Note: The following is a joint statement by the Orlando Local of the Socialist Party U.S.A. and other local groups expressing our solidarity with the people of Chiapas, Mexico, in their struggle for self-determination.
Stop the War on Civilians in Chiapas!
End U.S. Military Funding to Mexico!
Quit Training Mexican Officers at the SOA!
An Open Statement of Concern
to the Mexican Consulate of Orlando
The struggle of oppressed people anywhere to be free is the struggle of all oppressed people everywhere for freedom, and, therefore, we, the undersigned groups, wish to express our concerns about recent events in Chiapas, Mexico.
We condemn the June 10 miltary and police attack -- undertaken to restore PRI supporters to power -- in El Bosque, Chiapas, that led to the deaths of 10 people, mostly civilians. We also condemn moves in recent months by the Mexican government to dismantle other autonomous administrations created by the indigenous people of Chiapas. All of these operations have involved illegal detentions and other extra-judicial or criminal activities by the security forces. This violates basic, internationally recognized standards of human rights and also violates a provision of the San Andres peace accords signed between the Zedillo administration and the EZLN in 1996 that allowed the establishment of autonomous indigenous governments. Lastly, we condemn the military and government-sanctioned paramilitary activities that have resulted in 19,000 internal refugees since December.
We call upon the administration of Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo to do the following:
- immediately halt all military and government-sanctioned paramilitary activities in Chiapas;
- immediately begin abiding by all provisions of the San Andres accords;
- resume negotiations with the EZLN so that the conflict in Chiapas can be resolved peacefully, without more bloodshed;
- pledge to respect the social, political and economic rights of the indigenous people of Chiapas;
- allow the immediate restoration of all autonomous indigenous governments that have been dismantled by the Mexican federal government;
- take all steps necessary to enable all internal refugees to return to their home villages; and
- immediately halt the deportation of foreign nationals from Chiapas.
We recognize the role, historically and currently, that the United States has played in thwarting the right to self-determination of the people of Mexico, and we call upon President Bill Clinton to do the following:
- issue a statement condemning the Mexican government attacks against the people of Chiapas and the violations of their human rights;
- immediately halt all U.S. military assistance to Mexico; and
- halt the training of Mexican military officers at the Army School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA.
This statement endorsed by:
La Lucha Sigue!
“Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia, ... who presides over an Indian-dominated diocese in southern Chiapas state, has stepped down as mediator in peace talks between the government and the Zapatista rebels.
In a homily ..., Ruiz, who has been mediator since the earliest days of the conflict in 1994, accused the government of "abandoning the path of dialogue" and promoting a "constant and growing aggression" against him and his diocese.
”
-- New York Times, June 9, 1998
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