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tension in chiapas - more attacks against zapatistas

fede | 27.08.2002 09:03

Urgent appeal to the national and international society as the tension rises in Chiapas following the repeated attacks against zapatistas communities, which caused dead and injured.

Peace in Chiapas is far away. Enlace Civil makes an urgent appeal to denounce a situation that gets hotter day by day. The Low Intensity War wanted by the state and federal government put on serious risk any chance of peace in the state of Chiapas and in Mexico.The different conflicts that are sitematically exploding against the EZLN Supporting Bases and Autonomous Councils clearly obey to a predetermined scheme. These are the most recent events: 1. 31 July 2002 in the community 'La Culebra', Municipio Autonomo Ricardo Flores Magon. Paramilitar attack against seven EZLN Supporting Bases with a balance of several zapatistas injured. The aggressors were 40 men with guns and machetes, coming from the community of San Antonio Escobar and belonging to the PRI organization OPDIC. The leader of OPDIC, Pedro Chulin, is the PRI representative and also the leader of the paramilitar group MIRA. 2. 7 August 2002 in the community '6 de Agosto', Municipio Autonomo 17 de Noviembre. The zapatista Jose Lopez Santiz was killed with eight shots by three men that were identified, yet they are still missing. The victim's two son, aged 10 and 11, who witnessed the murder were threatened. There was a clear attempt to hide the murder and make it seems an accident and a series of illegalities aimed at garanteering the impunity to the murderers supported by the president of Altamirano Council Armando Pinto Kanter. 3. 10 august 2002 in the community 'Palestina', Municipio Autonomo Ricardo Flores Magon. Illegal detention of the zapatista Jeronimo Gomez Moreno accused of being Zapatista Supporting Base. The detention was made on request of the community 'Comisariado' (police officer) who is also the leader of the paramilitares in this area. Jeronimo Gomez managed escaping. 4. 18 August 2002 Municipio Autonomo San Pedro Polho. Arrassement, death threats and false accusation against the zapatista Mariano Perez Gomez by 30 people belonging to the PRI. Amongst them there are several politicians who are also involved in the organization of paramilitars groups. 5. 19 August 2002 in the road-cross Quexil of community 'Nuevo Guadalupe', Municipio Autonomo San Manuel. More than 200 people belonging to the paramilitar organization OPDIC armed with guns, rifles, machetes and stones, attacked EZLN Supporting Bases. The balance of this attack is of four zapatistas seriously injured. During this action three zapatistas were also kidnapped: two of them managed to escape, while the other one was illegally arrested. 6. 25 August 2002 in the Rancheria Amaytik, Municipio Autonomo Ricardo Flores Magon. Members of the PRI and paramilitares belongin to the area of Peña Limonar attacked and killed two compagneros zapatistas who were authorities of the Municipio Autonomo Ricardo Flores Magon. Lorenzo Martinez Espinosa and Juanito Hernadez Gutierrez were killed during a meeting of zapatistas authorities in the local autonomous school. The dead body of Lorenzo Martinez Espinosa has disappeared in an attempt to cover the murder. All these events, together with the increasing militar and paramilitar activity and the transportantion of explosive material inside the conflict zone, and together with other actions occurred in the past months, make the situation in Chiapas very difficult. The responsability of this increase in violence and of the support and impunity granted to the paramilitar groups is directly of the state and federal government, and in the false politics of reconciliation of Vincente Fox and Pablo Salazar.

fede
- e-mail: f_arisco@hotmail.com