

In this report, we joined the students and workers in Santiago de Chile in the massive march on July 14, 2011, to hear the voices of the protesters in their struggle against neoliberalism and for the democratization of public education. We also spoke with an activist in Santiago about the history of the privatization of education to better understand what is happening in the current struggle in Chile.
(Descarga aquí)UPDATE:
Just a few days ago, on Thursday August 4, 2011, the student movement in Chile was brutally attacked by the neoliberal government of Sebastián Piñera. After nearly six weeks of protests, marches, and occupations of schools, the students once again took to the streets in a massive, unauthorized protest. In response to the escalating protests, President Piñera chose to apply a law put in place by former dictator Augusto Pinochet, which makes popular assembly illegal if it is not authorized by the government. Threatening the student activists, the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Hinzpeter stated that “the students will be held responsible for any deaths that result from the protests.”
The massive mobilizations throughout the country were met with violent repression by the thousands of police officers deployed to attack the protesters, and by the end of the day there were dozens wounded and 874 people had been arrested. Reports from Santiago announced that the city was under a state of siege, and the smell of tear gas had permeated the barrios. That night, neighbors took to the streets with the practice known as the “cacerolazo,” banging on pots and pans late into the night to show their support for the students and to denounce the violence. This practice became quite common during the nearly two decades of military dictatorship under Pinochet.
The following day, protests were held across Latin America and around the world, as rallies were held in front of Chilean embassies and Consulates in dozens of countries. And in Santiago, outside of the Memory Museum—a space dedicated to the collective memory of the state terrorism of Pinochet’s dictatorship—student installed the “Museum of Repression” with displays of items they had gathered during Thursday’s protests. Images circulated of a display of tear gas canisters, accompanied by a sign that reads: “Each canister costs approximately $250 dollars, and on this block alone we gathered more than 370 discarded canisters. You can draw your own conclusions.”
What follows is a segment produced by Radio Zapatista a few weeks ago, reporting from the July 14 march in Santiago de Chile. While it is now somewhat outdated, we want to air it because it gives a sense of the events that led to Thursday’s historic march and repression, and allows us to hear some of the voices of those who have been, and continue to, organize in defense of public education.
El compañero Cristobal Sánchez, en huelga de hambre desde el pasado 17 de julio, que no había tenido respuesta alguna desde iniciada su protesta, tuvo un encuentro la noche de hoy martes con la encargada del jurídico de la estación, quien salió a dialogar con Cristobal y mencionó desconocer totalmente de las agresiones realizadas por agentes migratorios en contra del activista de derechos humanos. Al ver la precaria situación del huelguista, en ves de atender su petición de justicia, sus argumentos fueron los de ofrecerle zapatos, pantalones y agua.
(Descarga aquí)
(Continuar leyendo…)
Red contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad (Chiapas)
18 de julio 2011
Nos pronunciams en contra de los hechos ocurridos en el poblado Nuevo Paraíso Municipio Autónomo Francisco Villa donde Miembros de la organización regional de cafeticultores de Ocosingo (ORCAO) ocuparon violentamente las tierras de los compañeros bases de apoyo zapatistas.
Como denuncia la Junta de Buen Gobierno El Camino del Futuro, el accionar del ORCAO viene vinculado a los lazos que dicha organización mantiene con los tres niveles de gobierno.
No son hechos aislados. Recientemente denunció la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Oventik que los bases de apoyo zapatistas de San Marcos Avilés viven una situación muy fuerte de tensiones y miedo por las agresiones y amenazas de los partidistas y por la presencia de patrullajes policíacas. También la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Morelia ha denunciado como integrantes del ORCAO secuestraron y torturaron compañeros bases de apoyo zapatistas del municipio autónomo Lucio Cabañas
Esta forma de camuflar el despojo del territorio por parte del gobierno, utilizando para la intervención de grupos de corte paramilitar o de choque, es una estrategia de contrainsurgencia elaborada desde instancias gubernamentales. Queda claro que el despojo de la tierra es la actual arma que da acceso a sus planes económicos, pero no solamente esto, también es la forma mediante la cual intentan desgarrar un pueblo en resistencia, aniquilar su cultura y destruir la autonomia.
Pero como la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Oventik escribe en la denuncia del 1º de julio; “Que no piensen que van a detener con provocaciones, amenazas, agresiones y persecuciones la lucha de los pueblos zapatistas por la construcción de nuestra autonomía y por la liberación nacional, cueste lo que nos cueste, pase lo que pase pero vamos a seguiremos adelante, porque es nuestro derecho”.
Recordamos que estas tierras fueron recuperadas en 1994 en el contexto del levantamiento del EZLN, y tierras reapropiadas para el uso de las familias originarias. Ni los corruptos políticos y sus grupos armados, ni los intereses financieros y sus ejércitos industriales tienen ningún derecho sobre ellas. La libertad en territorio zapatista no es la del libre comercio, si no la que construyen comunitariamente desde su propia autonomía.
Por todo esto exigimos el cese inmediato al hostigamiento y despojo en contra de las bases de apoyo zapatistas por parte de los tres niveles de gobierno, Estatal, Federal y Municipal, y la organización de cafiticultores de Ocosingo (ORCAO).
