Chiapas, Soldiers threaten highland communities

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.
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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

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