2008

January 1

The provisions for agriculture in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) come into force, eliminating import taxes on basic grains like corn and beans, as well as milk and oilseed crops.

January 31

The National Front in Defence of the Mexican Countryside together with social organizations and unions organize a large protest demanding the renegotiation of NAFTA. The protest is said to be the largest that has been held in Mexico against NAFTA. The protesters denounce the provisions for agriculture as the “coup de grace” for rural Mexico.

The Beginning of February

The Chair of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), Louise Arbour visits Mexico.

9 February

The International Obervation Commission for Human Rights publishes its conclusions and provisional recommendations after a six day visit to Chiapas.

19 February

More than 10,000 indigenous people from Chiapas, representing the catholic communites in fifty parishes of the San Cristobal de Las Casas diocese take part in a pilgrimage calling for the freeing of political prisoners.

February – April

Between February and April, in various jails in Chiapas and one in Tabasco, a historic protest takes place with detainees who say they are political prisoners going on hunger strike and demanding immediate release. As a result of this protest more than 100 people are released from a number of different prisons in Chiapas.

March 13

The Investigative Commission of Mexico’s Supreme Court concludes the first phase of hearings regarding the events that occurred in Atenco in 2006. It confirms the “possibility of grave violations” of individual rights and the coordination of police orders “at the highest level” in the planning of the operation which resulted in the death of two persons and the detention of 207 others.

March 6

The Senate approves a reform of the Penal Code. This includes a number of improvements including oral trials and a change from an inquisitorial system to an accusatory system (subjects are deemed innocent until proven guilty).

March 16

Internal elections for the national presidency of the PRD. The two candidates are Alejandro Encinas, close to López Obrador, and Jesús Ortega, who represents the New Left. Many irregularities in the process are denounced, and the final results are withheld for a number of months. On November 13 the Electoral Tribunal gives the victory to Ortega.

April

The Interior Minister decides to end the Coordination for Dialogue in Chiapas created in 1994 following the uprising of the EZLN, to save money, and because its existence is now considered unnecessary.

April 9

Felipe Calderón presents an energy sector reform programme to Congress which he claims will revitalize the oil sector, the principle source of national income, and give more resources to the state oil company, Pemex. However, these modifications would allow the participation of private capital in the production process.

10 April

Opposition to a possible reform of the energy sector takes shape when deputies from the Broad Progressive Front occupy the speaker’s platform in the federal congress demanding a real debate about the future of the oil industry in Mexico. The Movement for the Defence of Oil starts to hold street demonstrations.

The end of April

The Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR, an armed group originating from the guerilla groups that emerged in southern Mexico in the 1970s) asks a number of prominent Mexicans to act as mediators in talks with the federal government, in order to locate two of the EPR’s members who disappeared in May 2007. The government finally agrees to meet with the mediation commission in May.

April 27

At least 500 police violently invade the community of Cruztón, in the municipality of Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas.

The beginning of May

Amérigo Incalcaterra, the Mexican representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations (OHCHR) resigns his position, supposedly under pressure from the Mexican government. A number of human rights organizations in Mexico demand that the government clarify the situation, but their request goes unanswered.

May 22

Around 100 Mexican Army troops make an incursion into the communities of Laguna Verde, 27 de Junio, Guadalupe la Cuchilla and San José la Grandeza, all of which are affiliated to the Emiliano Zapata Peasant Organisation – Venusiano Carranza Region (OCEZ-RC).

May 28

Amnesty International condemns the fact that in eighteen months of administration, the government of Felipe Calderón “had not demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing protection of human rights, which is very worrying”.

The end of May

The Las Abejas Civil Association denounces the prosecutor for the Acteal case, Noé Maza Albores for threatening to jail their members if they do not stop making public denunciations on the 22^nd of each month, in memory of the massacre of 45 indigenous people on 22nd of December 1997.

June 2

Two Zapatista prisoners, Ángel Concepción Pérez Gutiérrez y Francisco Pérez Vázquez are freed from Yajalón Prison in Chiapas.

June 4

A military and police incursion takes place in the vicinity of the Zapatista Caracol (local administrative centre) of La Garrucha, as well as in the support base communities of the EZLN, Hermenegildo Galeana and San Alejandro.

June 26

The United States Senate approves the first phase of the Merida Initiative. The final version includes US$ 400 million for Mexico in 2008, to go towards training for the fight against drugs -trafficking, support for judicial reform, and the acquisition of arms.