¡Basta de agresiones!
¡Basta de hostigamiento hacia las comunidades zapatistas!
¡Si nos tocan a uno a una nos tocan a todos!
Red contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad Chiapas
(RvsR-Chiapas)
Entrevistamos a Cristóbal Sánchez Sánchez, estudiante, defensor de derechos humanos y coordinador de la caravana “Paso a paso hacia la Paz”, quien se encuentra en huelga de hambre en Tapachula, Chiapas, para exigir la destitución y castigo de los policías estatales y de migración que lo agredieron, golpearon y detuvieron arbitrariamente mientras documentaba un operativo de la policía migratoria.
Cristóbal habla sobre su detención y los abusos que sufrió, sobre la situación de los migrantes en México y sobre la caravana Paso a paso hacia la Paz.
Conferencia de prensa de la Liga Mexicana por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos A.C. (Limeddh), la red de alerta temprana y organizaciones solidarias. En este informe se aborda graves violaciones a los derechos económicos sociales y culturales (e irregularidades en posteriores programas de apoyo a damnificados) que se dan a partir de dicho desastre fruto del seguimiento e investigación de lo sucedido desde las inundaciones del 2007 a la fecha (2011).
Presentación – Alma (Limeddh):(Descarga aquí)
Aurelio Morales (Limeddh – difusión):(Descarga aquí)
Abigail Escalante (Limeddh – abogada) – Irregularidades en el proceso de los presos de Tecpatán y Frontera Comalapa:(Descarga aquí)
Aurelio Morales – comentarios sobre el caso de los detenidos:(Descarga aquí)
Aurelio Morales – Ciudades Rurales “Sustentables”:(Descarga aquí)
Miguel Angel García (Maderas del Pueblo) – Ciudades Rurales:(Descarga aquí)
Victorino González (testimonio de la comunidad de Rómulo Calzada, conocida como Herradura):(Descarga aquí)
Testimonios de familiares de los detenidos):
(Descarga aquí)
(Descarga aquí)
(Descarga aquí)
(Descarga aquí)
Comentarios de la abogada Abigail Escalante:
(Descarga aquí)
This July 2, 2011, day of the march against violence against women in San Cristóbal de Las Casas,the activist Concepción Avendaño Villafuerte received a citation to appear at the General Attorney’s office (PGR) this next July 5. The compañera fears for her freedom and asks that we remain attentive and calls for solidarity.(Descarga aquí)
June 27, 2011
URGENT ACTION # 3
Death threats, harrassment and risk of forced displacement in San Marcos AvilésIn response, Frayba is making known its concern at the imminent risk to life, personal integrity and security faced by BAEZLN, inhabitants of the ejido of San Marcos Avilés, as these death threats and harrassment have increased during recent days, further, the plundering of land is preventing work in the fields and the harvest of their crops, which results in those affected suffering from a lack of food, causing serious damage to the health of children, women, men, and the elderly.
Given these facts, BAEZLN families fear being displaced again, for which reason the Centre of Human Rights states:
The responsibility of the state by default, as to date government authorities have not acted to ensure the integrity and security of BAEZLN and access to land despite the many interventions submitted by the Center for Human Rights;
and demands:
Background:
On September 9, 2010, the Center for Human Rights received a complaint from the Good Government Junta Central Heart of the Zapatistas before the World, of Caracol 2 Resistance and Rebellion 2 for Humanity community based in Oventic, San Andres Sakamch’en of Los Pobres, Chiapas, in relation to threats, harrassment and forced displacement that were suffered by 170 men, women and children of ejido San Marcos BAEZLN Township Chilón Avilés, Chiapas, following the construction in August 2010 of the first autonomous school in the ejido to begin the planned activities of the Zapatista Rebel Autonomous Education System.
That day, 30 people of the ejido San Marcos Avilés affiliated with the PRI, PRD and PVEM parties, led by Lorenzo Ruiz Gómez and Vicente Ruiz López, violently entered the homes of members BAEZLN armed with sticks, machetes and guns, and tried to rape two women, who managed to escape. In order not to respond to aggression, the people of BAEZLN left their homes and sought refuge in the bush. After 33 days of forced displacement without any food or protection, on October 12, 2010 27 families (50 women, 47 men and 77 children, in total 170 people) returned to their community.
As documented by the Center for Human Rights, they found that in the properties of the displaced: the houses had been looted of all their belongings, corn and beans, their coffee plantations and fruit trees had all been destroyed, as well as the animals each family had in their corral.
Since Frayba learned of the problem in the ejido San Marcos Aviles, they have on several occasions informed the government authorities of the situation, to request compliance with their obligation to ensure the integrity and personal security of the inhabitants and to seek a solution to the conflict. Despite this, there was no response.
However, even when the displaced returned to their home community, we received and documented persistent daily threats in the community, so there is a risk of forced displacement. On April 6, 2011, a Civil Camp for Peace was installed in the ejido, composed of civilian observers to deter any violent actions, however they are also being subjected to threats and harassment.
*-*
Send appeals to: