Need for Zapatistas to spread the truth
support group | 09.01.2011 16:57 | Zapatista
The Zapatistas and their supporters in “The Other Campaign” are being accused of kidnapping a prominent right-wing Mexican politician. An articulate denial of the kidnapping charges published in Spanish by the Zapatista movement argues that this accusation is another pretext for aggression in Chiapas. Please add your signature to the letter in support of the EZLN (below).
The EZLN and the Other Campaign deny involvement in all forms of kidnapping
(This document was originally posted in Spanish on the Enlace Zapatista website and has been translated into English by Schools for Chiapas.)
On January 1, 2011, some National and International newspapers began to circulate a story, based on a note received by the Spanish news agency EFE from "a faithful member of the insurgent forces of the EZLN", which attributed responsibility for the kidnapping of Diego Fernandez de Cevallos to the EZLN. The confused story spread by the Spanish news agency also accused several collectives of the Other Campaign of being co-conspirators in the aforementioned kidnapping, and cited various web pages and old communications, in public circulation and available to all on the web, as places to seek evidence for this accusation against the Zapatistas.
Well, the “communication” made its way to the inbox of our website in its complete form and, one way or another, it also arrived in the hands of different journalists who reported and published it. Suffice it to say, the letter on which the story is based should make it completely obvious to any reader that linking the origin of the letter to the EZLN is impossible. Inconsistencies abound throughout the document and it is clear that whoever wrote it was seeking prominence, generating confusion and serving the interests of power.
The Other Campaign is a civil, pacifist and political movement. It has been this way since its inception and it has moved and acted as such throughout these long years. It has never resorted to kidnappings to obtain resources nor to make political statements.
Similarly, it is well known that the EZLN has demonstrated, in its history and practices throughout 27 years, from its inception until the present day, that it does not carry out kidnappings. It is against their principles. For this reason, the EZLN has neither the development nor the organizational structure nor the physical infrastructure to undertake this type of action. From the year 1994, when the Zapatistas declared a cease fire in order to give an opportunity for the construction of a just and dignified peace, they have kept their word. This cannot be said about the Mexican government who have politically, economically, and militarily attacked the EZLN from the 1st of January in ’94 until today.
All this makes it clear, and once again we reiterate, that neither the EZLN nor the Other Campaign carry out kidnappings. Neither the EZLN nor the Other Campaign kidnapped Diego Fernandez de Cevallos.
If anyone sympathizes with or considers kidnapping politically correct, they have no place in the Other Campaign. The “Warrior Balam” as he calls himself, to whom we have already referred, has already had his 15 minutes of fame. Some reporters reprinted fragments of his writings and placed them on their front pages. You can enjoy them. In the meantime, the Zapatista indigenous communities suffer a new increase in aggressions as a result of this type of opportunistic political incident. This is the true danger brothers and sisters; we will continue to be vigilant regarding this new provocation against our Zapatista companions.
The following letter in support of the EZLN can still be signed by emailing
cedoz@cedoz.org
IN SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR THE EZLN, THE ZAPATISTA COMMUNITIES, AND THE OTHER CAMPAIGN IN MEXICO.
On the 1st January, slanderous information about the alleged links between the EZLN and the kidnapping of the Mexican politician, Diego Fernandez De Cevallos, from the National Action Party (PAN), began to circulate. This information is based on a "communiqué" from a certain 'Guerrero Balam' in which he says that he has given five pieces of evidence to support his claims, proving that the texts allegedly sent by the kidnappers use words also used in Zapatista communiqués. He also says that Fernandez de Cevallos did everything in his power, which was great, to prevent the adoption of the Ley Cocopa, and thus the fulfilling of the San Andrés Accords.
Guerrero Balam also implicates the Other Campaign, and more directly the Network against Repression and for Solidarity, using the argument that searching for their name on the Internet reveals reports written in the same style.
This is not the first time that some media have tried to discredit the Zapatistas, perhaps with the intention of paving the way for an increase in counterinsurgency actions in the area, so that it is not surprising that this alleged information has been treated with a lack of rigour or discretion.
However, although this is not the first attempt, like previous attempts this one is so crude that falls on its face; previously, for example, in March 2010, the newspaper Reforma published a story, also based on information from another supposed Zapatista, which revealed the hidden face of Subcomandante Marcos. This proved in fact to be the face, which has never been hidden, of an Italian solidarity worker living in Chiapas.
That information came crashing down under its own weight. They are now trying a new attack in the hope that this time it will be used to enable a further escalation of attacks against the Zapatista communities, while at the same time they continue to criminalize and repress any form of protest , social struggle or non-conformity with the bad practices which are operated with impunity by the Mexican government, its institutions and henchmen.
From the brothers and sisters in solidarity in Europe, we wish to say to our Zapatista compañeros that their dignified hard work, every day, dating back from even before the 1st of January, 1994, a day which enlightened us all, continues to encourage us in our lives and our common struggle, both here and there, in our different countries and in our work towards this new world we seek to build together. So they can certainly be sure that THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
Please pay special attention to what might happen in the coming days and weeks.
NO TO LIES, MILITARISATION, PARAMILITARY ATTACKS, THE CRIMINALISATION OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES, PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE, MURDERS, IMPUNITY, AND FINALLY TO THE TERRORISM OF THE MEXICAN STATE!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
THE ZAPATISTA COMMUNITIES LIVE!
