Protesters and police clashed again this week in Oaxaca. Ten thousand protesters (APPO, community members, teachers, and others) took to the streets to demand a non-commercially ran version of the traditional Guelaguetza festival. They hoped to enter the Guelaguetza auditorium but police stopped them with tear gas, arrests, and violence. Monday’s clashed lasted for three hours and APPO claims that protests will continue this weekend during the planned Guelaguetza festival. For news coverage, refer to these news articles from the BBC and Noticias. I also suggest this thorough post at The Mex Files that contemplates the complexities of this situation. Below is an Urgent Action put out by the Oaxaca Solidarity Network.
URGENT ACTION
A NEW ESCALATION OF POLICE REPRESSION AGAINST THE POPULAR MOVEMENT OF OAXACA
This Monday, June 16th at approximately 11:30am personnel of the Municipal police, Federal Preventative Police, Banking and Industrial Police confronted members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) and teachers of the National Syndicate of Education Workers (SNTE) section 22 with tear gas and rocks in an effort to stop them from entering the Guelaguetza auditorium, located on the Fortín Hill in Oaxaca City. Members of the APPO and SNTE section 22 are participants of this popular Oaxaquen festival.
In this confrontation, the diverse police force brutally beat teachers and others participating in the manifestation. In addition, the police threw tear gas at commercial establishments, private homes, and public buildings. Moreover, during this violent escalation newspaper reporters and photo journalists were injured. Among them being employees of Reforma, Las Noticias, and Marca y Tiempo who were giving coverage of the fierce blows given by the police to those manifesting. Unofficially the media mentions the arrest of 7 APPO sympathizers who caused damage at the Plaza Fortín Hotel.
These violent acts are being carried out as a security measure for the state government’s “Guelaguetza 2007″ by means of surrounding the Fortín Hill with personnel of the Mexican Army, Federal Preventative Police, Federal Agency of Investigation, Preventative Police and the Oaxaquen Municipal Police. This coordinated operative of the Secretary of Civil Protection was done to prevent the celebration of the Popular Guelaguetza, which is put on by the APPO and Section 22 of the SNTE Teacher’s Union. This is in spite of the fact that the State government declared days before that it had absolute respect for the celebration of the Guelaguetza Popular.
We consider that this act is just one example of the deliberate provocations by the governor against the Popular Assembly of the Oaxacan People. Moreover, it is an ominous sign of the inability to dialogue, which has again resulted in the irrational use of the public force.
We demand the following:
-An immediate end to the police repression and the harassment of those involved in the Oaxacan Social/Popular movement
-We condemn the government’ action to indiscriminately use federal and police force.
-We put the responsibility upon the state and federal government to register the arbitrary detainment or disappearances of those participating in the manifestationsOaxaca de Juárez, 16 de Julio de 2007
ESPACIO DE ORGANIZACIONES CIVILES DE OAXACA
NETWORK OF CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS OF OAXACAWE ASK YOU TO SEND FAXES, E-MAILS TO THE FOLLOWING (AND PLEASE NOTE THE “WHAT TO DO” SECTION IMMEDIATELY BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIONS):
Presidente FELIPE DE JESÚS CALDERÓN HINOJOSA
Residencia Oficial de los Pinos Casa Miguel Alemán
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, C.P. 11850, México DF
Tel: +52 (55) 27891100
Fax: +52 (55) 52772376
felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mxLicenciado Francisco Javier Ramírez Acuña,
Secretario de Gobernación,
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez,
Delegación Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., C.P. 06600, México,
Fax: +52 (55) 5093 3414
frjramirez@segob.gob.mxDr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández
Presidente de la CNDH
Periférico Sur 3469, Col.
San Jerónimo Lídice,
10200, México, D.F.
Tel: 631 00 40, 6 81 81 25
Fax: 56 81 84 90
Lada sin costo: 01 800 00 869
correo@fmdh.cndh.org.mx
correo@cndh.org.mx,WHAT TO DO:
• Contact your local representatives and Mexican consuls and inform them of your concern about the recent repression by government forces in Oaxaca. Ask them to contact local Mexican consuls and national Mexican authorities (listed below).
