{translated from mexican-spanish}


Sisters and Brothers of the world:

Today, July 20th 2005, at ten in the evening repression increases against the community “Trapiche La Soledad”- Sola de Vega.
Since yesterday July 19th San Cristobal – Sola de Vega authorities have placed a patrol in the only road that leads to the community of La Soledad.

Two big wood trunks crossed by a thick chain were placed on the road, about 20 – 30 people (including children), armed with rifles, clubs and machetes, covering 10 -12 hours shifts, checking every vehicle that wants to get through. The aim is to prevent any “comunero” from leaving the place. Entry is permitted to anyone they please while our brothers and sisters are kept hostage. With the blessing and protection of the local police, this paramilitaries violate our human rights with total impunity.

We also denounce the death threats against CIPO-RFM members that coming from the region and the coordinating committee; if any of us attempt to pass they have orders to kill us.

About 50 Local Policemen came to the place but they just looked around and worse, joined the patrol and socialised with the participants.
Both groups are armed, paramilitaries and police.
The situation of the children, men and women in that community was brought to the attention of Mr. Melchor Silva Lopez, the mayor of San Cristobal, whose only answer was: “I do not know anything about it, the people will answer in the next public meeting”. But such a meeting has not taken place, it has never happened before, it is just one more lie to continue acting with total impunity with blessing of the government of the state.

The government delegate told our comrades that a meeting with the mayor of San Cristobal has been arranged but could not confirm that he will assist the meeting regardless the gravity of the problem.

The death threats continue, the gun shots can be heard and the authorities that could bring some security are nowhere to be seen, the Government’s
Human Rights Committee has done nothing to prevent aggressions against the “comuneros” even having knowledge of this and other aggressions suffered when we starting denouncing the problem to them and the Courts of Justice.

In short, Oaxaca is no man’s land where everything moves around economic interests, regardless of who you have to step over.

Today more than ever the lives of the “comuneros” of La Soledad and in particular the members of CIPO-RFM are in danger.

All the mentioned above is known to the Governor of the State, MP’s, the Government Delegate, the Court of Justice of the State, the mayor of Villa Sola de Vega, the Government’s Human Rights Committee for Oaxaca, none of them have intervene towards a solution to the conflicts between this two communities, instead, the have tolerated, covered and protected the aggressors in an attempt to attack and destroy the autonomous organising processes in CIPO-RFM communities.

We declare Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, governor of the state, Jorge Franco Vargas, Government Secretary, the president of the Oaxaca Congress and the CEDHO (Government’s Human Rights Committee) responsible for any acts of violence that might follow.

We demand the intervention of the Mexican President, Vicente Fox, who said that Human Rights will be respected; and would like to let him know that the municipality of Sola de Vega’s president belongs to his party : PAN

For the reconstitution and free association of the peoples

Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca
“Ricardo Flores Magón”

CIPO-RFM