To our sisters and brothers of the Ejido San Sebastián Bachajón:
To our Zapatista sisters and brothers:
To our compañer@s of the Sexta:
To the Committees of the True Word:
To the adherents to the International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio and our allies everywhere:
To civil society in Mexico and the world:
Movement for Justice in El Barrio, Dorset Chiapas Solidarity Group, the Committee of the True Word from Kolkata, India and the Committee of the True Word from Alisal propose that we carry out the Week of Worldwide Action: “Juan Vázquez Guzmán lives! The Bachajón struggle continues!” from Tuesday, June 25th (the birthday of Juan Vázquez Guzmán) to Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013.
We send you all greetings and embraces of solidarity from New York, Dorset, Kolkata and Alisal.
We wish to share with you our humble proposal and hope that you will wish to join with us in solidarity from your own places and in your own ways to carry out the Week of Worldwide Action: “Juan Vázquez Guzmán lives! The Bachajón struggle continues!”.
This initiative is supported by the adherents of the Sixth of San Sebastián Bachajón.
Compañeras and Compañeros:
In these times when the very survival of our Mother Earth is under threat from the forces of greed and profit which level the mountains, uproot the jungles and forests, dam the rivers and poison the waters, creating a wasteland of despair, we want to share with you the pain and indignation we feel following the savage murder of our beloved compañero, Juan Vázquez Guzmán from San Sebastián Bachajón, on April 24, 2013.
We demand justice! His killers must not remain unpunished! No more impunity!
Juan Vázquez Guzmán was the Secretary General of the adherents to the Sixth Declaration from the ejido of San Sebastián Bachajón, and an inspiration to us all in his struggle against the brutal repression and plunder of the land and territory of the ejidatarios (communal landholders) of these communities.
In response to the tragic death of our beloved compañero, Juan Vazquez Guzman, we invite groups around the world to keep his memory alive. Those who knew Juan knew a man whose words had strength and whose vision and heart were free from fear in the struggle for the defense of his people and their land. His warm smile, his contagious sense of humor, his love for his people and his commitment to the creation of another world will stay in the hearts of those who had the good fortune to know him.
Juan’s dedication and passion remain with us, and we call on you to join us in remembering his life and continuing his struggle.
The indigenous Tzeltal communities of Bachajón are under attack from the forces of capitalism and transnational corporations who will leave no corner of the world untouched, and will not rest until they have destroyed the entire planet.
In San Sebastián Bachajón, their greed covets the ownership of the beautiful waterfalls of Agua Azul, in order to make them into a private luxury tourist destination. The ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón are obstacles to their plans and their profit, as this is land they inherited from their ancestors and care for as a treasure of humanity. This has made them recipients of threats, aggressions, arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, imprisonment, torture, and attacks from state forces and paramilitary groups.
Juan Vázquez Guzmán was a leader of his people in their struggle to defend their land, their history, customs and traditions, their livelihood and means of sustenance, their rivers, jungles and wildlife, everything that makes life on earth precious.
Compañeras and Compañeros:
The bad governments and their allies in multinational business corporations wish to destroy the indigenous peoples and all those who struggle from below and to the left, because it is only the organized resistance of autonomous communities against the wars and destruction of our natural resources that can save the Mother Earth for our children.
For this reason, we call on you all to join together to continue the dignified struggle of compañero Juan Vázquez Guzmán and the ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón, so that all ways and forms of life may have their place.
To all those who strive to build another, better, world, one of freedom, justice, democracy and dignity, we call on you all to join our forces together to organize actions –from your own area and according to your different methods of struggle- such as demonstrations, marches, street stalls, handing out flyers, public forums, theatre, informative gatherings, and any other activities to carry out the:
Week of Worldwide Action: “Juan Vázquez Guzmán lives! The Bachajón struggle continues!”
From Tuesday, June 25th to Tuesday, July 2nd of this year.
We ask you to please let us know as soon as possible if you are able to accept our proposal and if you will participate. You can contact us by email at:
 laotrany@yahoo.com
To our beloved compa Juan Vázquez Guzmán, we embrace you, knowing that you will always be with us. We will always be thankful to you for having given so much inspiration to each of us in our own struggles.
The seed of resistance you nourished in these indigenous soils will continue to grow and flourish watered by the love and the passion for struggle you have given us.
You will never be alone.
We believe that everyone should know of your dignified life and of the dignified resistance of your people.
We demand a full investigation of your assassination, and punishment of those responsible.
Your voice will not be silenced, nor will the work of your heart be ended.
Juan Vázquez Guzmán, compañero, we will remember you on June 25th, the day of your birthday. We call on all people of good heart to celebrate your life and your dignified struggle.
Juan Vázquez Guzmán, beloved compa and brother, guardian of the land, the struggle continues.
Land, Freedom and Justice for the Ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón!
Freedom and Justice for Antonio Estrada Estrada, Miguel Vázquez Deara and Miguel Demeza Jiménez of San Sebastián Bachajón!
Stop the Aggressions against the Adherents to the Sexta!
Long Live the Zapatistas!
No more impunity!
Juan Vázquez Guzmán, Presente!
With embraces of Love and Solidarity,
Movement for Justice in El Barrio
Dorset Chiapas Solidarity Group
Committee of the True Word from Kolkata, India
Committee of the True Word from Alisal