National: Numerous Collectives Call National and International Communities to Back Urgent Action against Maya Train

@ Enlace Zapatista

On May 11th, different groups made a call to support an urgent action against the Maya Train project, since, despite the injunctions filed by the communities of Ocosingo, Palenque and Salto del Agua and the COVID-19 pandemic, work has not been suspended, thus violating the “Right to Health, life and active participation in the defense of their rights.”

It is expected that on May 14th, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) will resolve the definitive suspension of this project, which had been provisionally done by a Federal Judge in previous weeks.

Added to this is the decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, where the government announced that it will have the Armed Forces carry out public security tasks, which represents for indigenous peoples and communities not only “unleashing a war against the drug cartels, which impose dispossession of forests, waters, minerals, wood and facilitate the entry of business and government megaprojects, but also face corruption, the links it has with organized crime, its complicity with fuel theft, the acts of repression and dispossession of indigenous peoples and communities, the use of public force to impose megaprojects, the forced displacement that they cause in the communities, according to them to bring order, as well as the murders, rapes and the criminalization of social protest social.”

Given what is happening and could happen, it seeks to promote knowledge and resistance against the project in civil society through actions such as concentrating information on the subject for its dissemination; share the existing poster (s) and/or design new ones that denounce the project and its damages; write and disseminate pronouncements in this regard; identify campaign initiatives by existing Mexican citizen groups to support them, or launch one; promote saturation of phone calls or emails to SCJN, FONATUR, CNDH, etc., speaking out against the project; and, invite networks, groups, contacts, to join in the campaign tasks.

For more information in Spanish:

Diversos colectivos promueven acción virtual contra el proyecto de despojo nombrado tren maya (Enlace Zapatista, 11 de mayo 2020)

Urgen intervención de la CNDH para frenar obras del Tren Maya (Aristegui Noticias, 11 de mayo 2020)

¿Por qué decir ¡NO! al “Tren Maya”? (Los Hijos del Maíz- Tlax, 11 de mayo 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: Armed Forces Decreed Public Security Duties for Five Years; “Militarism Came out of the Closet” – CSO(May 14, 2020)

Chiapas: Federal Court Orders Suspension of Palenque Section of Maya Train; FONATUR Considers Injunction “Unfair” (May 13, 2020)

National: Online Forum “No to the Misnamed Maya Train”(May 5, 2020)

 

Oaxaca: Organizations, Communities and Movements Demand Suspension of Trans-Isthmus Project (May 2, 2020)

Oaxaca: Illegal Start on Trans-Isthmus Corridor without EIR Denounced (April 28, 2020)

National: Almost 200 Organizations Demand Halt to Maya Train Works During Emergency; AMLO Confirms Megaprojects Will Continue (April 25, 2020)

 

Chiapas: CIG Calls for Global Day for Life #ElEncierroNoMeCalla April 4th to 10th

Given the current coronavirus pandemic, the Indigenous Government Council (CIG) of the National Indigenous Congress launched a call for a Global Day for Life to be held from April 4th to 10th and asked “not to give up the struggle […] for humanity” after the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) announced the temporary closure of the caracoles two weeks earlier.

“In defense of life and because #ElEncierroNoMeCalla [The lockdown won´t silence me], we invite everyone, collectives, networks, organizations, individuals, supporters and adherents of the Sixth, to participate and hold musical, theatrical, dance activities, singing, poetry, cinema, painting, photography, documentaries, book reading, analysis, discussion, reflection, conferences and everything you can imagine, to shout at the bad governments of the world; that despite the Pandemic we continue to fight for life, we continue to fight against capitalism of death and patriarchy.”

The aim is to spread these activities through social networks under the hashtag #ElEncierroNoMeCalla to denounce that “national governments make their fundamental decisions subject to the dictates of financial capital.”

For more information in Spanish:

Coordinación Metropolitana, Anticapitalista y Antipatriarcal convoca a Jornada Global por la Vida #ElEncierroNoMeCalla (Enlace Zapatista el 28 de marzo de 2020)

POR CORONAVIRUS EL EZLN CIERRA CARACOLES Y LLAMA A NO ABANDONAR LAS LUCHAS ACTUALES (Enlace Zapatista el 16 de marzo de 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: EZLN Closes Caracoles Due to Coronavirus and Calls on People to Continue Struggle (March 19, 2020)

National: EZLN and CNI Hold Events on the First Anniversary of the Murder Samir Flores (February 25, 2020)

Chiapas/Mexico: EZLN, CNI and CIG Convene Actions in Defense of Territory and Mother Earth “We Are All Samir” (January 14, 2020)

Chiapas/National: Fourth Assembly of CNI-CIG Held in San Cristobal de Las Casas (January 13, 2020)

Chiapas/Nacional : CNI- CIG “vivimos la guerra del capital contra los pueblos del mundo”, convocatoria a la cuarta Asamblea Nacional (November 8, 2019)

