Posted on Sunday, June 23 @ 05:14:49 PDT
http://genoaresistence.org/webnuke/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=856
Originally published in Spanish by Enlace Civil, A.C. *********************************** Translated by irlandesa From: Enlace Civil, A.C. enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org Date: Saturday, June 22 2002 12:32:20 -0500 Friday, June 21, 2002. To the National and International Press To National and International Civil Society To the Committees in Solidarity with our Autonomous Municipalities Brothers and Sisters: The Autonomous Municipalities of Ernesto Che Guevara, Primero de Enero, Miguel Hidalgo, Lucio Cabañas, Vicente Guerrero, 17 de Noviembre and Olga Isabel are denouncing the incidents which took place on June 21, 2002 at 12:40 PM. Three vans and a truck with more than 50 Mexican federal Army soldiers arrived today, parking in front of our "El Nuevo Amanecer del Arcoíris" commercial center, without respecting the protest which we are maintaining there. All the soldiers got out of the armed vehicles. They began shopping and talking with the owner of a store. That owner had previously led the harassment, expulsion and destruction of our commercial center's mural which took place in October of 2001. He is a member of the community of Cuxuljá and of the ORCAO organization. After talking with him, several soldiers went by way of the dirt road that leads to the community of Moisés Gandhi. Carrying pistols and radios, they entered the house which is part of our commercial center, and which they had previously occupied when it had been their barracks. Their other compañeros were calling these soldiers captain and lieutenant. Another group, and one of them, entered the commercial center, asking for a toothbrush. The soldiers headed for the house, in a threatening manner and without identifying themselves at any time. They told us that this house did not belong to us, and that we had to vacate it. They called us invaders who were outside the law. They threatened us that the owner would soon be coming to occupy that house, and that we would had to leave. This house was recovered in 1994. Its owner was not living in it, and later the army occupied it when they came and set their barracks up here. We knew that the owner had sold it to the army, and now the army was coming to make demands against us, with all the force of their weapons and of the government. The Federal Army and the governments are trampling on our dignity and our just struggle of resistance. It has been more than eight months since the seven municipalities have been here, in an organized fashion and through our own efforts and will, in protest, resisting and struggling for the right to build our dreams. The federal government, the state government and the Mexican Army not only do not have any respect, they are trampling on the dignity of our peoples, and that is how they set about making war with all their power. We are holding the federal and state governments responsible for the military harassment which we are continuing to suffer. But we say to them that we are not going to give in to their provocations. We are going to continue resisting and struggling for our dignified place and against those who would trample on dignity. Sincerely, The Autonomous Municipalities in Rebellion of Ernesto Che Guevara, Primero de Enero, Miguel Hidalgo, Lucio Cabañas, Vicente Guerrero, 17 de Noviembre and Olga Isabel