Chiapas/National: Mobilization #x1heightlaw in favor of the human rights of children and adolescents

Protest #x1heightlaw in San Cristóbal de Las Casas (@SIPAZ)

On 24 September, the Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico (#REDIM) and civil organizaitons carried out a symbolic protest in 11 cities of Mexico and in Geneva, Switzerland, “toward the end of calling on the Senate to be careful in the reforms it is implementing with regard to the bill presented by the president’s office, so that [senators] consider changes to be relevant and to guarantee the rights of the nearly 40 million children and adolescents who live in Mexico.”

The organizations stressed that “in this new General Law initiative, it is very important to guarantee an adequate and transparent budget for implementation; that the participation of civil society be contemplated via voice and vote; and that truly participatory mechanisms be established so that children and adolescents can opine regarding the decisions which affect them, such that these opinions be taken into account in terms of the construction of public policies having to do with children.”

Symbolic protests were carried out in Guadalajara, Jalisco; Morelia, Michoacán; Tehuacán, Puebla; Comitán, Tapachula , and San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas; La Paz, Baja California; Poza Rica and Xalapa, Veracruz, and in Mexico City.  Protestors carried black umbrellas to symbolize the protection that is sought with this new law.

For more information (in Spanish):

REDIM Y OSC REALIZAN ACTO SIMBÓLICO Y LLAMAN A SENADORESA CUIDAR LOS DETALLES PARA GARANTIZAR UNA LEY DE ALTURA (Melel Xojobal, 24 de septiembre de 2014)

REDIM presentará informe sobre los derechos de la niñez en México ante la ONU (Cencos, 24 de septiembre de 2014)

Organizaciones llaman a senadores para analizar ley infantil (Reporte Ciudadano, 24 de septiembre de 2014)

Hoy, debate final en el Senado de ley para proteger a niños (La Jornada, 24 de septiembre de 2014)

Para solidarizarse: http://chn.ge/1wwb3mg

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

National/Chiapas: “little to celebrate” for Children’s Day (16 May 2014)

Chiapas: Forum on “The rights of childhood and adolescence in southeastern Mexico” (15 March 2014)

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Chiapas: Denunciation of attacks on BAEZLN from the Morelia JBG and on hospital personnel from San Carlos de Altamirano

Mural in Caracol IV (Morelia), Whirlwind of Our Words @ SIPAZ

The Good-Government Council (JBG) from Caracol IV (Morelia), Whirlwind of Our Words, has denounced that on 30 January, some 300 members of the Democratic Independent Center of Agricultural and Campesino Workers (CIOAC) traveled on 18 trucks and severely assaulted Zapatista support bases in the 10 April ejido, pertaining to the 17 November autonomous municipality.  The Zapatistas requested aid at the San Carlos hospital in Altamirano, but the aggressors arrested them and blocked the passage of the ambulance, stripped and assaulted the nuns in the vehicle, and themselves appropriated the ambulance and a truck).  The Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights documented the status of the injured, noting “two grave lesions and three hospitalizations, one of them facing the possibility of losing sight,” as the Center shared in its third press release.  “In addition, [there were] attacks and arrests of four personnel who work in the San Carlos hospital.  With regard to the aggressor group, there were 2 injured from the 20 November community who were hospitalized in the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Altamirano and released the same day.”

The most recent attack against BAEZLN in 10 April community had taken place on 27 January, when 250 members of the Democratic CIOAC destroyed the signposts at the entrance of the ejido and proceeded to take down trees “which belong to our ecological reserve,” noted the JBG, using five vehicles: 9 pines were lost, in addition to 40 oak trees, 35 coffee plants, and 3 banana trees.  Furthermore, the attackers removed firewood “that is not for familial use but that was taken to sell, as carried away in 41 trucks’ worth.”

The CIOAC’s attempt to take over Zapatista lands began to spin out of control on 13 November 2013, although 2007 was the first time that “they provoked us by threatening to take the land we recovered in 1994,” as they “wanted to take control,” according to the JBG.

For more information (in Spanish):

La Junta de Buen Gobierno, Corazón del Arco Iris de la Esperanza del Caracol IV, denuncia la agresión que sufrió bases de apoyo del ejido 10 de abril del municipio autónomo en rebeldía 17 de noviembre, Chiapas, México(Enlace Zapatista, 1 de febrero de 2014)

Testimonio de personal del hospital San Carlos con respecto a la agresión a compañeros del ejido 10 de abril, ocurrida el 30 de enero de 2014 (Enlace Zapatista, 1 de febrero de 2014)

Omisión del gobierno del Estado de Chiapas para impedir agresiones a las BAEZLN. La CIOAC violenta el territorio del EZLN (Boletín de prensa No.3 del Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, 2 de febrero de 2014)

Denuncian agresiones a bases de apoyo del EZLN por seguidores de la Cioac(La Jornada, 2 de febrero de 2014)

