On 12 August, more than 200 indigenous members of the civil organization Las Abejas marched in San Cristóbal and carried out a 12-hour day of action for justice and truth, to continue protesting the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice for the Nation (SCJN) that one year ago released 29 Tzotzil indigenous individuals accused of having participated in the massacre of 45 indigenous people in Acteal on 22 December 1997.
Following the pilgrimage-march and the preparation of a Mayan altar in the cathedral plaza, a press-conference was held in which participated survivors of the massacre. In their communiqué Las Abejas affirm that “[o]ur struggle is for truth and justice; one does not negotiate or condition with money, crumbs, or the waste of the bad government. The massacre of Acteal is a crime of state; it is not forgotten. We will continue tirelessly denoucning the impunity of the material and intellectual authors of the massacre, because we are the guardians of memory, and without memory the people will never have justice.” Survivors of the massacre expressed their fear regarding the presence of released paramilitary-group members, which represents a threat to their security, given that the weapons used in the massacre continue to be hidden in communities.
The day continued with religious and cultural activities into the night.
For more information (in Spanish):\
Almost 13 years after the Acteal massacre, Las Abejas hold a day for justice and not-forgetting (La Jornada, 13 August 2010)
– Communiqué, chronology (texts and photos) and live coverage (transmission via Internet) of the day:
http://chiapasdenuncia.blogspot.com/
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
sipazen.wordpress.com 