PROJECT OF OBSERVATION AND MONITORING OF POLITICAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLES OF CHIAPAS

MONTHLY REPORT MAY 2006
(May 1st-31st)

PROPAZ, FRAY BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER, SIPAZ, ALIANZA CÍVICA CHIAPAS, PEACE WATCH

SUMMARY

In May, the acts of repression on the 3rd and 4th of the month in San Salvador Atenco, in the State of Mexico, and the political consequences of these incidents, marked the national context, as well as that of Chiapas and the Other Campaign.

At the national level, the PAN (National Action Party- currently in power) and the right wing attempted to electorally capitalize from these violent events, accusing Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) of backing the Atenco-based People’s Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT). Certain progressive political analysts have highlighted that with the repressive operative, the most conservative business and right wing groups had taken revenge on the people of Atenco because of their triumph in 2002 in halting the construction of a new international airport on their lands. In the same vein, some of these analysts have pointed out that the repressive military operative which was executed in Atenco followed procedures found in counterinsurgency manuals of the National Secretary of Defense (SEDENA).

In the context of the upcoming federal elections (July 2nd), the PRI (Institutional Revolution Party) and PRD (Democratic Revolution Party) accused the Fox government of trying to carry out an “election by the state,” by openly and illegally favoring the PAN candidate for the presidency, Felipe Calderón. Additionally, desertions have continued within the PRI leadership, reaching such extremes that certain members of this party called on their own followers to carry out the “practical vote” (some in favor of the PAN, and others in favor of AMLO, the PRD candidate). Meanwhile, different polls reported by mass media outlets, whose methodologies have been questions by various analysts, continued to show Felipe Calderón leading over López Obrador by four points.

Internationally, the enormous mobilization of undocumented immigrants has been very visible, with the majority of participants being of Mexican origin. These acts took place in the streets of the most major US cities in the first days of May, and led to the approval, by the US Senate, of a limited immigration law. President Fox is thought to have electorally capitalized on this act.  

In Chiapas, in the month of May, four repressive police operatives, which violated certain human and civil rights, were carried out by the state government against communities affected by Hurricane Stan. Two took place in Escuintla, one in Motozintla, and the fourth against Tzotzils (a Highlands indigenous group) who were protesting against the corruption committed by the mayor of Bochil (in the northern Highlands region).

The decisions by the Delegate Zero (Subcomandante Marcos) to suspend the tour of the Other Campaign, declare the EZLN in a state of Red Alert, and remain in Mexico City until all of the Atenco political prisoners are freed and the arrest warrants cancelled, have generated a climate of uncertainty in a large portion of the state. This has led certain organizations to consider the possibility of paramilitary aggressions against autonomous Zapatista communities and municipalities being used as a way to force Subcomandante Marcos to return to Chiapas.

With regards to the gubernatorial elections in Chiapas, the parties have announced their candidates:

1. Juan Sabines for the PRD- Workers’ Party - Convergence;
2. Aguilar Bodegas for the PRI & the Ecological Green Party of Mexico;
3. Francisco Rojas for the PAN

Following this decision, reports and testimonials received by members of the coordination of this program, as well as by the third observation mission of Peace Watch Switzerland, have led us to anticipate a high level of abstentionism in the state elections for several reasons:

1. 1. the fact of having to participate in two consecutive elections (at the federal level in July and at the state level in August);
2. the physical and psychological challenges associated with voting (for example, the question of how to travel to polling places during the rainy season), particularly for those communities in the area affected by Hurricane Stan;
3. the disenchantment of the communities and bases of the PRD in the Highlands and Selva regions following the selection of a recent former PRI member as the gubernatorial candidate.

With regards to the Other Campaign, in May, in addition to the previously mentioned decisions of the Delegate Zero to suspend the national tour and remain in Mexico City, Subcomandante Marcos has decided to open himself to the commercial media, placing him at the center of the electoral debates in the media. The fourth National Indigenous Congress, which was reclaimed by Marcos, was held. Furthermore, Marcos’ proposal for a national mobilization of the Other Campaign, on the day of the federal elections (July 2nd), has been heavily criticized by analysts and intellectuals, many of whom were at some point close to Zapatismo and now align themselves with AMLO, with the implication that the EZLN and the Other Campaign are playing the “game” of the right wing.

With regards to social conflicts and human rights violations in Chiapas in the month of May, the broad region affected by Hurricane Stan (the Sierra and the Coast) is the most problematic. From reports by community observers and the international brigade of Peace Watch, we have learned directly of the high level of desperation and of inconformity due to the delays in the reinforcement of the riverbanks tp prevent future flooding, the nonfulfillment of the government relief and support programs (applied in accordance with corrupt or electoral interests), as well as the start of the rainy season. This factor has generated a significant increase in social mobilizations which the government has attempted to repress, with the violation of certain human rights of the affected population: the right to life, physical, and psychological integrity; the right to freedom of expression and association; the right to vote freely; as well as the rights to work, education, housing, health and a humane environment.

Special mention must be made of the massive violations of the rights to physical and psychological integrity, freedom of expression, demonstration, and association, of  the hundreds of people who were victims of the four, previously mentioned, repressive police operatives (Bochil May 8th; Escuintla May 8th & 16th; Motozintla May 10th).

In other areas of the state, we have observed a resurgence of sensitive conflicts between PRD authorities and the Zapatista support bases in Zinacantán; a new case of a break-in and intimidation against human rights defenders who support the Other Campaign in San Cristóbal de Las Casas (which brings the total to 14 unpunished cases in the past seven months); an increase in common delinquency in the Northern Zone and the Northern Selva, which has been used by the state government as a pretext for carrying out massive police operatives, violating the rights of the Tzeltal communities; and a new conflict over territory and forest resources in the Chimalapas region, where women and children have blocked the army from passing, among others.