Please also send appeals to official addresses below (by fax is most effective) to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language, making the following points:1. Members of the recent Oaxaca Solidarity Network/Rights Action Emergency Human Rights Delegations can point out that they recently heard repeated testimonies of torture, forced confessions, and arbitrary detentions, and that they demand the immediate release of all political prisoners.
2. Express your concern for the well-being of all Oaxacan political prisoners.
3. Call for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the illegal detentions of people engaged in peaceful protest, for findings to be published, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
4. Remind the authorities that they have a duty to carry out an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged fabrication of charges against political prisoners, with the results to be made public.SEND APPEALS TO MEXICAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS E-MAIL…
MORE ON WHAT YOU CAN DO:
• A fundamental element to work in favor of global justice, equality and the environment is to fund and support local organizations that are leading their own struggles in defense and promotion of development, the environment and human rights.
• Get involved in education and activism work in your home community concerning the negative impacts of North American investors and hydro-electric and mining policies on community-controlled development, the environment and the human rights of local populations in Oaxaca.
• Consider coming in on one of OSN’s Human Rights/Educational-Activist Delegations and meet with victims of the repression, local human rights groups, leaders of the popular movement, local political and business leaders, and to visit local indigenous communities to learn about vital social, economic and political issues.
• Invite us to give educational presentations in your home community.
• Get on our e-mail list and visit our website for news updates, delegation announcements and more.TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS: You can make donations to Oaxaca Solidarity Network by making a check payable to “Rights Action”. Please write “FOR OSN” in the memo space and mail to: UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887 ;
CANADA: 509 St.Clair Ave W, box73527, Toronto ON, M6C-1C0.
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS:
www.rightsaction.org . Please note that the donation is for Oaxaca Solidariy Network.
QUESTIONS: info@oaxacasolidarity.orgURGENT ACTION ADDRESSES:
U.S.:
Ambassador Carlos Alberto De Icaza Gonzalez
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20006
Fax: 1 202 728 1698MÉXICO:
President:
Lic. Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de ”Los Pinos”, Casa Miguel Aleman
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec
Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850, MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 52772376 felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Presidente/Dear President CalderonMinister of the Interior:
Lic. Francisco Ramirez Acuña
Secretario de Gobernacion, Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juarez, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc,
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600, MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5093 3414
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Secretario
No e-mail, please send fax.Minister of Public Security:
Lic. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza
Procurador General de la Republica
Paseo de la Reforma #211-213 Cuactemoc Mexico D.F. C.P. 06500
Colonia Juarez, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc,
Mexico DF. C.P. 06600, Mexico
Fax: 011 52 55 5241 8393
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Secretario
To send e-mails online: http://pgr.gob.mx/index.aspPresident of National Human Rights Comisión
Dr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández
Periférico Sur 3469, Col San Jerónimo Lídice, CP 10200, México, D.F.Governor of Oaxaca:
Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
Gobernador del Estado de Oaxaca
Carretera Oaxaca - Puerto Angel, Km. 9.5
Santa Maria Coyotopec, C. P. 71254
Oaxaca
Oaxaca, MEXICO E -mail: gobernador@oaxaca.gob.mx
Fax: 011 52 951 511 6879 (if someone answers, say ”me da tono de fax, por favor”)
Salutation: Senor Gobernador/Dear GovernorCOPIES TO:
President of the Oaxaca State Human Rights Commission:
Dr. Jaime Perez Jimenez
Presidente de la Comision Estatal
Calle de los Derechos Humanos no. 210
Colonia America, C.P. 68050
Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Mexico
Fax: 011 52 951 503 0220Please send appeals immediately. Thank you for your solidarity and support.
I can’t believe it, is terrible the way like you distort the information about this big problematical. I am a real Oaxaquena, I lived directly this age and I know that the APPO is an organization drive by the opposite group to the goverment, and if a day his demands was fair, today they were lost all by the dirty actions that only cause damage all actual Oaxaquenos.