PRELIMINARY REPORT
Continental Coordinating Commission
of Indigenous Nations and Organizations
CONIC
International Solidarity Delegation
Chiapas, Mexico
January 22-26
TONATIERRA
Coordinating Office of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance (IPA)
P.O. Box 24009 Phoenix AZ 85074 (602) 254-5230
Background
The Continental Coordinating Commission of Indigenous
Nations and Organizations (CONIC) was formed in Panama in the
territories of Kuna Nation in December of 1991. With 35
organizations from throughout the Continent, CONIC's principal
objective is to consolidate the unity of the Indigenous Peoples at
a continental level. In the process of forging an international
alliance for the purpose of promoting concrete solutions to the
problems that beset the Indigenous Nations and Pueblos of Abya Yala
(North and South America), CONIC is guided by the spirit of
completion of an ancient prophecy, that of the Eagle and the
Condor.
Originally described graphically in the Maya Codice showing
an Eagle and Condor with necks entwined, the oral tradition of the
aboriginal nations relates that the Eagle is the symbol of the
native nations of North America and the Condor represents those of
the South. the Maya codice description is traditionally said to
have been a representation of the encounter and relationship of the
two major civilizations of the continent in the times before
European invasion and colonization. At the First Continental
Encounter of Indigenous Peoples which took place in Quito, Ecuador
in 1990, the prophecy of the return of the spirit of the Eagle and
the Condor was shared with the delegates of over 200 indigenous
nations which attended from throughout the hemisphere and the
rebirth of the continental unity movement was initiated. This is
the commission of CONIC.
In October of 1993, in spite of major obstacles and
limitations, CONIC reconvened at the Second Continental Encounter
of Indigenous Nations, Pueblos and Organizations which took place
in Temoaya, Mexico at the Centro Ceremonial of the Otomi.
Throughout the six day event, a sacred fire was maintained in th
presence of the Sacred Staffs of the Peace and Dignity continental
run of 1992, which represent the traditional sovereignty of the
nations of the continent. One of the hosting organizations of the
Encuentro Continental in Mexico was FIPI, Frente Independiente de
Pueblos Indios. Attending in Temoaya, and also a member of CONIC
within FIPI was our sister organization from San Cristobal, Chiapas
- COLPUMALI (Coordinadora de Organizaciones en Lucha del Pueblo
Maya para su Liberacion.) COLPUMALI in turn is comprised of 11 Maya
organizations from the three regions of Chiapas which have seen the
most violent confrontations between the Mexican federal troops and
the Ejercito Zapatista since January 1st of this year.
Recent Developments
Responding to a call by FIPI for the presence of
international indigenous observers in Chiapas, the Indigenous
Peoples Alliance has participated in two CONIC delegations which
have traveled to the area of conflict in solidarity with the
indigenous peoples, principally being the Maya Pueblos of the
Tojolabales, Tzotziles, Tzeltales, Lacandones, and Choles. From
January 22-24, the CONIC delegation which represented indigenous
nations, pueblos and organizations from throughout the continent
participated as observes to the installation of the Consejo Estatal
de Organizaciones Indigenas y Campesinas, which is comprised of 280
indigenous and campesino organizations from throughout the state of
Chiapas. It is this body which is now at the fulcrum of
negotiations between the Mexican government and the Zapatista Army
of National Liberation. On January 25, Mexican president Carlos
Salinas de Gortari met with 42 representatives of this Consejo
(council) in Tuxtla Gutierrez, capitol of the state of Chiapas. The
basic demands of the Consejo revolve around peaceful resolution of
the issues which are the source of the armed conflict, via the full
recognition of the authority and legal status of the Consejo to
represent the indigenous pueblos and campesino communities of
Chiapas. The strategy of the government has been to attempt to
co-opt the direction and unity of the Consejo by the presence of
government controlled organizations which are vehicles of
corruption and control of the official political party (PRI). In this
staging ground of the political battlefield, it is the CONIC member
organizations which are holding the high ground of the PRI.
Nevertheless, it was a consensus of solidarity among the Consejo
Estatal de Organizaciones Indigenas y Campesinas with most of the
basic principles if not the methods of the Zapatista movement. At
one point the Zapatistas were referred to as "our army" in contrast
to the federal Mexican troops and at the closure of the three day
session, a profound ceremonial moment of silence was offered to
those Zapatistas who had offered their lives since the conflict
began.
The establishment of the Consejo has been described as a
political vehicle of what would be a 'parallel indigenous
government' to that of the established state legislature. At the
moment, the Consejo has the advantage of being in a powerful
negotiating position as a result of the armed struggle being waged
by the Ejercito Zapatista and the predicament of the government
political part - PRI which is facing a national election in August.
