On 26 August, 98 persons from 17 Catholic and Baptist families from the Puebla Colony, Chenalhó municipality, moved themselves to Acteal due to the insecure situation which they face. Members of the Las Abejas Civil Society made a call for economic solidarity, to help maintain the displaced families. In a 31 August communique, Las Abejas express that “this letter is to request humanitarian support for our displaced brothers and sisters. But what we will request of you, if your heart and thought desires to help us, is that you not send things that the displaced do not know how to use or eat. We say this due to our experiences in the Las Abejas camps in the year 1997.” In this document Las Abejas enumerate the necessities and locations and bank accounts in which donations are being accepted.
On 1 September, the displaced families from Puebla Colony expressed to a national and international solidarity caravan the difficult situation they face. Tsotsil indigenous persons indicated that “upon seeing all that is happening in our ejido, we thought we would leave because we cannot take it anymore, though we would like simply to hide in one house or another, but they always follow us,” adding that “they always come to hear where we are in the house, so youth and all kinds of people arrive to throw stones at our houses. Thus we sense the frustration that we can no longer resist, and for that reason we decided all to depart on 20 August at 10am.”
The displaced families, comprised in majority of minors, stressed that on 23 August they had an inter-institutional meeting in San Cristóbal de las Casas in the presence of authorities from the Presbyterian religious, state representatives, and members of the Catholic Church; at the meeting was discussed the events of the past months. Evaluating the result of this meeting, they said: “The authorities who were present at this meeting gave us a document for all to sign. We demand justice and they ignored us. We do not want to made public the goings-on of the community. Thus we did not sign the understanding.”
Para más información:
Solidaridad con l@s herman@s católic@s de Col. Puebla, por desplazamiento forzado (Blog Las Abejas de Acteal, 31 de agosto de 2013)
Testimonios de hombres y mujeres desplazados del Ejido Puebla, Chenalhó (Radio Zapatista, 4 de septiembre de 2013)
“Que se haga la justicia” exigen familias desplazadas del Ejido Puebla de Chenalhò Chiapas (Pozol Colectivo, 6 de septiembre de 2013)
Condenamos el desplazamiento por violencia en Colonia Puebla, Chenalhó: Demandamos solidaridad, justicia y condiciones seguras para el retorno de las familias (CDMCh, 6 de septiembre de 2013)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Chiapas: After attempting to return, the displaced of the Puebla Colony transfer themselves to Acteal (13 September 2013)
Chiapas: Increase in violence in Puebla Colony, Chenalho (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: Denunciation from Las Abejas of Acteal on 22 May 2013 (7 June 2013)
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