Agreden a religiosas en el ataque al ejido 10 de Abril; les impiden atender a heridos (La Jornada, 3 de febrero de 2014)

Miembros de la CIOAC Democrática agreden a bases de apoyo zapatistas(Koman Ilel, 2 de febrero de 2014)

La JBG CORAZON DEL ARCO IRIS DE LA ESPERANZA CARACOL IV, TORBELLINO DE NUESTRAS PALABRAS denuncia hostigamiento y agresiones (Enlace Zapatista, 13 de noviembre de 2014)

Para más información de SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Denunciation of harassment and attacks from the Whirlwind of Our Words Caracol (7 December 2013)

Chiapas: Denunciation of harassment and attacks from the Whirlwind of Our Words Caracol

Photo @ SIPAZ

The Good-Government Council (JBG) Heart of the Rainbow of Hope, Morelia caracol, has published a denunciation explaining the rpbolems that have been worsening for a month with the CIOAC organization (Independent Center of Agricultural Workers and Campesinos).  Since 18 October, “a group of 60 persons from the ejido of 20 November who pertain to the CIOAC organization and their intellectual leaders […] entered [the land] to to delineate where it is that they want to take away the land that we recuperated in 1994.”  As the denunciation notes, since this time, the JBG of Morelia has attempted to arrange a dialogue with the CIOAC members from the 20 November ejido to resolve the use of the land under dispute which is worked by Zapatista support bases from the 10 April ejido.  Several dialogues have taken place, but no positive resolution has been effected.

The communique continues by saying that since 6 November, the support bases have been suffering death-threats and attacks and that on 12 November, “yet again 200 persons [from CIOAC] arrived, divided in three groups, one of them dividing the land, another installing spikes, and the third clearing the land.”

In closing, the public denunciation expresses that “those who presently reside in the 10 April ejido, autonomous municipality of 17 November, know perfectly well the history of the land, because they worked there as servants when our exploiters still lived there: they worked hard without salary in the year 1994.”

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

La JBG Corazón del Arco Iris de la Esperanza Caracol IV, Torbellino de Nuestras Palabras denuncia hostigamiento y agresiones (Enlace Zapatista, 13 de noviembre de 2013)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Denunciations from Morelia and La Realidad JBGs (18 September 2012)

Chiapas: The Morelia caracol denounces looting of land (5 June 2012)

Chiapas: the Morelia JBG denounces destruction of house by ORCAO (9 August 2011)

Chiapas: Celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Zapatista caracoles

From 8 to 10 August, members of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) celebrated 10 years since the founding of their autonomous governments, corresponding to their form of implementing the San Andrés Accords, which were signed by the EZLN and the federal government in February 1996.  At the cultural, political, and sport events that accompanied the celebration, there were present many intellectuals and activists from Mexico and other countries.  In 2003, the EZLN announced the creation of five Good-Government Councils (JBGs) corresponding to 5 autonomous regions in the state of Chiapas, based in La Realidad (border zone), La Garrucha and Morelia (Jungle highlands), Oventic (central highlands), and Roberto Barrios (close to Palenque).  Starting on 12 August, they will share the advances and difficulties of their form of self-government with the students at the “Escuelita” (little school).

For more information (in Spanish):

Parten a los caracoles casi 1,700 alumnos que asistirán a la Escuelita zapatista (La Jornada, 12 de agosto de 2013)

La cruzada contra el hambre, plan de ataque a nuestra autonomía: zapatistas (La Jornada, 11 de agosto de 2013

EZLN agradece acompañamiento en 10 años (El Universal, 9 de agosto de 2013)

Celebran zapatistas 10 años de las juntas de buen gobierno en Chiapas (La Jornada, 9 de agosto de 2013)

Simpatizantes del EZLN celebran 10 años de Juntas del buen gobierno (CNN México, 9 de agosto de 2013)

Alistan festejos por los 10 años de Los Caracoles en Chiapas (Proceso, 8 de agosto de 2013)

Nada es igual que antes (Desinformémonos, agosto de 2013)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: EZLN communiques “Them and Us,” parts II-V (29 January 2013)

Chiapas: Presentation of the preliminary report of the Brigade of Observation and Solidarity with Zapatista Communities

From 27 August until 3 September was held a brigade of observation and solidarity with Zapatista communities.  57 persons participated who visited 4 of the 5 Zapatista caracoles: 17 in La Realidad, 12 in Oventic, 16 in La Garrucha, and 12 in Morelia.  The objective of the Brigade found its basis in the “aggressions against Zapatista communities [that] are increasingly more violent and continuous; the acts of provocation against the EZLN seem more obvious with each passing day.  From this [we saw a need for] organizing a Brigade of Observation and Solidarity so as to find data, take account of the social environment, and show that our Zapatista comrades are not alone.”

