Chiapas: Police Accused of Shooting at Choles Protesting against Confinement

@ Chiapas Paralelo

On April 27th, the Base Committee of the Chiapas Digna Ochoa Human Rights organization denounced that at approximately 1:30 pm, “a group of people who were demonstrating at the point known as Pulpitillo was repressed, with gunshots fired by members of the state police and the Yajalon municipal tactical police.”

According to the Committee, the indigenous people of Hidalgo Joshil, municipality of Tumbala, “dissatisfied with the actions that they consider to be in violation of their human and constitutional rights due to the police, military and health siege that was implemented in the municipality due to an outbreak of COVID-19, which prevents freedom of transit to mobilize people who paradoxically require medical attention for other diseases and that authorities in the health sector refuse to attend, they decided to demonstrate to request a negotiation table with the Delegation of the Government Secretariat and the health sector.”

It reported that “without any attempt to dialogue or notice they were repressed” leaving a balance of four wounded, one seriously by firearm.

Other sources from Yajalon, indicate that “the police attack would have been to contain an allegedly violent attempt to cross the sanitary fence, which was lifted this Tuesday (28th), although the curfew continues between 18:00 and 08:00 next day”, La Jornada reported.

For more information in Spanish:

Policías disparan contra choles que protestaban por confinamiento (La Jornada, 29 de abril de 2020)

Cercan y disparan contra indígenas, tras acusarlos de ser portadores de COVID-19 (Chiapas Paralelo, 28 de abril de 2020)

En Chiapas, reprimen a indígenas que protestaban por medidas sanitarias (Proceso, 27 de abril de 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Tumbala, Yajalon and Tila “Red Flag” for COVID-19 Pandemic (April 29, 2020)

Chiapas: “ Not Only COVID Threatens Life” – Las Abejas de Acteal Civil Society (April 25, 2020)

Chiapas: Organizations Demand Respect for People’s Rights (April 22, 2020)

Chiapas: Indigenous Zoque Commits Suicide in Ocosingo after Testing Positive for Covid-19 (April 16, 2020)