THE EZLN LIVES!
THE OTHER CAMPAIGN LIVES!
This letter can still be signed by emailing cedoz@cedoz.org
(This document was originally posted in Spanish on the Enlace Zapatista website and has been translated into English by Schools for Chiapas.)
On January 1, 2011, some National and International newspapers began to circulate a story, based on a note received by the Spanish news agency EFE from "a faithful member of the insurgent forces of the EZLN", which attributed responsibility for the kidnapping of Diego Fernandez de Cevallos to the EZLN. The confused story spread by the Spanish news agency also accused several collectives of the Other Campaign of being co-conspirators in the aforementioned kidnapping, and cited various web pages and old communications, in public circulation and available to all on the web, as places to seek evidence for this accusation against the Zapatistas.
Well, the “communication” made its way to the inbox of our website in its complete form and, one way or another, it also arrived in the hands of different journalists who reported and published it. Suffice it to say, the letter on which the story is based should make it completely obvious to any reader that linking the origin of the letter to the EZLN is impossible. Inconsistencies abound throughout the document and it is clear that whoever wrote it was seeking prominence, generating confusion and serving the interests of power.
The Other Campaign is a civil, pacifist and political movement. It has been this way since its inception and it has moved and acted as such throughout these long years. It has never resorted to kidnappings to obtain resources nor to make political statements.
Similarly, it is well known that the EZLN has demonstrated, in its history and practices throughout 27 years, from its inception until the present day, that it does not carry out kidnappings. It is against their principles. For this reason, the EZLN has neither the development nor the organizational structure nor the physical infrastructure to undertake this type of action. From the year 1994, when the Zapatistas declared a cease fire in order to give an opportunity for the construction of a just and dignified peace, they have kept their word. This cannot be said about the Mexican government who have politically, economically, and militarily attacked the EZLN from the 1st of January in ’94 until today.
All this makes it clear, and once again we reiterate, that neither the EZLN nor the Other Campaign carry out kidnappings. Neither the EZLN nor the Other Campaign kidnapped Diego Fernandez de Cevallos.
If anyone sympathizes with or considers kidnapping politically correct, they have no place in the Other Campaign. The “Warrior Balam” as he calls himself, to whom we have already referred, has already had his 15 minutes of fame. Some reporters reprinted fragments of his writings and placed them on their front pages. You can enjoy them. In the meantime, the Zapatista indigenous communities suffer a new increase in aggressions as a result of this type of opportunistic political incident. This is the true danger brothers and sisters; we will continue to be vigilant regarding this new provocation against our Zapatista companions.
The following letter in support of the EZLN can still be signed by emailing
cedoz@cedoz.org IN SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR THE EZLN, THE ZAPATISTA COMMUNITIES, AND THE OTHER CAMPAIGN IN MEXICO.
On the 1st January, slanderous information about the alleged links between the EZLN and the kidnapping of the Mexican politician, Diego Fernandez De Cevallos, from the National Action Party (PAN), began to circulate. This information is based on a "communiqué" from a certain 'Guerrero Balam' in which he says that he has given five pieces of evidence to support his claims, proving that the texts allegedly sent by the kidnappers use words also used in Zapatista communiqués. He also says that Fernandez de Cevallos did everything in his power, which was great, to prevent the adoption of the Ley Cocopa, and thus the fulfilling of the San Andrés Accords.
Guerrero Balam also implicates the Other Campaign, and more directly the Network against Repression and for Solidarity, using the argument that searching for their name on the Internet reveals reports written in the same style.
This is not the first time that some media have tried to discredit the Zapatistas, perhaps with the intention of paving the way for an increase in counterinsurgency actions in the area, so that it is not surprising that this alleged information has been treated with a lack of rigour or discretion.
However, although this is not the first attempt, like previous attempts this one is so crude that falls on its face; previously, for example, in March 2010, the newspaper Reforma published a story, also based on information from another supposed Zapatista, which revealed the hidden face of Subcomandante Marcos. This proved in fact to be the face, which has never been hidden, of an Italian solidarity worker living in Chiapas.
That information came crashing down under its own weight. They are now trying a new attack in the hope that this time it will be used to enable a further escalation of attacks against the Zapatista communities, while at the same time they continue to criminalize and repress any form of protest , social struggle or non-conformity with the bad practices which are operated with impunity by the Mexican government, its institutions and henchmen.
From the brothers and sisters in solidarity in Europe, we wish to say to our Zapatista compañeros that their dignified hard work, every day, dating back from even before the 1st of January, 1994, a day which enlightened us all, continues to encourage us in our lives and our common struggle, both here and there, in our different countries and in our work towards this new world we seek to build together. So they can certainly be sure that THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
Please pay special attention to what might happen in the coming days and weeks.
NO TO LIES, MILITARISATION, PARAMILITARY ATTACKS, THE CRIMINALISATION OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES, PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE, MURDERS, IMPUNITY, AND FINALLY TO THE TERRORISM OF THE MEXICAN STATE!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
THE ZAPATISTA COMMUNITIES LIVE!
THE EZLN LIVES!
THE OTHER CAMPAIGN LIVES!
This letter can still be signed by emailing
cedoz@cedoz.org
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