For more information (in Spanish):

Informe preliminar de La Brigada de Observación y Solidaridad con las Comunidades Zapatistas, 2 September 2011

COBERTURA DE LA BRIGADA: 1r Reporte sobre la Brigada de Observación y Solidaridad con las Comunidades zapatistas. Ago./Sep. 2011

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Next mega-hotel project in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, 22 September 2011

Chiapas: the Morelia JBG denounces destruction of house by ORCAO (9 August 2011)

Chiapas: JBG of La Garrucha denounces armed attacks on August 16, 2011 (19 August 2011)

Chiapas: The La Garrucha JBG denounces “intensification of counter-insurgency campaign” (20 July 2011)

Chiapas: First Continental Meeting Against Impunity, 20th and 21st July 2009

“The fight against abuse works to unify all of the towns of the region and leads to the sharing of experiences” (La jornada, 22/06/2009)

On the 20th and 21st July 2009, the First Continental Meeting against Impunity took place at the Zapatista Caracol in Morelia. More than 300 people, including international human rights observers, traveled from various states of Mexico and from various countries within Latin America to attend the event (countries included Argentina, Chile, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Guatemala).

There was no single dynamic to the meeting: it consisted of various horror stories, not much in relation to the crimes committed by the state in the recent past, but also because of the widespread existence of impunity, especially in reference to Argentina or in the case of Acteal in Mexico. A number of worrying concerns were raised during the meeting, especially in relation to the current events that are taking place in Peru, Guatemala and in the state of Guerrero in Mexico.

For more information, please visit:

• Homepage of the First Continental Meeting against Impunity (spanish)
• La Jornada: State crimes remaining unpunished, increasing in Latin America (spanish)
• Indymedia Chiapas: First day of workshops of the First Continental Meeting against Impunity (spanish)

Chiapas: Increase in conflicts?

During the days before, during, and after the Festival of Justified Rage which was celebrated in the caracol of Oventik and later in CIDECI- University of the Earth in San Cristtobal de las Casas, a number of disturbing conflicts have arisen between various social organizations and support bases of the EZLN. According to a communiqué (on Jan. 7) from the Good Government Council of the Caracol of Morelia, there have recently been a number of problems with members of ORCAO (Regional Organization of Coffee-growers of Ocosingo) regarding a piece of land near the community of Bosque Bonito close to Cuxuljá. On January 9, 2009 more than 300 members of ORCAO gathered in the caracol of Morelia to discuss the possession of the land Chijtal, which was retaken by Zapatista members in 1994 in the autonomous region Che Guevara in the municipality Lucio Cabañas, but was also claimed by members of ORCAO. The problem was not resolved because of the tension between the two groups and the ORCAO was denounced for threatening to invade the caracol of Morelia. The group of the ORCAO left after the arrival of hundreds of Zapatista support bases from nearby communities.

The good government council also denounced the alleged evictions of Zapatista support bases from the hot springs of Agua Clara in the Autonomous Municipality Comandanta Ramona (communiqué on Jan. 8). A number of days earlier, on January 1, in communiqué from the caracol of Roberto Barrios, the good government council denied a supposed confrontation between Zapatista support bases and members of the CUT (Central Collective of Workers) in the ejido EL Desierto, close to Palanque. According the communiqué, in that region there are no support bases.

On the other hand, state and national newspapers have reported frequent confrontations between support bases and other organizations and individuals, which we have not been able to confirm or prove. One of the these reports is of a confrontation between support bases and members of the ARIC Independent (Rural Association of Collective Interests) which left 15 people wounded. Another report suggests the kidnapping on the part of Zapatista support bases of 2 construction workers who were working on paving a planned highway from San José El Contento to San Marcos, part of a statewide highway project being carried out in Chiapas. In the communiqué on January 8 from the good government council of Morelia, it was mentioned that there had been disagreement with the company that is carrying out the construction of the new highway which passes by the entrance to Patria Nueva and San Marcos, but it does not mention the kidnapping.

For More Information (In Spanish):

Comunicado de la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Morelia sobre el conflicto con ORCAO y desalojo en el balneario en Agua Clara (07/01/2009)

Comunicado de la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Morelia sobre el conflicto con ORCAO en Bosque Bonito (08/01/2009)

Comunicado de la Junta de Buen Gobierno de Roberto Barrios desmintiendo conflicto con CUT (01/01/2009)

Por terrenos, se enfrentan zapatistas y cafeticultores, El Proceso (05/01/2009)

Tensión en caracol por arribo de 220 integrantes de la Orcao, La Jornada (09/01/2009)

Enfrentamiento entre zapatistas y campesinos deja 15 heridos, El Proceso (09/01/2009)

Secuestra EZ a trabajadores, Cuarto Poder (10/01/2009)

Coordinación para el dialogo y la negociación en Chiapas – Chiapas en los medios (10/01/2009)

Priístas chiapanecos atizan el conflicto contra los simpatizantes del EZLN, La Jornada (11/01/2009)