Jun 24 2010

América del Valle Emerges from Hiding to Request Asylum

Category: countryside, human rights — xannon @ 2:23 pm

From today’s FSRN: http://www.fsrn.org/audio/mexican-activist-comes-out-hiding-seek-asylum-venezuela/6976

A prominent Mexican activist has emerged from more than four years in hiding to seek asylum. América del Valle arrived at the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico City Wednesday to ask the South American nation to take her in as a political refugee. Del Valle – along with other members of her family – gained national recognition for leading a fight against land expropriation for the construction of an international airport in the town of San Salvador Atenco. The battle played out in both the streets and in the courts and became a symbolic victory for the power of popular organization in Mexico. But in May of 2006, federal, state, and local police cracked down on the town and its land defense activists – arresting more than 200 people and killing 2 others.

América del Valle was the only leader of Atenco’s land defense movement to evade capture and has been living underground ever since, facing the same “kidnapping” charges that resulted in a 112 year prison sentence for her father, Ignacio del Valle. While she has not made any public appearance, América del Valle has periodically sent letters and audio recordings like this one recently played at a rally to demand a favorable Supreme Court ruling for the 12 Atenco activists who remain in prison.

“The freedom for Atenco and all social movements and fighters is in a decisive moment. Finally, after 4 years on a torturous judicial path, the case of our twelve brothers is before the Supreme Court who can rule on their upcoming release. And what comes out of this case will affect other political prisoners and other social fighters also accused of kidnapping for being in the crosshairs of the oppressors.”

América del Valle’s mother, Trinidad Ramírez went to see her daughter yesterday in the Venezuelan Embassy and described the experience in this morning’s edition of the Mexican newscast, “Hoy por Hoy”.

“She told me she was no longer willing to continue living in the situation she’s been living in for more than 4 years – in hiding and with the uncertainty of knowing that she could be detained at any moment. And she told me ‘I’ve made this decision, mama and the only thing I’m asking right now’ – and she said this with tears in her eyes – ‘is that you support me and that you support this decision because otherwise, I won’t feel good about it’. She went on to explain her situation to me and of course, of course I support my daughter. And well, I was finally able to hug her and I was so happy in that moment. We were able to cry together and to speak a little about the many things that we haven’t been able to say to each other in more than 4 years.”

In a letter released yesterday, América del Valle said that while she’s leaving, she not giving up. She also thanked the people who protected and hid her over the years, saying “I don’t have anything to pay you with except my struggle and my strength”. The government of Venezuela is expected to need some time to decide on her petition for asylum.

Meanwhile, Mexico’s Supreme Court is due to issue a ruling on the fate of the 12 Atenco prisoners by the end of the month.

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Jun 14 2010

Oaxacan Teachers Mobilize Amid Stalled Negotiations

Category: Elections, impunity, labor dispute — xannon @ 2:11 pm

Public school teachers in the Mexican state of Oaxaca mobilized today as part of ongoing labor negotiations and to commemorate the anniversary of a police action that sparked a popular uprising 4 years ago today.

(sound: barricade bottle rockets and chants)

The day of action kicked off at 4am local time with chants, bottle rockets, and barricades around the central plaza of Oaxaca City. While this has become an annual occurrence here, this year’s protests come just 3 weeks ahead of the elections to replace the governor the 2006 movement tried to oust.

During a pre-dawn rally in the central plaza, union representative Jose Alfredo Martinez, stopped short of calling for a punishment vote against the ruling party, but said the teachers’ union must continue to demand accountability for the political murders committed during the 2006 conflict.

Jose Alfredo Martinez: “We have to push for the political trial and imprisonment of the assassin of the people of Oaxaca. And we have to tell our rank and file membership regardless of whoever wins the state gubernatorial race, if we teachers of Oaxaca can’t deliver on our list of demands, the absence of accountible government will continue.”

(sound: mega-march chants)

The mega-march called by the teachers union today was miles long and drew at least 100,000 people. Due to its strength, the teachers’ union has the support of many of the state’s social and activist organizations. But the movement also has its critics.

An estimated 1.4 million schoolchildren miss class whenever the teachers mobilize en masse. Another common complaint is the vehicular chaos provoked by the frequent marches and blockades. Businesses in the downtown area often report losses whenever the teachers set up protest encampments in the central square.

Mr. Fernando, who runs a small sandwich stall in the center of the plaza says that his sales have declined by 30 percent since the protest encampment began 2 weeks ago. He just wants both sides to reach an agreement so he can recover economically.

Mr. Fernando: “We ask the authorities and the government to resolve this quickly. This always ends in an arrangement, but it always comes after they’ve been here awhile and they get tired or after the government says ‘fine, we’ll give you this much’ and they pick up their things and leave. So, why not do all this beforehand without dragging this all out and waiting for each side to wear down before negotiating?”

But negotiations between the teachers’ union and the state and federal government have stagnated. The teachers have announced they will triple the size of their protest encampment in the city center as of Tuesday morning.

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Jun 07 2010

Mexican Police Remove Strikers from Cananea Copper Mine

Category: labor dispute — xannon @ 12:52 pm

Federal police in Mexico have forcibly removed strikers from a copper mine at the heart of a long-running labor dispute. Workers have occupied the Cananea copper mine for the past 3 years, calling for better on-the-job safety guarantees. The Cananea mine is Mexico’s largest source of copper. The company that owns the mine, Grupo Mexico, says it will renew operations with 2000 contract workers. The national miners’ union has announced it will shut down one of Mexico’s busiest ports and carry out a series of actions throughout the country.

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Jun 03 2010

Second Caravan Plans to Deliver Aid to San Juan Copala

Category: human rights, impunity, indigenous autonomy — xannon @ 1:23 pm

Activists and human rights observers in Mexico are preparing a second caravan to an indigenous village in Oaxaca that has been blockaded by paramilitaries since November.

The call for the second aid caravan to the town of San Juan Copala came just days after paramilitaries opened fire on a convoy of human rights defenders, teachers, activists, international observers, and reporters. The April 27th ambush killed a prominent Mexican activist and a Finnish observer.

A second aid caravan to San Juan Copala is due to leave Mexico City on Monday evening. Organizers say 350 people have signed up to participate and deliver 13 tons of donated aid.

The paramilitary group accused of perpetrating the April attack has been linked to the PRI, the party that has ruled Oaxaca without interruption for the past 80 years. Survivors of the first caravan say no police investigators have contacted them for their eyewitness accounts of the ambush.

Members of the European Parliament have called on the government of Mexico to guarantee the safety of next week’s caravan. A leading Congressman who is planning to participate says requests for security guarantees made to the Oaxaca state government have gone unanswered.

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