June 28

In Villahermosa, Tabasco State, the Tenth Summit takes place of the Heads of the State and Government for Mechanisms of Dialogue. The heads of state present ratify the objectives of the Plan Puebla Panama, renamed the Plan Mesoamerica. The final declaration reiterates the importance of fighting organized crime and support for the Merida Initiative financed by the United States.

July 23

The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Centre denounces a state police assault on peasants as well as supporters of the Zapatista’s Other Campaign in the community of Cruztón, in the municipality of Venustiano Carranza.

July 27

The National Democratic Congress (CND) and the Broad Progressive Front hold a public referendum on the Energy Reform in 9 states as well in as the Federal District, in which more than 1.5 million people take part. Of these, more than 80% state that they are against the initiative presented by the President.

The end of July

The Caravan of International Solidarity in Chiapas. About 300 activists, mainly from Europe, arrive in Chiapas in order to monitor and denounce what they consider to be a state of war.

August 21

The federal government presents the National Plan for Security, Legality, and Justice which includes 75 points which aim to strengthen the police and justice institutions.

August 29

The National Program for Human Rights for 2008-2012 is published in the official record of the Mexican Government. It is described by civil organizations as a “catalogue of good intentions”.

September 15

During festivities to commemorate Independence Day there are two explosions in Morelia and Michoacán which leave seven dead and 132 wounded, and reinforce perceptions of insecurity in the country.

September 16

The EZLN announces a new campaign in support of the movement to free the thirteen prisoners still held in relation to the events in San Salvador Atenco in May 2006, all of whom were sentenced to more than thirty years, and to 112 years in the case of the members of the People’s Front in Defence of the Land.

September

As part of the Universal Periodic Review (which is undertaken by all UN member nations), a hundred Mexican NGOs present a special report in which they denounce the fact that “Mexico has not complied with its international obligations; torture, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial executions, limitations on freedom of speech and impunity all continue to persist.” The Mexican Government presents its own report at the end of November.

October 3

A violent operation is carried out by federal and state police which leaves six dead (four of whom were executed according to the testimony of community members), seventeen wounded, and 36 people detained, almost all of whom were members of the Miguel Hidalgo Ejido, located in the municipality of La Trinitaria, Chiapas. On September 7, the community members had taken control of the Mayan ruins of Chincultik, which are located in front of their community, with the intention of administering the archaeological site. In the face of the government of Chiapas’ response to the events, the International Civil Commission for the Observation of Human Rights (CCIODH) states that the case provides an example of a government policy of the criminalization of social protest, use of violence in place of dialogue, and the limiting of institutional responsibility by making indemnification payments.

October 13

Mexico signs a Strategic Association Agreement with the European Union which will allow them to work together on issues of climate change, organized crime, the fight against poverty, human rights, and migration.

October 15

Marcelino Díaz González, member of La Voz del Amate, an organisation of prisoners belonging to The Other Campaign, is freed.

October 23

After eight months of negotiation, an energy sector reform bill is approved by the Mexican Congress.

October 29

The Oventic Council of Good Government denounces a series of attacks against members of the Zapatista Rebel Autonomous Municipality of San Pedro Polho.

October

“Operation Clean-Up” starts, illustrating the infiltration of drug-traffickers into the top levels of government.

November 4

The Interior Minister, Juan Camilo Mouriño and the ex-head of the Special Investigative Office for Organized Crime José Luis Vasconcelos die when their aeroplane crashes in Mexico City. Two high ranking federal government officials in the fight against drug trafficking are also killed. Although the official report states that there is no evidence to suggest assassination, there is considerable controversy and suspicion that the deaths may have been the result of sabotage. These suspicions remain current in public opinion.

November 12

The houses of two members of the National Front for the Struggle for Socialism are searched by the authorities.

November 13

The Latin American Meeting for Truth and Justice is held in the community of Acteal in Chenalhó municipality.

November 22

Las Abejas release a statement denouncing new attempts to co-opt and divide the population of Chenalhó through development projects.

The end of November

The Mexican Congress approves a higher security budget, which represents a 35% increase on the previous year. The total budget is almost double the total allocated for social development in 2009.

Last week of December 2008 – Beginning of January 2009

The First Global Festival of Justified Rage takes place in Chiapas and in Mexico City.