon is reproduced: the people affirm their dignity and say ‘enough!’, and they take their path, and the response from above is intimidation, aggression, corruption, continuous war…

It is urgent to show ourselves on the side of our compañeros in San Marcos Avilés. The threat is immediate. We, the Committees of the True Word, must make ourselves known in every way that we can, so that the strength of our solidarity may be seen.

It is the time for resistance. And to resist is to struggle in common, together, in the embrace of solidarity.

Gustavo Esteva
San Pablo Etla, September 2012

Compañeras and compañeros:

Receive many embraces from the Mexican immigrants of Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York. We hope that everyone is well and in good health. We would like to share with you this brief update regarding the “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López” Campaign.

As is the case in any organizing campaign, this one serves as a wonderful opportunity to continue building both locally and globally. The dignified struggle of the Zapatistas, now and since their birth, inspires us to fight, grow, and liberate ourselves in our own corners of the world. For this reason, many of our “Comités” continue to consolidate themselves in their respective communities, connecting the struggle of our Zapatista sisters and brothers with their own local struggles. In the events and activities that are organized in conjunction with our campaign, many compas, for example, continue to draw more people into the struggle for justice. This is truly something powerful and is in line with the spirit of Zapatismo. We therefore encourage everyone to continue building in this way, slowly and from below, because it is the only way in which we shall win what we deserve: a new, just, and dignified world.

That said, to enrich and promote the expansion of our campaign, we have put together an “organizing toolbox” featuring a wide variety of useful resources that can be utilized during our events, activities, and actions. This toolbox has downloadable materials in different languages, including fliers, pamphlets, photos, posters, the campaign logo in ten languages and the UK Worldwide Declaration.

Designed to facilitate our campaign organizing activities, the toolbox is already up and available on our website to be used to meet the educational, news, or organizing needs of the compañer@s in this campaign:

http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/material/

All the materials have been used during organizing activities by individuals and organizations in many countries. Hopefully, this “organizing toolbox” continues to be of use for all.

If you are looking for more information, images, or ideas for your committee or activity in support of San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López, please visit this page on our website – which, aside from this toolbox, features content and news in 10 languages.

Likewise, if you would like suggestions for your activities, please write to us at the email address listed below. We also invite you to collaborate with us to continue building this organizing toolbox and its contents. More materials are always needed, and there is a particular need for translations.

Lastly, we have the San Marcos Avilés video-message in high-definition format suitable for film screenings. Please let us know if you would like a copy.

Regarding this and all other matters mentioned here, please write to us at:

laotranuevayork@yahoo.com

Thank you very much, compas. We hope these small resources help to strengthen our respective efforts and, in turn, our shared campaign.

With love and solidarity,

Movement for Justice in El Barrio
The Other Campaign New York.

“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

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

Colectivos y Adherentes a la Otra Campaña en San Luis Potosí Invitan:

A LA INAUGURACIÓN DE LA EXPOSICIÓN DE PINTURA “CAMINANDO LA PALABRA VERDADERA” ESTE 8 DE SEPTIEMBRE DEL 2012 A LAS 19 HRS. EN EL CAFÉ 8 AVO ÁRTE

Obra de: Jesús Aranda

Nos unimos así a la campaña “Eco Mundial en Apoyo a l@s Zapatistas: Justicia y
Libertad para San Marcos Avilés y Francisco Sántiz López” .

Denunciaremos las agresiones a las Comunidades Autónomas Zapatistas , además de la Resistencia de las Comunidades Agua Señora y Cerrito de Maravillas de Mexquitic de Carmona, S.L.P., abriendo una mesa redonda para hablar sobre estos temas.

¡¡¡VIVAN LAS COMUNIDADES AUTÓNOMAS ZAPATISTAS!!!
¡¡¡ALTO A LAS AGRESIONES A BASES DE APOYO ZAPATISTAS!!!
¡¡¡LIBERTAD A PRESOS POLÍTICOS!!!

http://enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXuVyJ5YdfA&feature=plcp

http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/

FACE: Carlos Marx

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!

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Crónica de la actividad del
Comité de la Palabra Verdadera de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Haz clic aqui para ver fotos y la crónica:
http://sanmarcosaviles.wordpress.com/campana-mundial/

“Eco Mundial en Apoyo a l@s Zapatistas:
Justicia y Libertad para San Marcos Avilés y Francisco Sántiz López”

Nosotros vivimos en un país donde desde el año 1500 se realizan muchas injusticias contra las comunidades indígenas. Las violaciones, por más brutales y vergonzosas que son, todavía son repetidamente practicadas en la actualidad.

Por tanto apoyamos la lucha de los hermanos Zapatistas, pues es simbólica, para que las violaciones dejen de ocurrir a través del mundo, incluyendo en Brasil. Las comunidades quilombos (comunidades de afro-descendentes marginadas) sufren de los mismo males. Y el mal, así como en México, también proviene de un “Mal Gobierno”, que se constituye de gobernadores de estado que ordenan sus policías a actuar en nuestras comunidades de modo injusto y cobarde.

Nuestra acción quiso sensibilizar a los jóvenes estudiantes sobre la situación actual de las comunidades indígenas, en especial las comunidades Zapatistas. Proyectamos vídeos sobre los actos de violencia que la llamada cultura superior blanca comete en contra de la Naturaleza de un modo general, así como demonstrar las contradicciones hipócritas de adoración a una naturaleza idealizada, dócil, que existe para ser sumisa al ser humano. Conversamos sobre los actos brutales de violencia que padecen esas comunidades, su aislamiento en las zonas marginadas y desvalorización del territorio y el consecuente golpe que se da contra sus costumbres culturales por lo tanto.

Hablamos en especial sobre la posibilidad que representa una comunidad indígena con respecto a la convivencia humana. Sobre la base de una lógica diversa del capitalismo, ustedes demuestran que sí es posible hacer otro mundo, basado en otro sistema de valores donde se hacen protagonistas todos los miembros de la comunidad, a través del aprendizaje de valores tales cuales la solidaridad, la autonomía, el respeto, la coparticipación y la amistad. Creemos en estos valores y por lo tanto los admiramos. ¡Tenemos mucho que aprender con ustedes!

Como dice un miembro de la comunidad Zapatista sobre el miedo del Mal Gobierno en la película “Zapatistas – crónica de una rebelión”:

“El Poder nos teme.
Por eso nos persigue y nos cerca.
Por eso nos encarcela y nos mata.
En realidad somos la posibilidad que lo puede derrotar.”

Ustedes lo son. Ustedes inspiran otro mundo posible, y esto es una amenaza a un sistema basado en las injusticias y desigualdades; en la explotación a oprimidos por opresores.