Sta.
Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca, 14th September 2004
Brothers and sisters,
At 10.30am we began action to recover our wrongfully brothers and sisters. Of the three nominated committees, the one that went to the state attorney's office was made up of fewer than 20 men and women. We discovered the state attorney's office had been transformed into a bunker. Police of all types blocked off the accesses and there were hundreds of heavily armed female police and plainclothes officers, together with a helicopter that flew over the area – all in all, over 500 guarding the state attorney's office.
On arriving they repeatedly insulted us and several times made attempts to take our video camera when we approached the door where we supposes our imprisoned brothers and sisters were.
Another committee was established to complain in writing to the State Commission of Human Rights (CEDHO), where we reported that even members of the CEDHO were involved in the eviction. A third committee was formed to present the complaint to the CNDH and to contact the media, various organizations and to update them on recent developments.
Others among us dealt with organizing a return to our protest camp in the square in front of the government building and St.Domingo Church.
At 4.23pm, we moved back in, despite the entrances leading to the government buildings being closed off. Rows of grenadiers and hundreds of police officers covered the entrances on all four sides of the building but could not prevent the our organization taking back its positions in the square.
There were approximately 20 of us then, but now there are between 70 and 80 of us and, although we are surrounded by about 500 policemen, uniformed and plainclothes, the approximately 40 women, 25 men and 10 children will remain here until we obtain our demands. Apart from the freedom of our prisoners, we also demand:
1)
Respect for the autonomy of our communities.
2) Punishment for those paramilitaties who launched the brutal attack on
our community in St.María Yaviche in the Sierra Juárez on
16th October 2003 and again, on 9th February and 11th July 2004 in Lagunilla
and Yucunicuca Yosonotu, in the Mixteca region¸ and who are under
the protection of Governor José Murat and who will no doubt continue
to be protected by Ulises Ruiz.
3) Freedom for our brothers and sisters: Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzin, Miguel
Cruz Moreno, Leonor López Alavez (aged 15), Reynaldo Feria Hernández,
Gumaro López Alavez, Carmen López Pérez, Kalid Pérez
Gómez (aged 17), Margarita García García, Habacuc Cruz
Cruz, Gildardo Pérez Gómez (aged 17), Hipolito Rodríguez
Soriano, José Cruz Cruz, Abel Ramírez Ramírez, Guadalupe
García García and Mauro García García, members
of the Organizing Committe, of the grassroots Countil of the CIPO-RFM, democratic
workers of the “tres poderes” syndicate.
4) A solution to the agrarian conflict.
5) Guarantees for the life of Raúl Gatica.
At 5.25pm we are officially told the charges with which our brothers and sisters are being charged and held: under AV. Prev: 1778(PME/2004), they are charged with injuring, damaging and crimes against a public functionary (the person in question being PGR Att. Angulo de la Peña), and against officers of the UPOE, Juducial and AFI special police forces. The file is in the hands of Ángel E. García of the sub attorney’s office for investigation.
Our brothers and sisters still cannot make a statement until the offended police officers have done so. In other words, those who hit us and kidnapped us are the offended party! Offended by what? That dignified Indians, Indians that resist, exist? That we injure the authority of power with our dignified resistance? That we damage their batons when they beat them against our heads? Was the crime against the delegate of the PGR because he lost the shine off his boots when he kicked us? Or is it perhaps that these kind policemen from the special forces are beginning to be afraid because we didn't run from their bombs and gas? Do they worry that we are less and less fearful? Are they terrified that we natives are getting more and more rebellious and demanding our rights as people? That is truly the only crime that we have committed.
We are surrounded by large numbers of police and may suffer further repression at any time. But we are determined to resist and remain here opposite the government buildings where we can later re-occupy the Church of St.Domingo. We hope, we trust that we will not be left alone in this fight and that anyone reading this will do whatever they can to work towards obtaining the freedom of the prisoners and a solution to the demands of the indigenous people.
For the re-organization and free association of our people
FOR THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE CIPO-RFM (those who remain free)
ROSARIO
GOMEZ
ELIZABETH PEREZ CRUZ
LEONARDO LÓPEZ SARABIA
Translation by nmcn/fdca