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MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK
WEEKLY NEWS AND ANALYSIS
APRIL 30 – MAY 6, 2007
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1. ATENCO LEADERS SENTENCED TO 67 YEARS
2. TEACHERS ANNOUNCE INDEFINITE STRIKE
3. TORTILLA PRICES ON THE RISE DESPITE NATIONAL PACT
4. BENEFITS CUT TO MINEWORKER FAMILIES
5. CLOTHING INDUSTRY TO LOSE JOBS
6. POLICE INVESTIGATION DISCARDS RAPE IN ASCENCIO CASE
7. CHICAGO, MAY DAY 2007
8. WASHINGTON DC, MAY DAY 2007
1. ATENCO LEADERS SENTENCED TO 67 YEARS
The principal leaders of the People’s Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT) were sentenced to 67 years in prison this week, nearly one year to the day after police invaded San Salvador Atenco, raping women, beating villagers and killing two students. Ignacio del Valle, Felipe Alvarez and Hector Galindo were convicted of kidnapping a government official in a case unrelated to the May 3 and 4 police actions. However, none of the government officials involved in the supposed kidnapping recognized the three prisoners as responsible for the act. Several government officials were held for a few hours during negotiations between the federal government and the FPDT, and this eventually became kidnapping charges which were held in reserve by officials until the May 3 and 4 police actions. On the same day as the sentencing, del Valle received the highly acclaimed National Human Rights Award Don Sergio Mendez Arceo in Cuernavaca.
Most members of the FPDT are from Atenco. They first organized early in the Fox administration to prevent the construction of an international airport on communally owned lands. Police abuses began on May 3 when officials tried to remove flower vendors from a traditional site intended for construction of a WalMart store. Residents responded by blocking a nearby highway, and the following day 3,000 police moved into the heart of Atenco, arresting more than 200 residents and participating in a wide range of human rights abuses. The FPDT is part of the Other Campaign, and most observers interpreted the massive police action as an attack on the growing Zapatista-inspired initiative.
The Other Campaign organized a march on the first anniversary of the police actions, and called for the immediate release of 26 members of the FPDT who remain in prison. Subcomandante Marcos predicted that del Valle would not serve his term, and that fundamental changes in Mexico’s politics would reserve jail cells in the future for true criminals, including former President Vicente Fox and Mexico state Governor Enrique Pena, who was largely responsible for ordering the police violence in Atenco. Zapatista Comandante Amos compared the 67 year prison sentence, handed down essentially for defending local territorial rights, with the impunity of officials who murdered two protestors, raped at least 26 women, beat hundreds of Atenco residents and entered dozens of homes without search warrants. Marcos called on international activists to increase pressure on the Calderon administration to release the 26 political prisoners.
Meanwhile, the Mexico state Attorney General, Abel Villicana, released an initial report claiming there is no evidence of rapes or sexual abuse by police during the May 3 and 4 police raids in Atenco. Villicana claimed that none of the women have come forward to present formal accusations before police officials, an action that would be comparable to reporting a rape to the rapist. Amnesty International called on the Calderon administration to resolve the multiple human rights abuses committed by police in Atenco. The Amnesty office in Mexico City expressed its “profound†concern for the lack of advances in formal investigations of “grave†human rights abuses. A report issued by Amnesty on the first anniversary of the Atenco police actions condemned “excessive use of force, homicides, torture, arbitrary detentions, sexual aggressions, rights violations and rampant impunity.â€
2. TEACHERS ANNOUNCE INDEFINITE STRIKE
After massive May Day marches around the country denounced the recent ISSSTE reform, the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) announced an indefinite strike to begin May 7. CNTE members, as well as many dissident members of the official SNTE, were present in large numbers around Mexico on May Day protesting ISSSTE reforms that privatized the pension and health care benefits of tens of thousands of government employees. Elba Esther Gordillo, head of the SNTE, is largely responsible for the passage of ISSSTE reforms. She hopes to benefit from the reform through formation of private firms under her control that will manage retirement accounts. On May 2, hundreds of teachers blocked international bridges in Ciudad Juarez and other border cities, and blocked major highways around urban centers throughout the country.
University workers from STUNAM are expected to join the strike. Support from the National Workers Union (UNT), a dissident union central similar to a smaller version of the AFL-CIO, is reportedly set to support the strike, though the UNT did not support the May 2 actions. May Day demonstrators were particularly vocal in their rejection of ISSSTE reforms, which may lead some hesitant unions to assume a more militant position. The ISSSTE reforms are considered the first step in President Calderon’s plans to privatize all health services and pension benefits.
Meanwhile, the federal judiciary appointed a special judge to deal with more than 100,000 amparos (the rough equivalent of a request for temporary restraining order) presented by employees who would be affected by the ISSSTE reforms. Normally a judge issues between 800 and 900 decisions per year, and it is unclear how the newly appointed official will deal with 100,000 cases.
