Chiapas/International: Solidarios de la Voz del Amate Seeks Alliances with Other Processes in Latin America

Alberto Patishtan (@El Sie7e de Chiapas)

In a press conference that was held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas on December 4th, members of the Solidarios de la Voz de Amate organization announced that on December 8th they will participate in the Observatory of Rights of Peoples “The Worthy Fight of the Latin American Peoples, is the Libertarian Air of the Peoples of the World” in which they will share the struggle for political prisoners and unduly imprisoned in Chiapas.

Former prisoner Alberto Patishtan (who was in jail from 2000 to 2013) said they intend “to raise our voice of struggle and resistance, for the government to listen to us that we are not alone in the demand for our rights.” He recalled that “nine colleagues who have been in criminal proceedings for several years without sentencing and others who have already been sentenced with evidence that was manufactured by public ministries” are still imprisoned in Chiapas. He affirmed that “the government from political operators has studied the criminal records, they realized the irregularities, but even so due to lack of will and arrogance they do not want to free our companions in struggle for many years.” He denounced that “with sacrifice they have demonstrated their innocence by exposing their bodies and their lives, by means of a hunger strike and fasting inside the prisons, where they stopped eating for several days, even so the government does not want to yield. It’s not about competition, it’s about the freedom of poor and innocent Indians.”

For more information in Spanish:

Buscan presos alianza de apoyo con el resto de Latinoamérica(El Sie7e de Chiapas, 5 de diciembre de 2019)

Pueblos latinoamericanos se reuniran en Oaxaca para alzar su voz de lucha (Prensa Libre, 5 de diciembre de 2019)

Buscan presos políticos alianza de apoyo con el resto de Latinoamérica (Noticias Primera Plano, 4 de diciembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Exigen libertad para las 9 presos solidarios de la Voz del Amate (6 de noviembre de 2019)

Chiapas:Presos del Cerss 5 son amenazados de ser reubicados si no detienen su protesta (6 de septiembre de 2019)

Chiapas: After over 100 Days on Hunger Strike, Prisoners Need Appropriate Medical Attention and Continue to Demand Freedom (June 27, 2019)

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Chiapas: Plantón y Ayuno en Solidaridad con Presos en Huelga de Hambre (a 84 días de su inicio), 6 de junio de 2019

National/International: Secretary of the Interior Reaffirms that There is No Narco-terrorism in Mexico Following Trump’s Threat to Add Mexican cartels to List of Terrorist Organizations

Olga Sanchez Cordero (@Periodico Palacio)

On December 3rd, the Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sanchez Cordero, reaffirmed that there is no element to consider criminal groups that operate in Mexico as narco-terrorists, as suggested by the President of the United States (Donald), Donald Trump: “I would not like or accept the terminology ‘narcoterrorism’; (in Mexico) we have, yes, criminal groups; we have organized crime, yes; we have drug cartels, yes, but all within the framework of crime, not narco-terrorism,” she stressed.

It should be remembered that at the end of December, in a television interview, Donald Trump announced that he would declare Mexican drug cartels as terrorists, which would enable the United States to take direct actions and certain liberties to curb their progress. While it is known that the Le Baron family, with dual Mexican and North American nationality, requested the United States government to catalog Mexican drug trafficking as terrorism after last November 4th saw the murder of nine members of the family (three women and six children) in an armed attack on the limits of Chihuahua and Sonora, Trump declared that “they will be designated (…) I have been working on that for the past 90 days. You know, designation is not that easy, you have to go through a process and we are well into that process.” This implies that the US administration has been evaluating this possibility since before the bloody attack.

Given these statements, the Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said that “Mexico will never admit any action that means a violation of its national sovereignty.” He also said that “I think the United States would not go along that route because we are working together and because it would not be interested, it seems to me, to give rise to Mexico invoking the same legal principles.”

For more information in Spanish:

En el país no hay narcoterrorismo, afirma Sánchez Cordero (El Sol de México, 4 de diciembre de 2019)

En México, hay delincuencia no narcoterrorismo (El Universal, 3 de diciembre de 2019)

Sánchez Cordero: sin señales que indiquen presencia de ‘narcoterrorismo’ (La Jornada, 3 de diciembre de 2019)

México jamás aceptaría señalamientos de EU sobre narcoterrorismo: Ebrard (Proceso, 26 de noviembre de 2019)

Trump anuncia que incluirá a “los carteles” mexicanos en la lista terrorista de EE UU (The Washington Post, 27 de noviembre de 2019)

