On May 16 and 17, a meeting of organizations from 7 Mexican states took place in order to organize a National Network of Civil Resistance against the High Prices of Electricity. This meeting took place in CIDECI- University of the Earth in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, and representatives of 20 organizations from Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, the Federal District, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Veracruz attended in order to organize a united front against the privatization and high prices of electricity.
After a short recuperation of the history of civil resistance and the struggle against electricity prices in various parts of Chiapas since the Zapatista uprising in 1994, the representatives of each organization shared their experience of struggle and the situations they are dealing with. In addition, the organization analyzed the government policy regarding electrical energy, and that during two decades there have been various legal reforms which helped the process of privatization of electricity, which in Mexico is administered by the state.
The objectives of the National Network of Civil Resistance against the High Prices of Electricity are to: “Strengthen our processes of resistance against the high prices of electricity through coordination at a national level which implies: organization and co-ordination, communication, solidarity, sharing of experiences, learning, widening of the network. Struggle for the respect and compliance with the San Andres Accords. Struggle against the privatization of electrical resources.”
The Network will be run under the following principals: “Independent of the government and political parties, democratic and militant; in Solidarity: `if one is attacked, they attack all of us’; non-negotiation with the government except involving prisoners: recognize and respect our differences and diversities. Reclaim the electrical energy for the people”.
For More Information:
Refusing to Pay for the Lights: Local Struggle against Privatization – SIPAZ Report, December 2004
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