Zapatista News April 2009

A summary of Zapatista related news - April 09.

APRIL 2009 NEWS

THE STRATEGY OF PROVOCATION AND CONFRONTATION CONTINUES

Continuation of harassment of Zapatista communities: this is either through police and military harassment, or through aggression by local groups. At the end of February, the JBG of Oventik denounced military incursions close to the Caracol, and flyovers of aeroplanes and helicopters in the region. They also reported that indigenous and campesino groups, particularly OPDDIC and ORCAO, who are linked to local powers or the state government, are seeking to wear down the resistance through acts of aggression that could lead to violence, such as occupation of land, robbery or destruction of harvests. The JBG of La Realidad similarly denounced a series of aggressions and provocations in March. There have been particular instances of Zapatista support bases being deprived of access to water or electricity, for example the incidents denounced by the JBG of La Garrucha in March 2009 when some peoples’ lights were cut off, and a recent attack on Zapatista support bases in Zinacantan who have now been deprived of water since 2002.

Ecotourism conflicts: Another series of conflicts exists in the zone between Ocosingo and Palenque where the Federal and State government have planned projects of tourism development. A number of indigenous communities have sought to retake control of their traditional land rights in Agua Clara, Misol Há, Agua Azul, and other localities.

Misol-ha Waterfall:  the ejido assembly of the community neighbouring the waterfall, which includes Zapatista support bases along with members of other organisations, has agreed to establish a tourist booth at the entrance to this attraction. They have for a long time asserted their rights over the road to the site, without receiving a response from the government.

San Cristobal to Palenque toll road : Construction of the section of this proposed road between San Cristobal and the military base at Rancho Nuevo is due  to begin, as part of the proposed national and international tourist corridor which threatens the survival of indigenous communities in the Caracoles of Oventik, Morelia and Roberto Barrios. Resistance to this road and to the whole development has also begun, and demonstrations against it have been held in several parts of Europe.

The Chiapas Governor Juan Sabines Guerrero has said that he will not evict any communities that were established before he took office, and that the state government will respect the Zapatista community of Bolom Ajaw, long the victim of paramilitary harassment, and the camp at the nature reserve of Huitepec, the sacred hill of water.

.Latest crime at Acteal: PRI officials have created an uncovered rubbish dump next to the refugee camp of ‘internally displaced people’ at Acteal, Polho.  6,000 displaced Zapatistas still live in these camps, and have been here since fleeing paramilitary violence in 1997, which led up to the massacre of 45 women, children and men. The dump is used for all kinds of waste including dead animals; La Jornada described this latest outrage as ‘bacteriological warfare’.

Eviction Attempt Fails in San Cristóbal de las Casas: At the end of March, local police tried to evict 500 displaced indigenous families camped on land on the northern edge of this town. Hundreds of homes were destroyed but the camp remains.

HEALTHCARE

Recent articles in La Jornada have highlighted the continuing advances in Zapatista preventive healthcare. For example, in Zapatista communities, 63% of women receive pre-natal care, compared with 34% in non- Zapatista ones, while 74% of Zapatista homes have access to toilet facilities, and 54% in non-Zapatista. In areas of chronic poverty, these figures are highly significant.

One of the major achievements of the Zapatistas remains the eradication of alcohol and drug use, production or selling in their communities. This has enormous consequences in terms of reduction in violence and improvements in health.  While most of Mexico is experiencing unprecedented rates of drug-related violence and killings ( 8,000 in 15 months), the Zapatista municipalities remain drug-free.

EVENTS

International Women’s Day Festival in Oventik:  More than three thousand people, from Mexico and the world, attended this festival held in the name of Mama Corral, a social activist from Chihuahua, and an adherent to the Other Campaign, who died recently. There was football, basketball, volleyball, dancing, and political and cultural events organised by women for women. Men attended only in a supporting role. Once again, this gathering shows how the Zapatistas retain their ability to convoke, and the extent of the international support they still have, despite the concerted campaign in Mexico to discredit and diminish the strength of the movement.

Third European Gathering in Solidarity with the Zapatistas: is being held in Marseilles on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd of May, with participants from many European countries.