EZLN reveal details of new strategy
north america / mexico |
the left |
press release
Tuesday July 19, 2005 21:44 by Marcos - EZLN
3 communiques
The EZLN has announced the end of the Red Alert due to the end of the consulta and the announcement of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona. This set of communiques includes the re-opening of the Caracoles and details of the "Sixth Committee" which is to meet with people or organizations who do not participate in elections to form 'the other campaign'. Meetings will then be held in Chiapas of various sectors with the aim of issuing a common statement agreed by all on September 16.
The communiques in this batch are
Opening up communication
Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous
Committee
&endash; General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation.
Mexico.
July 13, 2005
To the People of Mexico:
This is our word:
First - The EZLN has now designated a committee from its
leadership in order to take responsibility for everything having to
do with the work of carrying forward the
Sixth
Declaration of the Selva Lacandona. It will work, jointly and
respectfully, with those organizations, groups, collectives and
individuals who join with us in this new civil and peaceful
initiative in Mexico.
Second - The Sixth Declaration is clear in its contents and
purposes, and it has been so understood by its recipients. Only the
politicians and businesspersons of Mexico have demonstrated that they
do not understand anything, and they have not missed the opportunity
to behave ridiculously.
Third - The EZLN has read, with respect and attentively, the
different analyses which have been made of this initiative. We are
grateful to those who have warned of risks and dangers and who have
given their opinion as to the best direction and steps for moving
forward. The EZLN has, in addition, taken note of the many messages
of support which it has received through various channels.
Fourth - In order to organize and systematize all of this, and in
agreement with the Mexican magazine of the left, "Rebeldía,"
the EZLN is advising that messages of support, of willingness to work
together, positive and negative comments, constructive and
destructive criticism, help, rejections and repudiations of the Sixth
Declaration of the Selva Lacandona will be accepted at the following
email addresses:
In order to subscribe to the Sixth Declaration and in order to
start working, jointly with the EZLN, in the Plan for a National
Campaign with Another Politics, for a National Program of Struggle of
the Left and a New Constitution, the email address is
conlasexta@revistarebeldia.org. We are asking you to please include
some means of communicating with you so that you can stay informed
about everything and so you can be invited to the meetings and
activities which will be held.
For everything against the Sixth Declaration of the Selva
Lacandona, the email address is contralasexta at revistarebeldia.org
. All of the opinions against will be read and seriously analyzed.
For all and any general information, consult the web page:
www.revistarebeldia.org
Fifth - The EZLN committee responsible for the work for achieving
the Sixth Declaration will &endash; on August 1, 2005 &endash;
prepare a preliminary list of those persons and organizations of the
left who have joined in with this work, in order to carry out a
series of discussion and working meetings with them. They will be
scheduled by groups and will be given sufficient notice.
Sixth - We respectfully ask the political and social, indigenous,
non-governmental, cultural, artistic, scientific, gender, homosexual,
lesbian, transsexual, everyone-in-their-own-way organizations,
groups, collectives and any other kind of associations &endash; to
promptly name their delegates or representatives who will be
attending these working meetings.
Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee
&endash; General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation.
Mexico, July of 2005.
Moving forward in the work for the National
Campaign
Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
Mexico.
July 13, 2005:
To those individuals, organizations, collectives, groups and
associations of the left who support what has been proposed in the
Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona:
Compañeros and compañeras:
Greetings from all the men, women, children and old ones of the
EZLN. I am writing in order to tell you a little of how we've been
thinking we might move forward in the work for the National Campaign
with Another Politics, for a National Program of Struggle of the Left
and for a New Constitution.
Hmm…Perhaps we'd move forward a little if we began by changing the
name, because it's so long that once you've reached the end, you've
already forgotten how it started. Fine, but we'll see about that once
we're all working together, we will reach agreement on that and other
things. For the moment, in order to abbreviate and synthesize, we'll
call it "The Other Campaign."
Fine, then I'll tell you first about how we organized the EZLN for
this work. We agreed to divide up the tasks and, as is our way, to
form committees. The committees are groups of compañeros and
compañeras who are in charge of a work and who inform everyone
how that work is going. And they don't just do whatever they feel
like, but rather according to how they are told. Then the zapatista
leadership divided up the tasks:
One part, the majority, will be in charge of the zapatista towns,
of defending them, of helping them in their autonomía and in
giving them guidance in the struggle. This group is, in fact, the
CCRI-CG of the EZLN.
Another part of the CCRI-CG, a small one, will be in charge of the
international efforts proposed in the Sixth Declaration of the Selva
Lacandona. We are calling this group the "Intergalactic Committee of
the EZLN," or, simply, the "Intergalactic Committee."
And another part of the CCRI-CG, also small, will be in charge of
the national arena, concerning the national campaign, etcetera, or
"The Other Campaign." We called this group the "Sixth Committee of
the EZLN," or, simply, the "Sixth Committee."
Fine, right now I'm going to talk to you about the "Sixth
Committee," and then another time I'll tell you about the
"Intergalactic Committee."
The "Sixth Committee" is the one which, firstly, is going to meet
with all those of the left who are in agreement with "The Other
Campaign" and who are not people or organizations who participate in
elections. Then, with everyone, it is going to make a plan for
traveling all over Mexico. Well, not all over. Only where they invite
us. If there is a place where they don't wish to receive us, then we
won't go. Because we don't want to impose a way of thinking by force
either.