The magnitude and extent of negative international exposure
has checked the Mexican government, and the risk of full-blown
rebellion domestically should the PRI repeat the fraud of the last
national election is very real. With some 200 persons considered to
have been violently eliminated during the last presidential
campaigns, Chiapas could be the fuse of a much larger social
explosion if the PRI regime entrenches itself to retain power
through manipulation of the vote. In a sense, both the Zapatistas
and PRI are now in a life and death struggle, with the PRI now
marshalling all of its resources to manage the conflict in such a
manner so as not to fall from power at election time. The danger is
in the comparative risk that the PRI regime faces as it decides
when to implement a definitive military against the Zapatistas. The
logistical and social base for such a strike is now being set,
during the supposed truce. Time and again, the PRI has proven itself
adept at corrupting, manuevering, and manipulating the politics of
grass roots social justice movements of the peoples of Mexico. The
challenge before the indigenous movement in Chiapas is critical,
yet as the Zapatistas have shown the world, continued subjugation
under extreme conditions of poverty and exploitation *cannot*
continue. Where will this lead us? Will the voice of the indigenous
peoples finally be heard after 500 years of genocide? Is there hope
for regional autonomy for indigenous nations within the framework
of the nation-states that are relics of the colonial period? Or
will full international recognition of sovereignty and independence
be the destiny and security for future generations of indigenous
peoples in the Americas? These are not new questions, but it is a
new historical context, not only for Mexico and the continent, but
also for the world. And in this sense, for the first time in the
history of all of the indigenous uprisings, rebellions and
resistance movements that have transpired in the hemisphere since
the beginning the violent colonization and genocide perpetrated by
the Euro-american elites, there exists a continental indigenous
context and alliance based on our common histories and committments
to self-determination and sovereignty. This is to say that the
local, regional and national strategies of indigenous movements
(such as in Chiapas) now have the advantage of complementing each
other towards a common continental goal: Liberation of the
indigenous peoples of Abya Yala, the great Turtle Island. It is not
necessary to theoretically justify our movement in terms of foreign
cultural, political, or religious paradigms. To further this end,
CONIC has invited participation of the Consejo Estatal de
Organizaciones Indigenas y Campesinas de Chiapas to attend the
Continental Congress of CONIC to take place in Guatemala later this
year.
ACTIONS
^^^^^^^
- Members of the CONIC organizations in Chiapas, COLPUMALI
will be travelling on a tour in North America from February 16-
March 6, which will include stops in the cities of New York,
Washington D.C., San Francisco, Albuquerque, and Phoenix.
Accompanying the Pueblo Maya delegation will be other CONIC members
from Ecuador, representing the Organization of Indigenous People of
Pastaza (OPIP). This organization is fighting the illegal
expropriation of their territories by the petrochemical giant ARCO
in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Coincidentally, the site of one of the
principal confrontations between the Zapatistas and the Mexican
military took place in the area of Ocosingo where the national
Mexican oil company PEMEX has drilled petroleum wells that have
confirmed a major underground reservoir. The wells are not being
developed, but being held in strategic reserve supposedly to be
exploited by foreign contracted companies. According to information
from the respected Mexican weekly PROCESO, the information
regarding the petroleum field was extracted from a U.S. Government
Accounting Office report, and documents exchanged by Allan
Mendelowitz and Sam Gejdenson, negotiators for the U.S. in the
North American Free Trade Agreement -NAFTA.
- There now exists three linkages of support for human rights
organizations from around the world to connect with counterparts in
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.
1) Center for Human Rights Fray Bartolome de las Casas,
part of the Catholic Diocese headed by Bishop Miguel Ruiz.
2) CONPAZ- coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations and
human rights organizations. Telephone & FAX: 967-80697[?]
3) COLPUMALI- International Indigenous Delegations.
The Indigenous Peoples Alliance- IPA- will continue to lend
international presence in Chiapas as long as necessary to insure
the human rights of our affiliate organizations in Mexico.
Representatives of Indigenous Nations and Organizations who would
be interested can contact the IPA via TONATIERRA, coordinating
office:
P.O. Box 24009, Phoenix, AZ 85074 (602) 254-5230
- In support of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas,
mobilizations of support in the U.S. calling for removal of the
Mexican military from Chiapas.
- Continuous letters, faxes, calls to the Mexican government
expressing concerns. Mexican Mission in Washington D.C.:
FAX (202) 728-1698 TEL: (202) 728-1600
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Michele Lord + If you have come here to help me,
+ you are wasting your time.....
+ But if you have come because
+ your liberation is bound up with mine,
milo@scicom.alphacdc.com + then let us work together.
Aboriginal Woman
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