Chiapas/National/International: EZLN Invitation to “Celebration of Life: December of Resistance and Rebellion” (November 10, 2019)

Chiapas: EZLN Closes Caracoles Due to Coronavirus and Calls on People to Continue Struggle

On March 16th, 2020, the EZLN published a communiqué about the actions that they are going to take against the Coronavirus and a strong call not to give up the struggle:

“CONSIDERING THE REAL, SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE THAT  COVID-19, ALSO KNOWN AS “CORONAVIRUS” PRESENTS;

CONSIDERING THE FRIVOLOUS IRRESPONSIBILITY AND THE LACK OF SERIOUSNESS OF THE BAD GOVERNMENTS AND OF THE POLITICAL CLASS IN ITS ENTIRETY, THAT MAKE USE OF A HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM TO ATTACK EACH OTHER, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE NECESSARY MEASURES TO CONFRONT THE LIFE-THREATENING VIRUS, WHICH ENDANGERS EVERYONE IRREGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY, GENDER, RACE, LANGUAGE, RELIGIOUS BELIEF, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SOCIAL CONDITION OR HISTORY;

CONSIDERING THE LACK OF TRUE AND TIMELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCOPE AND GRAVITY OF THE VIRUS, AS WELL AS THE ABSENCE OF A REAL PLAN TO CONFRONT THE THREAT;

CONSIDERING THE ZAPATISTA COMMITMENT IN OUR FIGHT FOR LIFE;

WE HAVE DECIDED:

FIRST.- DECLARE A RED ALERT IN OUR VILLAGES, COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, AND IN ALL THE ZAPATIST ORGANIZATIONAL BODIES.

SECOND.- TO GOOD GOVERNMENT COUNCILS AND AUTONOMOUS REBEL ZAPATISTA MUNICIPALITIES, WE RECOMMEND THE TOTAL AND IMMEDIATE CLOSURE OF THE CARACOLES AND CENTERS OF RESISTANCE AND REBELLION.

THIRD.- WE RECOMMEND THE SUPPORT BASES AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TO FOLLOW A SERIES OF SPECIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND HYGIENE MEASURES THAT WILL BE SENT TO THE ZAPATIST COMMUNITIES, TOWNS AND NEIGHBORHOODS.

FOURTH.- IN THE ABSENCE OF THE BAD GOVERNMENTS, WE URGE EVERYONE, IN MEXICO AND THE WORLD, TO TAKE THE NECESSARY WITH SCIENTIFICALLY-BASED SANITARY MEASURES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SURVIVE THIS PANDEMIC.

FIFTH.- WE CALL ON YOU NOT TO CEASE THE STRUGGLE AGAINST FEMICIDAL  VIOLENCE, TO CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE IN DEFENSE OF TERRITORY AND MOTHER EARTH, TO KEEP UP THE STRUGGLE FOR THE DISAPPEARED, MURDERED, AND IMPRISONED, AND KEEP THE FLAG OF THE FIGHT FOR HUMANITY RAISED HIGH.

SIXTH.- WE CALL ON YOU NOT TO LOSE HUMAN CONTACT, BUT TO TEMPORARILY CHANGE THE WAYS WE RELATE TO EACH OTHER AS COMRADES, SISTERS, BROTHERS, SISTERS.

THE WORD, THE EAR, AND THE HEART, HAVE MANY ROADS, MANY WAYS, MANY CALENDARS AND MANY GEOGRAPHIES TO MEET. THIS FIGHT FOR LIFE MAY BE ONE OF THEM.”

For more information in Spanish:

POR CORONAVIRUS EL EZLN CIERRA CARACOLES Y LLAMA A NO ABANDONAR LAS LUCHAS ACTUALES, Enlace Zapatista, 16 de marzo de 2020

EZLN decreta “alerta roja” por coronavirus y cierra sus centros de autogobierno en Chiapas, Aristeguinoticias, 17 de marzo de 2020

EZLN cierra sus centros de reunión, por COVID-19, Chiapasparalelo, 16 de marzo de 2020

EZLN decreta “alerta roja” en sus pueblos, comunidades por Covid-19, La Jornada, 17 de marzo de 2020

National: Historic Women’s Day In Mexico

Photo @ Factor Nueve

On March 8th, within the framework of International Women’s Day, in one of the most dangerous countries in the world for their safety and integrity, Mexican women from all over the nation made history by conducting marches and other types of demonstrations, holding a protest the likes of which had never been seen before to protest for greater equality, respect for their human rights and against gender violence and femicides.

In the capital of the country alone in Mexico City, more than a hundred thousand women, girls, adolescents and grandmothers took to the streets with different marches that came together in the main square of the city. The mobilizations were a significant demonstration that women are no longer willing to continue to tolerate abuse and assault. They also consider that the massive response to the calls shows that in recent years there have been significant changes, in particular, participants stressed that “they took everything from us, even fear.”

