Chiapas: EZLN pays tribute to murdered support base and announces organizational changes

On May 24, more than 4000 support–bases of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (BAEZLN) from the 5 Zapatista Caracoles (autonomous regions), militiamen, members of the Command of the EZLN, and hundreds of persons from national and international civil society organizations and adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle met in the community of La Realidad, headquarters of Caracol I. They came to give homage to José Luis Solis Lopez, alias Galeano, a BAEZLN killed by members of the Historical Independent Center of Agricultural Workers and Campesinos (CIOAC-H) on May 2.

“We came to pay homage to a comrade without size or height; we came not to bury him, we came to dig up his fighting spirit. We came to lift up every child, boy or girl,” said Comandante Tacho during the homage.

The tribute event, which was divided into three blocks, began with the appearance of Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos and other members of the General Command of the EZLN on horseback. After greeting civil society and BAEZLN, they went away. Then, through a megaphone, Subcomandante Moisés announced the progress in the investigation of Galeano’s murder. He insisted on using the rage against the system and “not against these mentally sick people that do not think for themselves and just want to comply with the order of the bad government” (referring to the aggressors).

During the main event in the afternoon, Subcomandante Moisés said that those responsible for killing Galeano were the three levels of government and persons belonging to different political institutions: “For it is they who arranged everything so that happened what they did to us. Florinda Santis who is from here in La Realidad, is anti-Zapatista and town Councillor for the PAN in Las Margaritas. She and others are the ones who called offering money given by the bad governments. That Florinda made an agreement with the Commissioner for peace. They met with former governors, the mayor, the state government, representatives, senators, and the federal government. Since before they made a plan together. The evil Luis H. Alvares, met with Florinda and that person, Carmelino, to carry out this cowardly and cruel paramilitary plan, together with the people that are easily bought in La Realidad.“ Subcomandante Moisés added: “[the responsible is Velasco [Governor of Chiapas], and who is behind Velasco is Peña Nieto, and who is behind the traitor Peña Nieto, is “big business”. The real criminal is the inhuman neoliberal capitalism.” Subcomandante Moisés also said, “The rage we feel is against capitalism. Because what they did to comrade Galeano comes from the hand of capitalism. (…) It gives us pain and sadness what they did to our fellow Galeano, but we are NOT going to take an evil through evil action (…) we will not give an excuse for the bad government to assassinate indigenous peoples and for it to say that it is an inter-communal conflict. We seek justice and not vengeance. Justice forever, and revenge will be against neoliberal capitalism”. Subcomandante Moisés finally noted the division and confrontation that the government is promoting within indigenous communities through the introduction of welfare programs and the National Crusade against Hunger: “This is no plan against hunger; it is a counterinsurgency plan.”

After reading the communiqué, all the participants were invited to visit the grave of the deceased and thus to pay tribute to his family.

Late at night, Subcomandante Marcos reappeared and announced “his death.” He explained that his figure was just a media motley (pantomime) used to attract attention because it suited the interests of the EZLN. He added that at present the “Subcomandante farce” was no longer necessary, and that the organization had defined internal changes that will result in a completely indigenous direction: “this change of command is not given for illness or death, or by internal displacement or purging. It happens logically given the internal changes that the EZLN has had and has (…) But some scholars are unaware of other relays: The one of class: from the illustrated middle-class to the indigenous peasant. The one of Race: From the mestizo direction to the purely indigenous direction”. Finally, he announced: “We think it is necessary that one of us dies for Galeano to live. (…) So we have decided that Marcos should die today.” After reading the communiqué, Marcos went off-stage andthrough megaphone a voice announced: “Good morning comrades. My name is Galeano, Subcomandante Galeano.”