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Trump anuncia que declarará a los cárteles mexicanos como terroristas (Aristegui Noticias, 26 de diciembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: One Year of AMLO Presidency (December 5, 2019)

National: Murder Rate Rises in Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s First Semester (June 27, 2019)

National/International: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Visits Mexico (April 11, 2019)

National/International: Mexico Ranked 99th of 126 in Rule of Law Index – World Justice Project (March 12, 2019)

Oaxaca: CEDHAPI Denounces “Extrajudicial Execution” of Indigenous Defender

@Facebook

At the beginning of December, the Center for Human Rights and Advice to Indigenous Peoples (CEDHAPI in its Spanish acronym) denounced the “extrajudicial execution” of the indigenous defender Catalino Barradas Santiago, at the hands of elements of the municipal police of Santos Reyes Nopala, on the eve of the elections for municipal president (by customary law) in that community.

The president of CEDHAPI, Maurilio Santiago Reyes, indicated that the events occurred on November 30th and that two people were also injured in the attack, while a third was arrested and imprisoned in the Puerto Escondido prison, of whom “it is known that he was tortured by the municipal police of Santos Reyes Nopala,” he said. He also stated that a group headed by the mayors of San Pedro Mixtepec and Santos Reyes Nopala, respectively, continues to intimidate opponents with weapons to maintain control of the municipality.

He finally said that on December 2nd, when the body of Barradas Santiago was being waked, a group of armed people went to shoot at the house where the wake was held.

Given what happened, the CEDHAPI requested the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to issue an urgent action in the case of the detained person, and the Human Rights Ombudsman of Oaxaca and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to issue precautionary measures. It also urged the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE in its Spanish acronym) to investigate the extrajudicial execution of the human rights defender, observer of the legality of the municipal president’s elections in Santos Reyes Nopala.

For more information in Spanish:

Denuncian “ejecución extrajudicial” de un defensor indígena cometida por la policía municipal de Santos Reyes Nopala (Página 3,mx, 5 de diciembre de 2019)

Denuncian “ejecución extrajudicial” de defensor indígena en Oaxaca (Proceso, 4 de diciembre de 2019)

Asesinado por policías (NVI Noticias, 4 de diciembre de 2019)

Policías municipales asesinan en Oaxaca al defensor indígena Barradas Santiago (Contralínea, 3 de diciembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Oaxaca: International Organizations Call for Release of Fredy Garcia of CODEDI (November 24, 2019)

Oaxaca/International: WOAT Warns about State Inaction in Disappearance Case of Ernesto Sernas Garcia (October 17, 2019)

Oaxaca: Murder Attempt on CODEDI Member (September 26, 2019)

Oaxaca: Denuncian criminalización por liberación de ordenes de aprensión contra sindicalistas del sector salud e integrantes de Sol Rojo (16 de agosto de 2019)

International/National/Chiapas: Eighth Anniversary of Banavil Displaced, Seeking International Monitoring of Problem of Internal Forced Displacement

Victims of internal forced displacement @SIPAZ

Eight years after their forced internal displacement (FID) and the forced disappearance of Alonso Lopez Luna, a Tseltal family from the Banavil community, Tenejapa, continues to seek solutions to their demands.

It is important to remember that the main demands are in line with Recommendation CEDH / VGEAAI / 003/2017 of the State Commission of Human Rights of the State of Chiapas. This recommendation was approved on April 24th, 2017 by the Secretary General of the State of Chiapas.

The anniversary of the forced displacement of the family is commemorated a few days after the Joint Service of Characterization of Displaced Population (JSCDP) made an exploratory visit to Mexico (including a special visit to Chiapas), with the objective of “strengthening the technical capacities of the players that affect the attention of internal forced displacement; as well as contributing to quantitative and qualitative research work on the phenomenon in the country, in addition to establishing bases for a long-term strategy and joint work on prevention and care policies.” They concluded their visit by presenting recommendations to the Mexican State.

In addition, on November 22nd, organizations, victims of forced internal displacement, members of the academic sector, human rights defenders and journalists requested through a letter addressed to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, “which is included in the agenda for special procedures visits next year 2020, the visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, who has requested a visit to Mexico since 2015.”

