Articles
"A thousand rages, one heart: the Zapatista communities live! "
"Miles de rabias, un solo corazón" reads the banner made by the Glasgow-Chiapas solidarity group, as part of the campaign "A thousand rages, one heart: the Zapatistas communities live!, on August 15th in Edinburgh, displayed during John Holloway's talk about the Zapatista struggle and his new book "Crack Capitalism".
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Zapatistas reclaim and defend “Mother Earth”
10th March
A member of Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group writes:
I have just returned from the Zapatista village of Bolon Ajaw, Chiapas, where on 6th February 230 civilian Zapatistas took part in an action to retake control of their “reclaimed lands” which had been invaded and taken over since 20 January by the paramilitary group OPDDIC.
Thanks to inspiring solidarity from Zapatistas from many different communities the Zapatistas continue to control the land, and are carrying out collective work there.
The situation is very tense and the Zapatista villagers of Bolon Ajaw stressed the vital importance of international solidarity, urging us to spread the news of their struggle around the world. Human rights observers from Fray Bartolome are now present to act as a deterrent against more violence from the OPDDIC paramilitaries, who have a base in nearby Agua Azul.
The 32 Zapatista families of Bolon Ajaw, part of autonomous municipality Comandanta Ramona, live close to beautiful waterfalls. These falls are coveted for tourist developments by government and business interests, who are using OPDDIC as tools to try and rob the Zapatistas of their land.
In contrast to the rich natural resources of Chiapas, the villagers of Bolon Ajaw, like the majority of indigenous villagers in the state, live in real poverty. There is no electricity in the village, and water has to be carried from wells half a mile away.
Zapatistas reclaim "Mother Earth"
On 6th February 230 civilian Zapatistas took part in an action to retake control of their "reclaimed lands" at Bolon Ajaw, Chiapas, Mexico, which had been invaded and taken over since 20 January by the paramilitary group OPDDIC, report the human rights group Fray Bartolome de Las Casas. The 25 Zapatista families of Bolon Ajaw, part of autonomous municipality Comandanta Ramona, were given solidarity by Zapatistas from further afield in Chiapas.
Fray Bartholomew (Frayba) confirm that the OPDDIC member killed and those wounded were shot by mistake by fellow OPDDIC members, as two different OPDDIC groups opened fire on the inhabitants of Bolon Ajaw, from opposite sides of the village. OPDDIC, linked to the PRI - the Institutional Revolutionary Party which governed Mexico for many decades - have been involved in numerous attacks and harassment of Zapatista communities over recent years.
Frayba give a detailed account of the several clashes which occurred during the day. Actions included the Zapatistas repulsing an attempt by OPDDIC to retake the land, and the Zapatistas breaking out of an armed ambush and encirclement by OPDDIC in order to go to the aid of the inhabitants of Bolon Ajaw, who were being shot at by OPDDIC gunmen.
Article continues here.
A MASSACRE FORETOLD - Film showing
(documentary film, 58 mins, 2007, Nick Higgins)
Free/ donation
Acciones de apoyo por la Campaña Nacional e Internacional Libertad y Justicia para Atenco
Edimburgo, Escocia, Mayo 4, 2009
A los presos políticos de Atenco y Chiapas,
A la Campaña Nacional e Internacional, Justicia y Libertad para Atenco
El grupo de solidaridad Edimburgo-Chiapas se unió a la marcha por la conmemoración del día del trabajo en la ciudad de Edimburgo, Escocia, el pasado sábado 2 de mayo que recorrió las calles centrales de ésta ciudad, demandando la libertad de los 12 presos políticos de Atenco. Durante el recorrido se distribuyeron cientos de volantes donde se informa sobre los hechos ocurridos en Atenco en mayo del 2006. Al mismo tiempo se invitó a la gente a firmar la carta donde se incluyen las demandas de la Campaña Nacional e Internacional Libertad y Justicia para Atenco.
US Policy and the Militarization of Mexico
Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Mexico this week with a proposal to increase cooperation between military forces, especially in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. While Mullen did not explicitly discuss the use of US troops in Mexico, he noted that Mexican authorities are increasingly open to bolstering military cooperation with the United States. The presence of US troops in Mexico would break with more than 150 years of sovereignty.
Zapatistas Communities reach self-sufficiency in health services
Autonomous Clinics are able to perform surgeries and practice basic analysis
Zapatistas Communities reach self-sufficiency in health services
"The situation in our communities has changed, and not because of the government, said health promoters"
The Thirteenth Stele
A series of communiques in July 2003 detailing how the governments in the autonomous communities of Chiapas were to be reorganised into 'caracoles' and 'Good Government Juntas'
'Other Campaign' update: 4th – 25th August 2007
The Second Encounter has now officially closed, having been marked in part by the involvement of various campesino organizations.
No sooner has the Second Encounter finished that there are plans for a Continental Encuentro of Indigenous Peoples for October 11-14, 2007 and for a North American Regional Conference from October 8-9, 2007. The latter will focus primarily on the “war of capitalist conquest and its effect on Indigenous Peoples”.
A fascinating report on the lack of governmental concern with the health of those in Chiapas has been published.
News from Oaxaca, where the recent state elections resulted in the PRI being the official victors but the real story being the very high levels of abstentionism. The struggle in Oaxaca, according to Nancy Davies, appears to be moving from the city to land and water issues.
Visits to the villages of Zapatista Autonomous Municipality 16th February
Our group visited several villages in the municipality, and spoke to the local people. To avoid the information they gave us being used against them, in the low intensity warfare being waged by the Mexican government, we have not identified the villages by name.
Many of the villages are very remote, often only served by a dirt track, which frequently becomes impassable in the rainy season. Some have no road at all, and are only reachable on foot or on horseback along paths winding over the mountains. Hours of travelling are needed to reach many of the villages from the more central parts of the municipality. This isolation causes additional problems for the villagers. It makes it difficult to access health care, for example, or to reach markets for their handicrafts.
Get Involved
We invite you to join our email list (sign up here) and to attend our regular organising meetings.
Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group,
c/o 17 West Montgomery Place
Edinburgh
EH7 5HA
Scotland
Email: edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk
The EdinChiapas group is part of the 'UK Zapatista Network': ukzapatistas.wordpress.com
