On 12 August, 4 years after the beginning of the release of indigenous people who had been charged and convicted of having participated in the Acteal massacre due to a decision by the Supreme Court for Justice in the Nation (SCJN), members of the Las Abejas Civil Society, to which the 45 victims of 1997 pertained, held a press-conference. They affirmed that “for us it is the ‘Supreme Court of the rich and the criminals,’ which has since 12 August 2009 released 69 paramilitary members (including several who have confessed to their crimes), with only 6 remaining imprisoned.” They denounced that the released persons have returned to their communitie, that “the paramilitaries of Chenalhó have now been reactivated, firing their guns and causing displacement, just as in 1997.” They indicate that “one of the recent violent activities taken by the paramilitaries is taking place now in the Puebla Colony, Chenalhó municipality, with the pretext of a dispute over land belonging to the Catholic Church.” They added: “in light of the lack of justice and truthful investigation by the Mexican government in the Acteal case, the released paramilitaries and above all those who never went to jail in the first place today attack and harass with impunity, because they have seen that to massacre women, men, and children, they will receive prizes from the Mexican government rather than be punished.” Las Abejas also warned the intellectual authors of the massacre that “although justice protects you and you believe that you cannot be judged, you will not be free, wherever you go. Our memory and that of the people of Mexico and the world will judge you forever. You will in your conscience carry the blood of Acteal.”
For more information (in Spanish):
Paramilitares excarcelados por la SCJN, causan agresiones y desplazamientos en Chenalho (Sociedad Civil Las Abejas, 12 de agosto de 2013)
Denuncian amenazas de asesinos de Acteal, hoy en libertad (Proceso, 12 de agosto de 2013)
Denuncian la reactivación de paramilitares en Chenalhó (La Jornada, 13 de agosto de 2013)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Chiapas: Las Abejas Civil Society warns of violence in Chenalhó “reminiscent of the year 1997″ (4 August 2013)
Chiapas: Las Abejas Civil Society, “the government is using two weapons in its strategy, lead bullets and sugar bullets” (25 June 2013)
Chiapas: Las Abejas denounce lack of justice in the Acteal case (23 April 2013)
Chiapas: Las Abejas lament release of yet another of those charged for Acteal massacre (27 March 2013)
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