On June 20, 2008, according to an urgent action released by the Comité 25 de noviembre in conjunction with the Centro Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, several individuals were wounded during a protest against the governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, who was visiting Zaachila despite the accords of the Community Assembly which prohibit such a visit.
The urgent action relates the incident in which the father of the municipal president of Zaachila, Natalio Pérez Tomás “arrived at the scene with a fire arm shooting at the protestors, who fled, seeking shelter in businesses and nearby houses where they looked on as others resisted the aggression.”
It goes on to denounce that “after the aggression the community was surrounded by agents from the anti-riot division of the state preventative police who attempted to enter the community as a helicopter from the state public security agency circled overhead, creating a sense of intimidation among the inhabitants of the community.”
On July 7, Oaxacan Voices Constructing Autonomy and Freedom (VOCAL, Voces Oaxaqueñas Construyendo Autonomía y Libertad), made public a communiqué in which they denounced having been victim to a media attack supported by the state government. According to the communiqué, the state-run television station, Channel 9, made public photographs of several members of VOCAL and linked the organization with the violent acts that occurred in Zaachila while stating that arrest warrants had been issued for the members.
SIPAZ conducted an interview in Spanish with VOCAL member Silvia Hernández on July 7, 2008. To listen to audio of the interview, click on the icon below.
More information in Spanish:
Petición de solidaridad y apoyo a VOCAL y al movimiento social en Oaxaca (VOCAL, 07/07/08)
Video de los disparos (Oaxaca en Pie de Lucha, 20/06/08)
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