NOVEMBER 2011 ZAPATISTA NEWS SUMMARY

EZLN celebrates its 28th anniversary, commission visits Alberto Patishtan in his Sinaloa prison, and COCOPA to promote Indigenous Rights Law in congress amongst other news from the Chiapas Support Committee.

1. EZLN Celebrates 28th Anniversary - On November 17, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) celebrated 28 years since its founding on that date in 1983, when 6 members of the National Liberation Forces (FLN) entered the Lacandón Jungle to begin organizing. In keeping with current security measures in Zapatista communities, members of the press are not permitted entry to report on the celebrations, so there are no details about the celebrations.

2. The Hunger Strike Ends, Only 2 Are Released - As we reported in our mid-month news update, the hunger strike was suspended on November, 7. Although the government agreed to review the records of the indigenous prisoners involved in the hunger strike, the prisoners suspended their protest to prevent anyone from suffering permanent organ damage. A week later, Jose Díaz and Andrés Nuñez Hernández were released from the state prison in San Cristóbal de las Casas, apparently without conditions. On November 16, Juan Collazo was transferred back to the San Cristóbal prison, where his fellow members of Solidarity with The Voice of El Amate are held. He had been isolated from his compañeros for more than a year in the Motozintla State Prison.

3. Child of Hunger Strike Couple Dies - On November 3, it was learned that the son of a couple participating in the protest by Chiapas prisoners had died the week before. Neither of the parents were released after the hunger strike ended.

4. Commission Visits Alberto Patishtán in Sinaloa Prison - A commission made up of Alberto Patishtán's daughter (Gabriela), Sacario Hernández and a member of the civil society group working in support of the prisoners visited Alberto Patishtán in the federal prison located in Guasave, Sinaloa. The commission reported that Patishtán was not receiving appropriate medical care for his glaucoma and is confined to an individual cell 23 hours per day. In other words, he is being punished for organizing other indigenous prisoners and defending their rights.

5. Cocopa to Promote Indigenous Rights Law in Congress - The Commission of Concordance and Pacification (Cocopa) will promote before the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies its initiative in favour of peace in Chiapas and the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples. In order to impel said project, three forums will be held in the San Quintín Valley of Baja California, in Comitán, Chiapas, and a third yet to be defined to collect society’s opinion. Jaime Martínez Veloz, representative of the Chiapas state government in the Cocopa, maintained that the indigenous theme is pending on the national political agenda and in no way can a democratic transformation of State be impelled if the voice and participation of the indigenous peoples is not included. The first forum is scheduled for December 11.