(@EjeCentral)
To demand the total suspension of the educational reforms and the presentation with life of the 43 detained or disappeared students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School, together with the boycott of the elections on 7 June and 19 July, teachers from the National Coordination of Educational Workers (CNTE) marched on 2 June in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. There they blockaded access to the local council of the National Electoral Institute (INE), removed books and voting cards, and burned them in front of the offices. Protestors also occupied 14 gas stations with the idea of liberating the gas for free to the population. The gas-station owners then shut off the flow of gas, with the exception of one site, leading to long waiting lines. Beyond this, the protestors set fire to the offices of the Institute for Elections and Citizen Participation (IEPC).
CNTE teachers announced that on 3 June, they will blockade the entrances to the capital city of Chiapas, thus inhibiting passage to freight trucks, carrying merchandise that will be distributed tot he population. There are already reports of the appropriation of Coca-Cola and Bimbo trucks. They reported as well that they would install themselves indefinitely outside the INE offices.
In a comment provided for Chiapas Paralelo, Pedro Gómez Bámaca, the Chiapas CNTE state leader, affirmed the union’s total rejection of the electoral process and its candidates “because the political parties are not interested in us teachers or resolving social needs. Instead, they are interested in perpetuating the power of their representatives and groups.” Beyond this, they communicated their agreement to disallow the installation of electoral booths in the schools where CNTE members work.
It bears stressing that the CNTE has announced that, despite the declaration of the Secretary for Public Security (SEP) to indefinitely suspend the testing of teachers, the electoral boycott will be maintained in 11 states, with protest-actions held in another 16. Indefinite strikes continue in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Michoacán, with various episodes of burning of electoral cards and occupations of electoral offices.
For more information (in Spanish):
Ayer repartieron gasolina, hoy mercancía, maestros incrementan acciones de protesta(Chiapas Paralelo, 3 de junio de 2015)
Maestros de la CNTE toman 14 gasolineras y oficinas del INE en Chiapas (Aristegui Noticias, 3 de junio de 2015)
Acuerdan maestros toma de oficinas del INE y toma y “liberación” de combustible en 14 gasolineras en Tuxtla (Chiapas Paralelo, 1 de junio de 2015)
Maestros de Oaxaca sustraen papelería electoral y exigen a Peña retiro del Ejército(Proceso, 1 de junio de 2015)
Radicaliza magisterio disidente protestas contra elecciones (El Universal, 3 de junio de 2015)
Inalterable, el boicot electoral en al menos 11 estados, indica la CNTE (La Jornada, 31 de mayo de 2015)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Guerrero: Murders and death-threats against candidates for June elections (17 May 2015)
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