This "Sixth Committee" has already reached agreement with the
compañeros and compañeras of Revista Rebeldía,
and, on August 1 of this year, the Rebeldías are going to send
us a list of all those organizations and persons who noted that they
are in agreement with the Sixth and with working in "The Other
Campaign" (remember that the email address is conlasexta at
revistarebeldia.org ). Of course, there might be some organizations
which have not finished reaching agreement on the Sixth, or which are
waiting to see if López Obrador announces his candidacy, or to
see if Cárdenas leaves the PRD or runs as a candidate for
another party. Or it might be that some people are still reading it
or are waiting to receive it, and then they won't manage to send
their word prior to July 31. Don't worry, you can come in at any time
and join the work at whatever stage we're at.
Fine, but as for those who let us know no later than July 31 that
they're ready and willing, we're going to meet with them first in
order to begin reaching agreements on "The Other Campaign" plan.
These meetings will be in the month of August and part of September,
because we're not all going to meet en masse, rather first some, then
others, and then everyone. This will be in Chiapas, in some of the
zapatista communities which agree to receive us for this work. We
have chosen weekends so that you won't have to miss work…or not much.
The calendar we're proposing to you is the following (note: there
might be changes, but we'll let you know):
Political organizations of the Left: Arrival on Friday, August 5;
Meeting on Saturday, August 6, and Departure on Sunday, August 7.
- Indigenous Organizations and Organizations of the Indian Peoples
of Mexico: Arrival on Friday, August 12; Meeting on Saturday, August
13, and Departure on Sunday, August 14.
- Social organizations of the Left: Arrival on Friday, August 19;
Meeting on Saturday, August 20, and Departure on Sunday, August 21.
- Non-Governmental, artistic, cultural organizations, groups,
collectives, etcetera: Arrival on Friday, August 26; Meeting on
Saturday, August 27, and Departure on Sunday, August 28.
- Women, men, old ones, boys and girls, as individuals, as
families, from communities, streets, barrios or neighborhoods:
Arrival on Friday, September 2; Meeting on Saturday, September 3, and
Departure on Sunday, September 4.
- Others (those who were unable to attend any of the previous
dates): Arrival on Friday, September 9; Meeting on Saturday,
September 10, and Departure on Sunday, September 11.
We think that, with the wind in our favor, we will be able to make
a joint public statement (not just by the EZLN, but by everyone who
has reached agreement) on September 16. With this public statement,
and then with a committee of all of those who are going to engage in
the work, we will continue meeting with groups and persons as they
join in with this initiative.
Fine, we're letting you know early on so you can see to how you'll
be going about naming delegates or representatives, paying for the
trip, lunch, blankets, nylon (it's raining a lot, and it's going to
be raining more), flashlights, batteries, boots for the mud,
documents, notebooks and pencils for taking notes and thus fully
informing others, etcetera.
We're asking you to please bring some food you can prepare for
yourself, so that we don't add to the burden of the communities who,
generous as always, will be welcoming us.
And to the organizations, groups and collectives, we're asking
that you not come en masse, but rather name some individuals for this
work, so that we can discuss and reach agreement. If there are a lot
of us, then it will be bedlam, and we'll spend our whole lives
discussing, and the politicians will end up doing away with our
country before we end up reaching agreement in order to prevent it.
And, to everyone, we're asking you to really put a lot into it,
because we do indeed have something to lose: the Patria.
Vale. Salud, and may the heart beat where it, in fact, does, that
is, on the left.
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
By the Sixth Committee of the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous
Committee
&endash; General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
Mexico, July of 2005.
EZLN lifts its Red Alert
Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous
Committee
&endash; General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation.
Mexico.
July 11, 2005.
To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:
Brothers and Sisters:
The EZLN is addressing you in order to inform you of the
following:
First - With the completion of the internal consulta &endash;
whose results have already been made known &endash; the EZLN has
decided to lift the Red Alert which it has been maintaining since
June 19, 2005 in the zapatista indigenous communities.
Second - As of this July 15, the Caracoles of La Realidad, Roberto
Barrios, Oventik, Morelia and La Garrucha will be reopened. The
different Good Government Juntas will also once again begin their
work in their respective headquarters.
Third - The Autonomous Rebel Zapatista Municipality [MAREZ]
councils will also be reopening throughout all zapatista territory.
Educational services, as well as cooperatives and other services,
will also be reactivated.
Fourth - Civil activities will gradually be getting back to normal
throughout the entire territory.
Fifth - As a result of the internal zapatista consulta, there will
be some changes in the Caracoles.
For example, while those who have already been named by the
Autonomous Councils in the Good Government Juntas will be there, now
there will be support base compañeros and compañeras in
the "Security Committees." They will inform themselves as to who
arrives, as to problems for those requesting help or resolution, as
to programs being proposed, as to humanitarian help and aid for the
indigenous communities, and as to the decisions made by members of
the Good Government Juntas. These security committees will report to
the MAREZ and the support bases so that everyone can be informed,
make assessments and say whether what is being decided and done is
good or bad.
In addition to the Good Government Junta offices and the security
committees, there will be an "Information Committee." This committee
will be in charge of attending to those persons who come asking for
information and explanations about the zapatista movement, its
history and its struggle.
Sixth - These changes will be taking place little by little, and
they will certainly cause some setbacks and confusion, so we are
asking for your understanding, which your nobility has already
demonstrated previously.
Seventh - We are inviting national and international civil society
to resume, as of this July 15, your contacts, visits and projects in
the Caracoles and with the Good Government Juntas and MAREZ
throughout zapatista territory. You will all be welcome.
Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee
&endash; General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation,
Mexico. July of 2005.
All communiques
Originally published in Spanish by the EZLN
*************************************
Translated by irlandesa
For
background details see EZLN reveal new strategy