For more information in Spanish:

Solicitud de visita a México de la Relatora Especial sobre los derechos humanos de los desplazados internos en carácter prioritario (CMDPDH, 22 de noviembre de 2019)

Participa CEAVE en mesa de trabajo para el Desplazamiento Forzado Interno (Fiscalia General del Estado de Chihuahua, 2 de diciembre de 2019)

Recomendación: CEDH/ 03/2017-R. (CEDH)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: A 7 años de los hechos violentos que suscitaron el desplazamiento forzado de familias de Banavil (7 de diciembre de 2018)

Chiapas: displaced families from Banavil return to their home to celebrate the Day of the Dead (November 3, 2018)

Chiapas: Banavil Displaced Families Remember the Death of Antonia Lopez Luna (March 5, 2017)

Chiapas: Desplazados de Banavil siguen exigiendo justicia tras 5 años de desplazamiento forzado (2 de diciembre de 2016)

Chiapas: Banavil Displaced Families Announce Provisional Return to their Community for Day of the Dead. (November 2, 2016)

Chiapas: Freedom for Juan de la Cruz Ruiz

Photo @Frayba

On December 3rd, the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (also known as Frayba) announced through a press conference that it had presented an indirect injunction for the freedom of the torture survivor, victim of violations of due legal process and currently in arbitrary deprivation of his freedom, Juan de la Cruz.

The indigenous Tsotsil Juan de la Cruz Ruiz, a prisoner for more than 12 years accused of the crime of homicide, filed the injunction to request the protection of federal justice as since February 2016 there is a recommendation for freedom with suspended sentence issued by the Reconciliation Bureau, La Jornada reported.

At the conference Pedro Faro Navarro, director of Frayba, reported that the request for indirect injunction was delivered in the District Court of Injunction and Federal Trials in the State of Chiapas, of the Twentieth Circuit, based in the capital.

“In the aforementioned document, it is claimed that even when there is a recommendation for freedom with a suspended sentence, dated February 11th, 2016, Juan de la Cruz remains in unjust prison at the Center for Social Reinsertion for the Sentenced No. 5, in San Cristobal de Las Casas,” he added.

He also noted that the recommendation “was sent for specific processing before the Undersecretary of Executions of Criminal Penalties and Security Measures, which since February 12th, 2016 received and had to issue the freedom ruling.”

He said that Juan’s family and those “who accompany him in the defense of his rights” face harassment, threats, vigilance and intimidation, facts that were already denounced before the State Attorney General’s Office.

Frayba urged “the highest Court to grant the injunction and protection of federal justice and that the authorities responsible for resolving this case comply with the recommendation they have issued so that Juan is released immediately.”

For more information in Spanish:

Para más información vea esta conferencia de prensa, en el Museo de la Ciudad de Tuxtla. (Chiapas Paralelo, 3 de diciembre de 2019)

Tras 12 años preso, indígena tzotzil solicita protección de la justicia (La Jornada, 3 de diciembre de 2019)

Indígena preso en Chiapas pide protección de la justicia federal (El Heraldo de Chiapas, 4 de diciembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas:Presos del Cerss 5 son amenazados de ser reubicados si no detienen su protesta (6 de septiembre de 2019)

Chiapas: After over 100 Days on Hunger Strike, Prisoners Need Appropriate Medical Attention and Continue to Demand Freedom (June 27, 2019)

Chiapas: After over 100 Days on Hunger Strike, Prisoners Need Appropriate Medical Attention and Continue to Demand Freedom (June 27, 2019)

Chiapas: Indigenous Prisoner Released after 16 Years Awaiting Sentencing and 60 Days Hunger Strike (May 26, 2019)

Chiapas: Chiapas Prisoners Enter Fourth Week of Hunger Strike (April 8, 2019)

Chiapas: Diego Lopez Mendez Freed, Prisoner and Member of Solidarios de la Voz del Amate (March 15, 2019)

National: One Year of AMLO Presidency

@Vertigo Politico

On December 1^st President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) offered an hour and a half message before a base filled with more than 100 thousand people, in Mexico City, in the framework of the celebration of his first year of government. He stressed that of the 100 commitments he made in 2018, he already fulfilled 89.

“It is unquestionable that in these first 12 months we have made great progress, but we are still in a transition process, the old still does not just die and the new is not born, but we are not playing, we are not simulating,” he said. He also affirmed that he hopes that in a year “the bases for the construction of a new homeland will already be established. By then, under any circumstances, it will be practically impossible to return to the time of opprobrium that the neoliberal or neoporfirio period meant.” He said that “when we complete two years of government the conservatives can no longer reverse the changes or not be so blunt, they would have to work hard and be very embarrassed to go back to the dark times of corruption, of the Leonine contracts, of the remission of taxes, of electoral fraud, of abandonment of young people, of racism, of contempt for the poor, and of “kill them in their steps” ”.