3. TORTILLA PRICES ON THE RISE DESPITE NATIONAL PACT
Tortilla prices continue to rise despite a pact negotiated by President Calderon calling for producers to maintain stable prices through August. The National Union of Tortilla Industries (UNIMTAC), a business association that represents the country’s major tortilla producers, announced that its 80,000 affiliates would begin to increase prices next week despite the presidential accord. Tortillas provide more than 40% of the caloric intake of a typical campesino diet and are the major source of nutrition for urban diets as well. Tortilla prices doubled during the first month of the Caleron administration, reaching 15 pesos per kilo in some communities. The national accord calls for prices stabilized at 8.5 pesos, still a substantial increase over the 6 pesos per kilo prevalent in November of last year.
4. BENEFITS CUT TO MINEWORKER FAMILIES
On Friday, the owners of Pasta de la Concha, site of a disaster last year that claimed the lives of 65 mineworkers, quit paying triple salary benefits to the survivors. Oscar Kauffman, spokesperson for Industrial Minera Mexico (IMMSA), characterized the benefits as temporary “humanitarian aid,†but many observers accused the owners of payoffs in exchange for silence during legal actions that are winding up. Families also received US$16,000 for “reparations†ordered by a judge after five executives from IMMSA were found guilty of homicide in the mine disaster. The Pasta de la Concha mine collapsed more than 14 months ago, and most of the bodies have still not been recovered.
5. CLOTHING INDUSTRY TO LOSE JOBS
With the approval of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), Mexico’s clothing industry is expected to lose 100,000 jobs to lower wage Central American countries. Mexico’s textile industry has been in serious decline since 2001, and the passage of CAFTA is expected to be the final nail in the coffin.
6. POLICE INVESTIGATION DISCARDS RAPE IN ASCENCIO CASE
A report issued by Veracruz investigative police found no evidence of rape in the death of Ernestina Ascencio, a poor indigenous woman who died twelve hours after she was found beaten and bloodied near a military outpost. Ascencio accused local troops of raping her before she passed away, but police rejected the accusation. Martha Mendoza, head of the Veracruz Women’s Institute, called the finding “surprising†given the available medical evidence and earlier confirmations by the state Attorney General that “the death was caused by violence and rape suffered by the woman.†State officials have been under increasing pressure from military authorities, President Calderon and the National Human Rights Commission to exonerate the army.
7. CHICAGO, MAY DAY 2007
The MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK participated in the march that took place in Chicago, May 1st 2007. Official authorities estimate the participation of about 150, 000, but organizers of the march sustain that there were about 400,000 to half a million people participating. Regardless of the number, this historic march was a success. This success had a lot to do with the political maturity that many organizations demonstrated. Although the organizations have a lot of different positions, a unified march was acomplished and once again, Chicago set the tone a the national level.
MSN participated in the march and was present trhough a contingent that was organized in the north Chicago. The bus MSN organized met at the Union Park and met there with other folks to start marching at 1pm. There were many people coming from all over the city and the contingent had to start marching right away due to the constant flow of people arriving to the meeting point. MSN’s contingent marched with the chants and demands of: “ Si se puede! Legalization for all!†MSN’s contingent also marched with a banner that read: “We are here because you are there†and the achronims for all of the free trade agreements in the Latin American countries. The message was clear: Immigration from many countries is due to the economic, political and military intervention of the US in many Latin American countries. And so immigrants in this country are now reclaiming a recognition of their basic rights and legalization for all.
This is how, once again, Chicago gave a sign of unity, solidarity and struggle with the immigrant cause, and the MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK said: PRESENTE!!!
8. WASHINGTON DC, MAY DAY 2007
The Washington DC Committee for Immigrant Rights decided to break the silence in the capital of empire and called for a stop on the raids and deportations and for DC to be declared SANCTUARY for all immigrants.
14 community folks, progressive religious people and different allies, started a four day fast on April 28th @ Mount Pleasant, a Latino Barrio in the Washington, District of Columbia, with three objectives: 1) To demand a stop on the raids and deportations; 2) To inform the immigrant community in the barrio – and its allies- about the petition to mayor Adrian Fenti to declare Sanctuary for DC 3) To demand full legalization for all undocumented immigrants living, working and studying in the US.
During the four days, the people involved in the fast did outreach to invite the community members to the rally and the march on May 1st. Every evening they held a vigil and a forum to share testimonies about the raids and deportations that are affecting the immigrant communities, especially the Latino community. And most importantly, they sent the message to directly affected community: Undocumented immigrant families are not alone! They have the support and solidarity of many in this city!
On May first, the people who initiated the fast marched from Mount Pleasant and were joined by many to participate in the May Day Rally @ Malcolm X Park. Around 800 immigrant families, our allies, women, students, youth, undocumented workers from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, and many Afro descending peoples also participated in the march that went from Malcolm X to Mount Pleasant (16th street) to end again in Malcolm X Park.
The people marched throughout the barrio with the demand FULL LEGALIZATION FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS, Papers for Everybody, Rights for Everybody! All marched with the spirit of celebration, victory and reclaim. Remembering how they march on May Day in their Patria Grande, Latin America
