Solidarity with Chiapas Day of Action, February 15

In the framework of the International Call for actions in Solidarity with Chiapas we will hold a peaceful demonstrate in front of the Argentinian Embassy of Mexico Calle Arcos 1650 – Capital Federal at 6pm on 15th February 2008. We will hold a photo exhibit showing the continuous actions and harrassments that violate the human rights of the Zapatista communities and other communities in resistance. AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION: 15th February 2008 – SOLIDARITY WITH CHIAPAS: RESPECT FOR INDIGENOUS AUTONOMY AND A HALT TO THE REPRESSION IN CHIAPAS

In the framework of the International Call for actions in Solidarity with Chiapas we will hold a peaceful demonstrate in front of the Argentinian Embassy of Mexico Calle Arcos 1650 – Capital Federal at 6pm on 15th February 2008. We will hold a photo exhibit showing the continuous actions and harrassments that violate the human rights of the Zapatista communities and other communities in resistance. AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

We call on all fellow adherents to the Sixth Declation of the Lacandona Jungle and those struggling and resisting from Below and to the Left to join us on this day , 15th February 2008, for an international day of action in solidarity with the Chiapas, for the respect of indigenous autonomy and against repression.

In recent months, agressions against the Zapatista communities have drastically worsened. The low intensity war has acquired a dimension not seen since the Acteal massacre ten years ago. At the same time, media coverage remains low. We believe that it is crucial that we make it clear to public opinion in Europe that we have not forgotten the conflict and resistance in Chiapas. We will show the Mexican government that here in Europe we are closely watching the worrying situation in Chiapas. For this reason, we are calling for an international day of action on the 15th February in front of Mexican Embassies and Consulates. The date coincides with the 12th anniversary of the San Andrés Accords. (The anniversary is actually the 16th February, but this is a Saturday, so embassies will be closed on the day).

The San Andrés Accords negotiated between the EZLN and the Mexican government had as their objective to guarantee indigenous autonomy. Amongst other things, they included indigenous autonomy and self management of natural resources by the indigenous inhabitants of the area. However, the EZLN broke off the negotiations due to the fact that the government neither fulfilled nor respected the Accords. We are in solidarity with the realization of indigenous autonomy.

The situation of the indigenous communities in resistance has worsened since the implementaiton of Plan Puebla Panama and other neoliberal megaprojects which require access to Chiapas’s biospheric reserves for infrastructure and tourist purposes.

In August 2007 four communities were violently displaced in the biospheric reserve of Montes Azules in the Lacandona Jungle. Over the last year, the number and intensity of paramilitary attacks carried out by OPDDIC (Organization for the Defence of Indigenous and Peasant Rights) against Zapatista communites has increased in the area of Agua Azul, the most visited and well known waterfalls in México. Since September 2007, OPDIC has issued several threats and carried out attacks against the Zapatista settlement Bolon Ajaw due to the fact that the people are located in the road to some waterfalls which are currently still inaccessible to tourists. In cahoots with the state government OPDDIC is planning a new tourist project for which it intends to displace the community. Now that the community has refused voluntary resettlement, it has suffered numerous attacks and death threats, as well as threats of rape, at the hands of OPDDIC. Furthermore, some houses were burnt down in Bolon Ajaw. The perpetrators of these deeds were inhabitants of the ejido Agua Azul, nearly all of whom belonged to OPDDIC. For this reason, both local and international organizations are calling for a tourism boycott until the agressions against Zapatista communities cease. In the community of Vetel Yo’chib, near to Agua Azul, on the 29th December 2007, on the road to his milpa [plot of land], compañero Pablo Silvano Jiménez received a bullet in the leg from two policemen and a member of OPDDIC. From then on, he has had to go into hiding and can no longer work to feed his family. In the last week of January an international observation brigade that was in Vetel received death threats and also threats of rape. On the 1st February 2008 compañero Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and his son were shot at by members of OPDDIC and the police. Afterwards they were arrested in an OPDIC truck. In the prison they were tortured and forced to have photos taken of them holding arms. Currently they are still in prison in Palenque and there is no media attention.

WE DEMAND:

1.The suspension of all forms of agression against the Zapatistas and other communities in resistance.

2.The suspension of war against the insurgency against the indigenous and zapatista communities and the withdrawal of the military bases from the indigenous region of Chiapas.

3. The release of Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and Eliseo Silvano Espinoza as well as all other political prisoners.

4.A total halt to the violent evictions in the indigenous territory of Chiapas.

5.The end of cooperation between paramilitary organizations such as OPDDIC and the federal army and police, as wll as the legal recognition of the crimes which this organization has committed.

6.Respect for Indigenous Autonomy.

This call was issued by Activists from the Gruppe B.A.S.T.A. (Münster,Germany) and Atenco Resiste(Berlin), who are currently in Chiapas, México