He listed a series of achievements including the reduction of fuel theft, the creation of 648 thousand new jobs, an increase of 16% of the minimum wage, an annual inflation of 3% the lowest since September 2016, the increase of 2% of the peso against the dollar, the coverage of government programs (half of Mexican households, use at least one program for welfare and in indigenous peoples, 95% of households already have at least one of the supports), among others.

On the issue of security, he questioned that “between 2006 and 2018 the rulers sought to solve insecurity and criminal violence through actions of military and police force, without addressing the substance of the problem,” a strategy that he considered “irresponsible” and that left a “dreadful balance” of dead, missing and a human rights crisis. “This absurd and deranged strategy will not be repeated,” he said.

National and international media especially question the entire AMLO administration for its inability to reduce violence when there were more than 28,000 violent deaths in the country between January and October. Another limitation that is being highlighted more is zero economic growth in this same term when AMLO promised in the campaign that it would be between 2 and 4%.

For more information in Spanish:

México: un año de AMLO en la presidencia (Vídeo, CNN México, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

El peso mexicano tiene con AMLO su mejor desempeño en 5 sexenios para un primer año de gobierno (Sin Embargo, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

AMLO reconoce seguridad y falta de crecimiento como pendientes de su primer año (Animal Político, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

De los 100 compromisos que hice hace un año, he cumplido 89: AMLO (Aristegui Noticias, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

A un año de gobierno, los aciertos y las fallas de la 4T de AMLO (Aristegui Noticias, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

Un año de AMLO (El País, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

Un año de AMLO: lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo (The Washington Post, 1ero de diciembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: AMLO Presents His First Government Report (September 10, 2019)

Nacional: AMLO cumplió 100 días en el poder; revisa avances en compromisos (12 de marzo de 2019)

International/National: Women of the World Sing Against Male Chauvinist Violence

@Animal Politico

On November 20th, the Lastesis collective, made up of four Chilean women, made a demonstration in the Anibal Pinto Square in Valparaiso, Chile, singing and dancing. “It’s the pacos (policemen). The judges. The state. President. The oppressive state is a male rapist,” says the song entitled “The rapist in your path” and culminates in a powerful refrain “And the fault was not mine, nor where I was, nor how I dressed, the rapist is you.”

Within a week a video of the song went viral giving rise to repetitions of the same demonstration in the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, in the Ministry of Women, and in other parts of the Chilean capital, on November 25th in the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

After this success the members of the Lastesis collective launched a call on Instagram inviting women from other countries to interpret this same song. Women in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Austria and the United States joined the call, dancing and singing in a row and blindfolded. In Mexico it was repeated in various cities, including CDMX, Oaxaca and San Cristobal de Las Casas and even one of the most dangerous municipalities in the country for women, Ecatepec.

The collective that created the lyrics and the choreography was founded a year and a half ago by the women Dafne Valdes, Paula Cometa, Sibila Sotomayor and Lea Caceres from Valparaiso. “We are called Lastesis because our premise is to use theses of feminist theorists and put them on stage to spread this message.” They say they were inspired by the texts of feminist writer Rita Segato: “We not only wanted to talk about the demystification of rape as a personal problem, or the attribution of disease only to the man who rapes, but we also wanted to say that this is a social issue.”

For more information in Spanish:

“El violador en tu camino” en San Cristóbal de Las Casas (Facebook el 29 de noviembre de 2019)

“El violador eres tú” el potente himno feminista nacido en Chile que resuena en México, Colombia, Francia o España (Animal Político el 2 de diciembre de 2019)

“El violador eres tú”: Baile y poderosa consigna de feministas en CDMX (El Imparcial el 29 de noviembre de 2019)

‘El violador eres tú’… la potente canción de jóvenes chilenas contra la violencia (Milenio el 29 de noviembre)

Feministas se manifiestan hoy en Carmen Alto, pese a indignación de religiosos (Educa el 29 de noviembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas/National: March and Press Conference for International Day to Eradicate Violence against Women (December 4, 2019)

National: Demand for Resignation of Head of National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM) (October 16, 2019)

National/International: Spotlight Initiative against Gender Violence Launched in Mexico (June 6, 2019)

National: Over 424,000 on Mexican #Me Too (May 7, 2019)

National: Presentation of ‘Emergent Plan to Guarantee the Integrity, Security and Life of Women and Girls in Mexico” (March 14, 2019)

Chiapas/National: Femicides on the Rise (May 24, 2018)

National/International: “Final Observations on the Ninth Periodic Report from Mexico, the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women” Published (August 6, 2018)