Stop the Repression Against the CIPO-RFM!

north america / mexico | indigenous struggles | news report Friday July 01, 2005 18:58 by ? - via infoshop

Only a few months after the appointment of the new government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz in the south western state of Oaxaca, there has been deterioration in the social and political situation and in particular regarding the political rights of Indigenous peoples. One of the Indigenous organizations suffering the most repression in all of Mexico and particularly in Oaxaca is the Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca- Ricardo Flores Magón (CIPO-RFM)

“Our struggle is not for power. To change one power for another. But for the policy of communal good, of community life, of justice. It is the policy against impunity, against injustices, against death.”
- The Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca-Ricardo Flores Magón (CIPO-RFM)

The Mexican government of Vicente Fox has rejected the constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples, yet on the other hand; has increased the number of soldiers and paramilitaries in the communities of Chiapas, Guerrero and principally in Oaxaca. Only a few months after the appointment of the new government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz in the south western state of Oaxaca, there has been deterioration in the social and political situation and in particular regarding the political rights of Indigenous peoples. Evidence of this situation are the political crimes, community confrontations, unjust detentions, and the criminalization of social struggles.

One of the Indigenous organizations suffering the most repression in all of Mexico and particularly in Oaxaca is the Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca- Ricardo Flores Magón (CIPO-RFM). Even though they are against the use of arms, the history of the CIPO-RFM has been marked by persecution and repression. Since the creation of this organization of communities in 1997, there have been: 517 people detained/tortured; 103 raids by the military, police and paramilitaries in the communities of the organization, 81 arrest warrants for crimes they did not commit; 229 criminal, civil, and mercantile trials; 27 assassinations and 263 serious injuries.

At the moment, one of the more known members, Raúl Gatica, lives practically clandestine due to attempts against his life he has suffered. Also an undetermined number of the inhabitants of Lagunilla, Morelos Yosonotu, San Isidro Aloapam and Santa Maria de Yaviche live displaced from their communities for fear of being murdered or jailed, their only crime being to organize themselves in the defense of their rights as peoples. In this moment, 16 members of the CIPO-RFM still remain imprisoned.

The CIPO-RFM is an Indigenous, social, democratic organization formed by many peoples in Oaxaca. After years of exploitation, genocide, and culturalization, the Indigenous population in Mexico again took up the struggle in the 90’s. Inspired by the revolutionary and intellectual Indigenous anarchist leader, Ricardo Flores Magón, the Magonist Indigenous Movement was formed. At the beginning, it was created by teachers spreading the ideals of anti-capitalism and the recovery of the Indigenous identity.

Years later, on November 18, 1997, the CIPO-RFM was created conglomerating a series of leftist organizations (from anarchists to marxists) and Indigenous ones. At the present time, the CIPO-RFM is a political, cultural organization with about 900 members, and conglomerates about 30 municipalities that follow Indigenous and libertarian ways and customs. The slogan of the CIPO-RFM is “liberty, justice, autonomy” and these principles are a reality. They practice concepts of mutual aid, economic self-management and autonomy, free association of the communities and peoples, direct action, and they reject all political parties.

The struggle against machismo and the defense of the forests are key elements for the Magonists. They carry out these ideals in projects and campaigns, for example in cooperatives, educational programs, cultural projects and mobilizations against oppressive policies imposed by the structures of power. They organize marches and sit-ins demanding that the government recognize Indigenous rights and against the business projects like the free trade agreements and globalization that destroy Indigenous communities and steal wealth from the Indigenous and the poor.

The Magonist Movement is therefore not only a movement of resistance, a political and economic revolution, but also a great cultural project. The state however, tries by all means to destroy the Indigenous and libertarian way of life. The CIPO-RFM organizes protests in the capital, Oaxaca de Juárez trying to defend themselves, influencing the public opinion, they gather international support, and they collect signatures and reports. They denounce the situation of repression through all means of communication.

The Magonist movement represents a libertarian alternative to this catastrophe which is the capitalist system. That is why it is of urgent importance to support the CIPO-RFM.

To find out more about the CIPO-RFM and how you can support them, contact Boston por CIPO-RFM, P.O. Box 505054, Chelsea, MA 02150, bostonporciporfm@yahoo.com or call 617-499-1921.