On November 15th, 2009, the Nueva Semilla Good Government Committee of the Roberto Barrios Caracol V (in northern Chiapas) published a communiqué denouncing a series of threats and attacks against the Caracol, specifically against the autonomous Zapatista school in Roberto Barrios.
During the most recent aggression, the communiqué said, “on October 20th at 6:00 pm two people named Carlos Mendez Mendez and Luciano Mendez Mendez arrived at the Caracol and threatened the students by cocking their nine millimeter pistols and pointing them in the direction of the students. The two men wore federal army uniforms and have been seen passing by wearing guns at their waist. The commander of the armed forces sends his soldiers to train these people from the communities who are tricked and convinced to create violence and the disintegration of community life.”
They added: “On October 26, 2009, unidentified people robbed the craft store belonging to our companeros and located in front of the Caracol gate in the community of Roberto Barrios, one of our support bases.”
The Good Government Committee linked this recent harassment to “the ecotourism project to establish businesses for the economic interest of tourism companies. The school is on land located at the entrance of the Bascan River waterfalls and the bad government is involved in this project and acting through the employees of the bad government. Luis H. Alvarez, Hugo Garcia and Jesus Caridad.”
For more information (in Spanish):
– Comunicado de la JBG Roberto Barrios
– Agreden y filman a alumnos del Caracol de Roberto Barrios (La Jornada, 16 de noviembre de 2009)
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