On the flagpole of the Zocalo (main square), women put up posters with photos and names of victims of femicide, and also accusations against men for rape and harassment.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of speakers come from the largest cities in the country, the same day indigenous women raised their voices in different states. In Oaxaca, “Mixe, Zapotec, Barreña and Mixtec women carried out a road blockade at kilometer 186 of the Trans-Isthmus highway, near San Juan Guichicovi to demand that the federal government listen to the voice and feelings of the women of the Isthmus in relation to the eventual construction of the interoceanic corridor.”

In Chiapas, as announced, thousands of Zapatistas met in the Caracoles and spoke “of the pain and rage” that have been expressed in two encounters of women organized for this purpose.

For more information in Spanish:

“Canción sin miedo”, el himno feminista mexicano contra los feminicidios que retumbó en el Zócalo y en la marcha (CNN Español, 9 de marzo de 2020)

“Nos quitaron todo, hasta el miedo”: así fue la marcha del 8 de marzo en la CdMx (Milenio, 8 de marzo de 2020)

Esta fue la transmisión especial de Aristegui desde la marcha 8M (Aristegui Noticias, 8 de marzo de 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National/Chiapas: Zapatista Women Will Join National “On the Ninth, No Woman Moves” Strike (March 4, 2020)

National: #UnDíaSinNosotras – National Women’s Strike Convened amid Controversy (February 28, 2020)

Chiapas: “Let’s Talk about Government Programs, Megaprojects and the Effects they Have on the Lives of Indigenous Campesina Women and Communities” Forum Held (February 28, 2020)

Chiapas/International: Second Encounter of Women Who Struggle Held by EZLN (January 13, 2020)

Chiapas: First International Gathering for Politics, Art, Sport and Culture for Women in Struggle (March 27, 2018)

National/Chiapas: Zapatista Women Will Join National “On the Ninth, No Woman Moves” Strike

Photo @ Víctor Camacho

Zapatista women stated in a communiqué that during International Women’s Day, on March 8th, that they will meet in their caracoles to talk and reflect on “the pain and rage we heard in the two women’s encounters” that they have organized in recent times.

In addition, after the invitation of the Brujas del Mar (Witches of the Sea) collective to a national strike on March 9th, “On the Ninth, No Woman Moves,” the Zapatista women reported that “we salute their initiative. We see it as something valuable, good, noble, honest and legitimate. And we will support it according to our ways. Because any woman, be it one, or a few, or many, who fights for life, should know that they are not alone. Because our thinking is that, if the absent, the murdered, the disappeared and the incarcerated should know that they are not alone, the living ones that fight should even moreso.”

They announced that “the compañeras who are in charge, whether of autonomous authority, of organizational command or military command or commissions of education, health, of ‘tercias´ and of all the work we do as the Zapatista women that we are, we will  not attend our work (…) and as indigenous women are the majority in the Zapatista autonomy, that day Zapatista autonomy will stop.”

“On March 9th, many of us will not go to our villages, but we will stay and, at dawn on that March 9th, we will turn on thousands of lights. In the caracoles and in the Zapatista villages the light of women will shine.”

For more information in Spanish:

NO NECESITAMOS PERMISO PARA LUCHAR POR LA VIDA. LAS MUJERES ZAPATISTAS SE UNEN AL PARO NACIONAL DEL 9 DE MARZO (1 de marzo de 2020)

Mujeres Zapatistas se unirán al paro nacional en Chiapas (1 de marzo de 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: #UnDíaSinNosotras – National Women’s Strike Convened amid Controversy (February 28, 2020)

Chiapas: “Let’s Talk about Government Programs, Megaprojects and the Effects they Have on the Lives of Indigenous Campesina Women and Communities” Forum Held (February 28, 2020)

Chiapas/International: Second Encounter of Women Who Struggle Held by EZLN (January 13, 2020)

Chiapas: EZLN Convenes Second International Encounter of Women who Struggle (September 26, 2019)

Chiapas: First International Gathering for Politics, Art, Sport and Culture for Women in Struggle (March 27, 2018)

National: EZLN and CNI Hold Events on the First Anniversary of the Murder Samir Flores

@Enlace zapatista

On February 20th and 21st, the Zapatista Liberation Army (EZLN) and organizations that are members of or close to the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) carried out dispersed actions in 20 states of Mexico and in at least seven other countries, one year after the murder by Samir Flores Soberanes, from Morelos, and within the framework of the “Day in Defense of Territory and Mother Earth”.

In Chiapas, thousands of indigenous support bases of the Zapatista Liberation Army (EZLN) mobilized to remember it and vindicate their struggle against extractive megaprojects in 11 caracoles, placing candles, offerings, banners and posters in rejection of said megaprojects and to demand justice in the murder of Samir and other land defenders in the country.

The Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) said that, one year after the murder of the defender, “the risk to life, security and integrity of the defenders oh territory was increased, in Mexico (…) criminalization has also intensified against communities of indigenous peoples opposed to government projects, specifically those who belong to the National Indigenous Congress.”

On February 21st, the “March for Justice for Our Brother Samir Flores Soberanes”, for the dead, missing, prisoners and in Defense of Territory and Mother Earth was also held in Mexico City.

For more information in Spanish:

Pueblos y colectivos recordarán a Samir Flores con marchas, conversatorios y actividades culturales a un año de su asesinato (Desinformémonos, 18 de febrero de 2020)

Imágenes de la movilización zapatista iniciada la madrugada de este 20 de febrero en Defensa del Territorio y la Madre Tierra, por justicia para nuestr@s muert@s, nuestr@s desaparecid@s, nuestr@s pres@s y en contra de los megaproyectos de muerte. “SAMIR S (EZLN, 20 de febrero de 2020)

“Todos somos Samir”, proclama el EZLN en jornada de resistencia (Proceso, 20 de febrero de 2020)

Aumenta criminalización contra defensores de territorio: Frayba (La Jornada, 20 de febrero de 2020)

EZLN realiza concentraciones (Cuarto Poder, 20 de febrero de 2020)

EZLN se suma a manifestaciones a un año del asesinato del activista Samir Flores (Aristegui Noticias, 20 de febrero de 2020)

A un año del asesinato de Samir: ni justicia ni obras (Pie de Página 21 de febrero de 2020)

Abejas de Acteal exigen justicia para Samir Flores y todos los defensores asesinados en México (Desinformémonos, 21 de febrero de 2020)

Exigen justicia para Samir, con mural, altar y bloqueo en Oaxaca (Desinformémonos, 21 de febrero de 2020)

A un año del asesinato de Samir Flores, exigen justicia (La Jornada, 22 de febrero de 2020)

 

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas/Mexico: EZLN, CNI and CIG Convene Actions in Defense of Territory and Mother Earth “We Are All Samir” (January 14, 2020)

Chiapas/National: Fourth Assembly of CNI-CIG Held in San Cristobal de Las Casas (January 13, 2020)

Chiapas/Nacional : CNI- CIG “vivimos la guerra del capital contra los pueblos del mundo”, convocatoria a la cuarta Asamblea Nacional (November 8, 2019)

Chiapas/National/International: EZLN Invitation to “Celebration of Life: December of Resistance and Rebellion” (November 10, 2019)

National/International: CNI Mobilizations for Global Day of Struggle in Defense of Life and our Territories – “SAMIR FLORES LIVES” (October 17, 2019)

Chiapas: Inauguration of Two New Zapatista Caracoles

Photo@Chiapas paralelo

On February 2nd, the inauguration of two new caracoles, centers of the autonomous governments of the EZLN, was celebrated in the Lacandon Jungle area in Chiapas. It was attended by several leaders, including the insurgent Subcommander Galeano (formerly Marcos).

The inaugurated government centers are Caracol 8 “The light that shines on the world”, in the Dolores Hidalgo community; and Caracol 10 “Blooming the Rebel Seed”, in the Patria Nueva community, both in the municipality of Ocosingo.

In August 2019, in a statement, the EZLN had announced the creation of 11 new caracoles and Zapatista Autonomous Resistance and Rebellion Centers (CRAREZ), each with its Good Government Board structures and infrastructure for mass meetings, schools and offices.

The inauguration was celebrated with a deployment of its military forces and with cultural and sports activities.

“As the bases of the EZLN, we are working on autonomy, and this is the creation of caracoles as will happen in other places and not only here. All the Zapatista peoples are celebrating, we are happy, we are celebrating this birth. Here will be the offices where the compañeros will be working for the next three years”, they said in relation to the process of strengthening their regional forms.

For more information in Spanish:

EZLN inaugura nuevos centros de gobierno, Chiapas paralelo, 3 de febrero de 2020

Chiapas: zapatistas inauguran nuevos Caracoles con sus Juntas de Buen gobierno, Radio zapatista, 3 de febrero de 2020

EZLN inaugura dos nuevos “caracoles” o centros de autogobierno en Chiapas, Aristeguinoticias, 3 de febrero de 2020

El EZLN inaugura dos Caracoles más en Ocosingo, Proceso, 3 de febrero de 2020

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: EZLN Announces Creation of New Caracoles, Autonomous Municipalities, Centers of Autonomous Resistance and Rebellion and Various Other Initiatives (August 25, 2019)

Chiapas: EZLN Commemorates 26th Anniversary of Uprising (January 13, 202)

Chiapas/International: Second Encounter of Women Who Struggle Held by EZLN (January 13, 2020)