Guarantee life, the integrity of the Bases of support and respect for Zapatista autonomy
The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights, A.C. (Frayba), has received information from the Junta de Buen Gobierno Patria Nueva, Caracol 10 “Floreciendo la semilla rebelde” Flourishing the Rebel Seed, based in the official municipality of Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico, in which they report that since January 18, 2021, until today, members of the Regional Organization of Coffee Growers of Ocosingo (ORCAO) have attacked the community of Moisés Gandía with gunfire.
On January 18, 2021, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., members of ORCAO resumed their aggressions with gunfire against the houses of the Moisés Gandhi community. There were “around 170 shots of large calibers and 80 shots of small calibers.” On January 20, 2021, at 16:00 hrs and 22:30 hrs. new aggressions were recorded.
Today, at approximately 00:30 hrs, 02:10 hrs and 02:55 hrs, shots were again fired at the houses of the community. The Good Government Board has reported that at least 20 members of ORCAO from the communities of San Antonio, Cuxuljá, San Francisco and 7 de Febrero, municipality of Ocosingo have participated in these attacks.
Since April 2019, the community of Moisés Gandhi has been attacked by members of ORCAO resulting in destruction of property and physical and verbal attacks. By March 2019, aggressions with firearms began in the direction of the community. On August 22, 2020, looting and burning of the coffee warehouse located in the “Nuevo Amanecer del Arcoiris” (New Dawn of the Rainbow) in the Cuxuljá crossroads. On November 8, 2020, members of ORCAO kidnapped Felix Lopez Hernandez, Zapatista Support Base in the community of Moises Gandhi, who was released after 4 days.
Frayba calls on the Mexican State to intervene immediately and stop the aggressions against the Moisés Gandhi community of the Autonomous Municipality Lucio Cabañas, since the life and integrity of the women, girls, boys and men of the Tseltal Maya people are at risk. The actions taken must respect the jurisdiction, autonomy and self-determination of the Zapatista Good Government Councils. A petition* calling for intervention is found here.
*The actions taken must respect the jurisdiction, autonomy and self-determination of the Zapatista Good Government Councils.
This report was just released by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Center for Human Rights. https://frayba.org.mx/nuevas-agresiones-armadas-de-la-orcao-a-la-comunidad-moises-gandhi This English interpretation has been re-published expeditiously by Schools for Chiapas.