archivi delle proteste globaliarchives of global protestsTo the Second Intercontinental Encuentro for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism
EZLN Mexico July 1997 To the Second Intercontinental Encuentro for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism Spanish State, Rebellious Europe Planet EarthBrothers and Sisters:
A few days ago we learned that a public invitation was made to the EZLN to attend the 2nd Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism which will take place in the lands of the Spanish State from the 25th of July to the 3rd of August.
The CCRI of the EZLN has made a decision and wants it to be known that:
The EZLN acccepts the invitation which it has received from the organizing committee to attend the Intercontinental Encuentro which will be celebrated on the European continent . To comply with the promise of this acceptance the EZLN has selected a delegation of members from our organization to travel to the Spanish state and attend the tables of the gathering.
For the first time a delegation of members of the EZLN will attend an international event outside the borders of Mexico. Thus, the EZLN has decided to break once again, local, regional, state and national barriers to speak the voice of the Zapatistas from their own mouths.
While the Mexican government hides their hands covered with indigenous blood to obtain a commercial agreeement, with the European Union, that doesn't include profound systemic changes, the Mexican indigenous communities suffer harrasment and persecution comparable only to that which occurred centuries ago, the Mexican population continues to endure a model of economics which cannot do anything but democratize poverty and concentrate wealth in the hands of few.
All over the world and particularly in Europe, the offices of the Mexican government worked to obscure the war which rules our country, have tried to downplay of the presence of tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tons of military equipment in the indigenous zones, and propogate, in accordance with their predecessor Salinas and his regime, a modernity , that in reality, imposes death and destruction on the original inhibitants of this land.
The EZLN attends the 2nd Intercontinental Encuentro to present the image of the other Mexico, the indigenous Mexico, the rebellious and dignified Mexico that struggles to take a place in history together with all , and not above all, the Mexico which resists and does not surrender, the Mexico which constructs a future that does not deny, nor is ashmed of its past. The Mexico whcih today endures a war of annihilation and erasure to punish the Zapatista cry of 1994 °Ya basta!, Enough is enough!
Our delgates are from the base communities of EZLN support, the indigenous people who represent rebellion and resistance of the people which for more that three and a half years have risen up in arms against oblivion and death to which they were condemned.
Our delegates go to speak for the indigenous Zapatistas to tell their story, to talk about their experiences of struggle and rebellion.
Our Zapatista delegates also come to listen. They will listen and learn from those who come from around the world and who have been persecuted and forgotten. They will also listen to all the groups who are meeting at the 2nd Intercontinental Encounter, to intellectuals and artists, and to all the worlds which they will encounter in Spain. Our delegates will bring to the Zapatista communities the voices and spirits they will find in the Intergalactic, and the people will receive from these voices and spirits the whisper which becomes the cry, °Ya Basta!, Ecoung is enough! and against neoliberalism, an Intercontinental °Para todos todo!, Everything for everyone!, for all humanity.
The EZLN is not sending delegates who are celebreties but rather, representatives of the true leadership of the indigenous Zapatista communities.
The world does not belong to leaders or political bosses, but to the base ocmmunities of support. We are all base communities of support in great struggle for humanity and against neoliberalism.
Our delegates, men and women, will leave from the communities of resistance, and after meeting with the CCRI-CG of the Zapatistas will continue their journey to Europe as our representatives. Now the only thing left is to wait, who can tell? and to smile.
Alright, health and may the bridge we are walking with our brothers and sisters be crossed time and time again.
>From the mountains in the Southeast of Mexico. Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos Mexico, July 1997P.S. We are inviting all the collectives in solidarity with the Zapatista struggle and the people and oorganizations which sympathize with our cause to collaborate in an exposition of the Zapatista Intergalactic Cultureor something to that effect. In this case we are inviting all the world, to send examples of cultural production which is inspired by Zapatismo or Zapatismo as its theme. Posters, paintings, photographs, postcards, publications, sculptures, webpages, film, video, cd, theatre, comedy, radio or television programs, poetry, comics, happenings, opera, games, rock, classical, popular ballads, music in general, dance, satellites, computer viruses, concerts, scholarly articles, drawings, analytical books (if they are critical of us we will dispose of them) tricycles, pirate ships, Grammy awards, Oscars, candies, peanuts, icecream with nuts, and all that has something to do with Zapatismo. We will try to have an exhibit in the Zapatista communities.
What can be taken to the encounter in Spain will be gat.hered by our delegates and taken (I don't know how, but I am sure the immigration officers will enjoy this) to the mountains in the Southeast of Mexico. There is no greater prize than the guarantee that these cultural productions will be appreciated by the people in the indigenous Zapatista communities ( and also possibly by the government soldiers who dedicate themselves to harassing them).
Please bring these items to the Zapatista delegates of the 2nd Intercontinental Encounter for humanity and against neoliberalism (if they are allowed to arrive in Spain) on the 25th of July ot the 3rd of August.
Note: Material donated to the Zapatistas will be the heritage of all humanity and will be guarded by the Zapatista communities.
P.P.S. To take notice too late: This is to anticipate a rage in Bucareli, meaning in addition to the one provoked on July 6th. And now it is our turn to play the bad, spoiled, dispensible guerilla, the bad movement, isolated, exhausted, shortsighted, unaware, immature, incontinent, ignorant, insipid, implausable, incidental, indiresct, improbable, undocumented, _________ (space for the reader to insert his and her own preferred description which begins with "in," "im," or "un." What about intoxicated, inhibited or inflamed?) Finally, all that is not incoherent.
P.P.P.S. To alert all the police: According to information from the satellites of NATO, it is rumored that the Zapatista delegates plan to arrive in Europe by foot crossing the Bering Strait. Other sources are assured that they will swim to Europe and that the delegates are so well prepared that they will cross the Atlantic performing synchronized swimming routines. Others say that they will travel by air in the balloons that Heriberto and Eva regularly release. The most adventurous suggest that they will be traveling undergoroung in a tunnel constructed by the ancient Mayas which was used in another era to send our cooks to teach the Spanish how to make Paella, What is certain is that the mule "Mayor Moises" does not appear in any situation. We'll see.
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