Paramilitaries Attack Indigenous Autonomous Community of La Soledad in Oaxaca

north america / mexico | indigenous struggles | press release

Thursday August 18, 2005 23:30

by CIPO-RFM - Northwest Anarchist Federation

The death threats continue, the gun shots can still be heard and the authorities, when they should be protecting, simply do not appear. The State Commission for Human Rights has done absolutely nothing to prevent the aggression on people travelling, even when knowing perfectly well about these aggressions

Paramilitaries Attack Indigenous Autonomous Community of La Soledad in Oaxaca

Brothers and sisters of the world:

Today July 20, 2005, at 10 pm the state of repression against the community of Trapiche La Soledad, Sola de Vega is deteriorating. Since yesterday July 19 from 10 pm onwards, the authorities of the community San Cristobal, Sola de Vega have installed a blockade in the only entrance that reaches the community of La Soledad.

Two thick tree trunks, and a large chain were laid across the path, about 20 to 30 people (including children) armed with rifles, sticks, and machetes, hold 10 to 12 hour long guards, checking all the vehicles that want to pass. The main order is that no person is to leave, and to allow only certain people to enter. Our brothers and sisters have been kidnapped, with the protection of the municipal preventive police that allow the paramilitaries of San Cristobal to violate human and constitutional rights with impunity. We also denounce the death threat that is upon all of the members of the CIPO-RFM, from the region or from the organizing committee; the order is to kill them if they go there.

The situation gets more complicated by the day to get food and medicine in.

The municipal preventive state police (about 50 of them) have already been present in the place of conflict. But they limit themselves to look upon the scene, and worse, participate in the blockade and live with those who participate in the blockade; together, paramilitaries and police are all armed. For this reason, Melchor Silva Lopez, authority of San Cristobal, has been advised on the conditions caused by aggressions in which the children, men and women of the community are finding themselves in. His only response was, "nothing will happen, until a general assembly of the people gives a response." But the so called assembly has never taken place, it is only another swindle to continue acting with impunity with the complacency of the state government.

The government delegate announced that he would have a meeting with the president of Sola de Vega but did not confirm if he would assist in spite of the urgency of the problem.

The death threats continue, the gun shots can still be heard and the authorities, when they should be protecting, simply do not appear. The State Commission for Human Rights has done absolutely nothing to prevent the aggression on people travelling, even when knowing perfectly well about these aggressions. For many months we have been denouncing these aggressions to this institution as well as the Attorney of Justice.

To summarize, Oaxaca is no man`s land where everything revolves around economic interests, without caring who they have to trample on.

Today more than ever, the lives of the people of La Soledad, and in particular the representatives and members of the CIPO-RFM are in danger.

The State Governor, the Chamber of Deputies, the Attorney General of State Justice, the Municipal President of Villa Sola de Vega, and the State Commission of Human Rights in Oaxaca are aware of this situation,yet have not intervened in solving the conflict, and are aware of all the problems that exist between the community of Soledad, Sola de Vega with San Cristoba.

What they have done is to tolerate, conceal, and give impunity, as a form of attacking and destroying autonomous organizational processes, like the ones of the communities of the CIPO-RFM.

That is why we hold: Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, state governor, Jorge Franco Vargas, Government Secretary, president of State Congress, and the State Commission of Human Rights of Oaxaca responsible of any act of violence.

We demand the intervention of the President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, who has said, that human rights will be respected, and would like to point out that the municipal president of Sola de Vega also belongs to the same party as him: the PAN.

Sincerely,

Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca- Ricardo Flores Magon

From Unfinished Buisness No 2: Agitational publication of the NORTHWEST ANARCHIST FEDERATION - NAF U..B.. B U P.o. Box 112 Portland, O R 97232