Chiapas: Campesinos intimidated after taking back their lands

Assembly in San Isidro Los Laureles community @RadioZapatista

In a communiqué on January 21, the San Isidro Los Laureles community, Venustiano Carranza municipality, adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and members of the ‘space for struggle Semilla Digna, reported intimidation “on the part of the landlords” 31 days after taking back their lands. They reported that, “On the part of the landlords, they are going around intimidating on the recovered estates, in the latest models of Ford trucks with darkened windows, with four people on the back of the truck, wearing bullet-proof vests and high-powered weapons.” They ask public opinion, human rights organizations, the National Indigenous Congress (Congreso Nacional Indígena – CNI), the alternative media, and the Councils of Good Government of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) “of everything that comes against us and against our rights, because our decision is and will be to resist and defend what legitimately corresponds to us (sic).”

 It is worth noting that on December 20, 2015, the San Isidro Laureles community decided to take back “about 165 hectares from various properties: “Tres Picos” (property of Octovín Albores, owner of 30 hectares), “Las Delicias” (property of Francisco Javier Ruíz, owner of 60 hectares), and “El Refugio’ estate (property of Rodrigo Ruíz, owner of 75 hectares).” 

For more information in Spanish:

San Isidro Los Laureles: Intimidan a campesinos con armas largas tras recuperación de tierras (Radio Zapatista, 22 de enero de 2015)

Chiapas: “Con armas de fuego de alto poder”, intimidan a campesinos tras recuperar sus tierras. (Radio Pozol, 22 de enero de 2016)

Comunidad de San Isidro Los Laureles denuncia amenaza continua de desalojo y actuación de guardias blancas (Koman Ilel, 17 de enero de 2016)

Campesinos de San Isidro los Laureles temen desalojo violento (Radio Zapatista, 17 de enero de 2015)

Grupo de Trabajo No Estamos Todxs en solidaridad con la comunidad de San Isidro los Laureles (Radio Zapatista, 27 de enero de 2016)

Para entender la recuperación de tierras de la comunidad San Isidro Los Laureles, Carranza, Chiapas (5 de enero de 2016)

 For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Comunidad San Isidro Los Laureles recupera las tierras que “trabajaron nuestros abuelos, abuelas, padres que eran peones acasillados” (30 de diciembre de 2015)