Chiapas: The Morelia JBG denounces aggression and taking of 2 Zapatistas by ORCAO

The Morelia caracol @ SIPAZ

The Zapatista Good Government Council (JBG) of the Morelia caracol has denounced aggression and attempts to expel and loot EZLN base-members on the part of members of the Regional Organization of Coffee-growers of Ocosingo (ORCAO), who presumably have kidnapped and tortured two Zapatistas from the ejido Patria Nueva.  For years nows, denounces the Junta, “these persons repeat their provocations due to land problems; they would like to loot the lands that we have recovered” following January 1994.

These new events began in the Mártires community, from the autonomous municipality of Lucio Cabañas, on 10 June, when ORCAO members threatened and harassed residents of said community for days, according to the public communiqué.  The events ended in the taking of two Zapatistas, identified as Pablo and Alberto, who were taken to Patiwitz: “their hands bound, they were taken to a truck, and as they were transported they were beaten.”  They were released days later after having been forced to sign a document.

On 21 June 125 persons of distinct communities gathered to accompany the detained to Patria Nueva ejido, close to Ocosingo.  As they were being transported, they continued to be beaten.  The JBG claims that, up to now, “they threaten to burn alive our comrade and destroy the house in which we met on a regional scale.”

The Zapatista JBG indicates that the aggressors are being led by Cristóbal López Gómez, from Patria Nueva, with complicity from local ORCAO leaders from Sibak’ja and El Sacrificio La Esperanza.

For more information (in Spanish):

Pronunciamiento de la Red contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad Chiapas, Enlace Zapatista, 30 June 2011

Denuncia Pública, Enlace Zapatista, 22 June 2011

Denuncia JBG que Orcao mantiene secuestrados a 2 zapatistas, La Jornada, 22 June 2011

Integrantes de la Junta de Buen Gobierno del caracol Morelia denunciaron agresiones e intentos de despojo contra bases de apoyo del EZLN, Contracorriente, 23 June 2011

Libera Orcao a dos zapatistas tras torturarlos, denuncia JBG, CGT Chiapas, 26 June

De nueva cuenta la JBG Corazón del Arco Iris de la Esperanza, Caracol IV, denuncia a la ORCAO como paramilitar, Enlace Zapatista, 24 June 2011

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Morelia JBG denounces new aggressions against Zapatista support-bases near Agua Clara (26 October 2010)