Gary,
Here is an article that I received from Mexico, but not from the Chiapas list.
Just as I have felt all along, the situation in Mexico is becoming more like
Chiapas every day. This news really saddens me, because Mexico has so much
going for it. Perhaps if the Mexican people could only look at themselves and
come to grips with who they really are, will there ever be real peace in
Mexico. This article came from the "MEXICO94" list. Perhaps you may already
have gotten a copy of it. I'm sure people on the Native Nets would be
interested in this development.
Peace
Glenn
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Mexican daily El Universal reported on June 18 (p. 4) that the Mexican
Green Party presidential candidate Jorge Gonzalez was nearly ambushed in a
small town on the mountains of Oaxaca when members of a rebel armed group
mistook him for a member of the PRI, the party that has ruled Mexico for
over 60 years. The rebel group is known as the "MULT" (Movimiento de
UnificaciOn y Lucha Triqui) and identifies with the important ethnic group
of the triquis in southern Mexico. Apparently the confusion occured because
the candidate, his team, and press reporters were invited by the local
authorities to the government building before a planned rally in the town.
Local authorities told their guests that they were at great risk and that
the "town community was in a state of lawlessness [sic]" (fuera de la ley).
Shortly afterwards three gun shots were heard. By the time of the incident
state agents in charge of the candidate's security had already fled the
scene. Local people later informed that out or 32 towns in the zone, six are
up in arms. El Universal article is very critical of the MULT and mentions
grave abuses by that group against the local population.
Gonzalez said that the lack of democracy and social justice will produce
a violent outburst in all the country. The towns of the zone of Oaxaca
visited by Gonzalez are among the most neglected communities in the state.
They had seen almost nothing of the heralded "Solidaridad" and "Procampo"
welfare programs of the Salinas administration. In the town of San Juan
Copala, where Gonzalez was nearly ambushed, 30% of children below six years
of age die because of diseases. Oaxaca is a state bordering with Chiapas to
the west and Guerrero to the east.
The El Universal article adds to increasing reports of armed activity in
the south of Mexico, most notably the state of Guerrero. However the
inaccessibility to the zones were suspected rebel activity is taking place,
a very shy press, and a World Soccer Cup in full swing have pretty much
disarmed public opinion on the issue. The point is how many communities in
rural Mexico are up in arms by now, and we don't even know.
Vladimir Escalante Ram'irez.
| From: SOC484AI@BOOTES.UNM.EDU
| To: mexico94
| Subject: Re: ARMED UPRISING IN OAXACA??
| Message-ID: <01HDUNGNI2LC8WXRY5@BOOTES.UNM.EDU>
One question regarding the report from El Universal of JUne 18 (thanks to
Vladimir Escalante for the posting!):
Mexican Green Part presidential candidate Jorge Gonzalez was nearly ambushed
in a small town on the mountains of Oaxaca when members of a rebel armed
group mistook him for a member of the PRI ...
. . . Apparently the confusion occured because the candidate, his team,
and press reporters were invited by the local authorities to the government
building before a planned rally in the town. Local authorities told their
guests that they were at great risk and that the "town community was in a
state of lawlessness [sic]" (fuera de la ley). Shortly afterwards three gun
shots were heard. By the time of the incident state agents in charge of the
candidate's security had already fled the scene.
The question is, how does El Universal know that this was an ambush by the
MULT and not a set-up by the local authorities?
--Harry Browne
Resource Center
Albuquerque, NM
| From: Vladimir Escalante <vladimir@astroscu.unam.mx>
| To: mexico94
| Subject: Re: ARMED UPRISING IN OAXACA??
| Message-ID: <9406230327.AA12272@astroscu.unam.mx>
>The question is, how does El Universal know that this was
>an ambush by the MULT and not a set-up by the local authorities?
>
>--Harry Browne
> Resource Center
> Albuquerque, NM
I also wondered about that. The El Universal article said that after the
gun shots all the people in the streets that had come to greet the candidate
of the Mexican Green Party took refuge in their houses, and suddenly the
entire town seemed empty. That's just what is needed to trash a political
gathering of an opposition party, isn't it? I forgot to say that the El
Universal article also mentioned that the MULT HAD RUN OFF A PRI TEAM FROM
THE TOWN THE DAY BEFORE THE GREEN CANDIDATE'S VISIT. It is quite likely
indeed that the local authorities decided to do the same with an opposition
candidate, just to even things up, and blame the MULT for it. Of course you
can think any other alternatives. The article was written by Ruth
Rodriguez.
It's odd that things like these happen so often and are reported, and seem
to be irrelevant. Candidates being ambushed, or assasinated, armed groups
chasing away government groups, and we never know for sure what actually
happened.
No wonder why a lot of people in Mexico believe the Chiapas uprising is a
grand set-up by the government or some other mischievous group with
machiavellian intentions. How can people believe in something, democracy,
neoliberalism, socialism, elections, law and order, in this situation?
Vladimir Escalante Ram'irez.