SIPAZ

Oaxaca: the Peace Network’s Communiqué on the Caravan to San Juan Copala

The caravan en route to San Juan Copala ©La Jornada

The Peace Network, comprised of civil human-rights organizations in Chiapas, and of which SIPAZ is a part, demands security-guarantees for the members of the “National and International Humanitarian Caravana Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola” as well as for the population of the region to which the caravan is headed.  Below, we share the communiqué in full.

San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas

7 June 2010

* We demand security-guarantees for the caravan headed to San Juan Copala

* Solidarity group from Chiapas joins the caravan

The Peace Network, comprised of civil human-rights organizations in the state of Chiapas, calls on Felipe Calderón, president of Mexico, and on Ulises Ruíz Ortiz, governor of the state of Oaxaca, to guarantee the security of human-rights defenders, observers, and residents of the community of San Juan Copala.

We are alarmed at the current situation in San Juan Copala, given the violence seen on 27 April, when members of a caravan–human-rights defenders, both national and international, together with journalists–were ambushed in La Sabana by UBISORT (Union of Social Welfare for the Triqui Region) while en route to the autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala.

The Peace Network is aware that, on 8 June, a new caravan will embark to take aid and basic necessities to the population that has been isolated, that has received no attention, that lacks basic services from local authorities.  We are also aware that a solidarity group from Chiapas will join the caravan to San Juan Copala.

We organizations that make up the Network call on state and federal authorities to guarantee the protection of the members of the caravan, as well as the men, women, and children of the Triqui region of Oaxaca.

It is important to stress that the Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) has recognized the importanceof the work of human-rights defenders, indicating that “respect for human rights in a democratic State depends in large part on the effective and adequate guarantees enjoyed by human-rights defenders, so that they can freedly engage in their activities.  Special attention should be paid to actions that limit or constitute obstacles for the work of human-rights defenders.”

Member-organizations of the Peace Network

Educación para la Paz (Edupaz)

Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Políticas de Acción Comunitaria, A.C. (Ciepac)

Desarrollo Económico y Social de los Mexicanos Indígenas, A.C. (Desmi)

The International Service for Peace (Sipaz)

Comisión de Apoyo a la Unidad y Reconciliación Comunitaria, A.C. (Coreco)

Enlace, Comunicación y Capacitación A.C. (Enlace CC)

Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz, A.C. (Serapaz)

Centro de Derechos de la Mujer de Chiapas, A.C. (CDMCH)

Centro de Derechos Indígenas, A.C. (Cediac)

Comité de Derechos Humanos Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada, A.C.

Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, A.C. (Frayba)

For more information (in Spanish):

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Leave a comment