Melel News Synthesis: 4/29 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal _______________________ Translated by irlandesa Press Synthesis Thursday, April 29, 1999. *********************************** PARAMILITARIZATION *********************************** Cuarto Poder. FEDERAL ARMY AND PEACE AND JUSTICE HARASSMENT DENOUNCED. Indigenous from the Northern zone of Palenque denounced harassment and threats by the Federal Army, who are accompanied by members of the Peace and Justice paramilitary group. They added that these paramilitary groups are part of a counterinsurgency strategy that has been being implemented by the federal and state governments since the emergence of the EZLN. They said that these groups also have support from the police forces, from municipal authorities, from soldiers and from former soldiers, as well as from the justice system itself. They also noted that state authorities are only trying to destabilize the region with their enforcement of the Disarmament Law. *********************************** La Cronica. COCOPA PRESENTS DOCUMENT ON PARAMILITARIES IN CHIAPAS. The Commission of Concordance and Peace (Cocopa) said the impunity enjoyed by paramilitary groups in Chiapas could lead to the armed conflict's ending in a tragedy that could cost many lives. It added that, according to the studies carried out, these groups have caused the death of more than 1500 indigenous and the displacement of more than 10,000 chiapanecos from their towns of origin. They also said that the federal and state governments recognize that civilian organizations exist in Chiapas that have high powered weapons and who commit attacks, ranging from death threats even to the massacre of indigenous. The Cocopa stated that these actions are committed primarily against opposition or EZLN sympathizer communities. In a study presented by PRD Gilberto Lopez y Rivas, entitled Report on the Mexican Armed Forces: Paramilitaries in Mexico, the names of several groups are cited, among them Peace and Justice, which has about 1500 members and which obtains funding of 4,600,000 pesos, through an agreement with the government made on July 4, 1997. These groups also have high-powered weapons, receive military training, have uniforms, and their operations include kidnappings, assassinations, death threats and harassment of residents of towns who have been forced to displace. *********************************** Cuarto Poder. LAW SHOULD BE ENFORCED AGAINST PARAMILITARIES. The Acting President of the Cocopa, Gilberto Lopez y Rivas, said that he would ask the Attorney General's Office of the Republic to investigate and to take legal action against paramilitary groups in Chiapas, for the crimes of the illegal stockpiling of weapons and attacks against the civilian population. He added that these groups represent a grave threat to the physical and psychological integrity of indigenous communities in the state. He also said that this request was in response to the petition by representatives of the state government in Chiapas and by deputies of the State Congress. *********************************** HUMAN RIGHTS *********************************** Excelsior. ROCCATTI ASSERTS INDIGENOUS ARE BEING MANIPULATED POLITICALLY. The President of the National Human Rights Commission, Mireille Roccatti, stated that the indigenous communities of Mexico and of Latin America are victims of political and ideological manipulation. She added that she would shortly be presenting her book, Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, in which legislation from 16 countries is compared, in order to understand and to better address the problems of the indigenous communities of our continent. *********************************** NATIONAL EVENTS *********************************** Cuarto Poder. EZLN OPPOSES PRIVATIZATION OF UNAM. In a press communique, the EZLN came out against the reforms to the payment regulations of the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), because it believes this action is an attempt to maximally privatize studies in the country. It added that it would be very dangerous to try to divide the UNAM into students who can pay and those who cannot pay, because the latter would ultimately not be able to continue with their studies. They also said that the UNAM rector, Francisco Barnes, was attempting to turn the university into a business, in violation of the Political Constitution of Mexico. *********************************** Excelsior. RABASA SAYS IF EZLN WANTS TO HAVE OPINIONS ON POLITICAL ISSUES, THEY SHOULD LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS. The Coordinator for Dialogue and Negotiation in Chiapas, Emilio Rabasa Gamboa, said that, if the EZLN wants to continue to express opinions on political issues on the national agenda, such as privatization of the electricity sector and the conflict at the UNAM, it should put down its arms and organize itself as a politcal organization. He added that it is not possible to maintain both faces, the political and the armed, because they are not compatible. He also said that, with their position on the UNAM situation, the EZLN is clearly demonstrating their interest in having a political presence. On another issue, Rabasa Gamboa said that armed civilian groups do not exist in Chiapas, thus belittling the White Book published by the Attorney General's Office of the Republic (PGR), regarding the Acteal massacre, where it is stated that there are 16 armed civilian groups operating in Chiapas. ******************************* COMMUNITY CONFLICTS ******************************* Cuarto Poder. NICOLAS RUIZ SITUATION ANALYZED. State Attorney General, Eduardo Montoya Lievano, said that a working table would be created in order to try to seek a solution to the conflict in the municipality of Nicolas Ruiz. Participating in the table will be the President of the State Congress, the Attorney General's Office and the PRD wing of the Legislature. He added that they are trying to limit the Council's functions, in order to avoid their exercising activities that belong to the agrarian authorities. ****************************** ELECTORAL ****************************** Cuarto Poder. MUNICIPAL COUNCIL IN SAN ANDRES APPROVED. The State Congress approved the establishment of a municipal council in San Andres Larrainzar, following the acceptance of the resignation of municipal president, Marcos Diaz Nunez, who was dismissed through uses and customs on April 22. It also announced it would be naming the members of the Council, after substitute governor Roberto Albores Guillen submits the names of the persons who would be presiding. The legislative wings of the PAN and the PRD concurred that the establishment of a council would not solve the political problems that exist in that municipality, given, they said, that the government was imposing its members. ******************************* RELIGION ******************************* La Cronica. DON SAMUEL IS PREPARING NOW FOR HIS DEPARTURE FROM HIS POST IN NOVEMBER. In a message directed to the community, the Bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, reported that he has alrerady submitted his formal resignation to the Vatican in order to leave his post this November. He added that his departure is not something the government has determined, but, rather, it is established in canonical law that bishops must turn in their resignations when they reach the age of 75. He also reminded them that the Coadjutant Bishop, Raul Vera would be completely taking over the Diocese administrative and pastoral work this November 3. ******************************* La Cronica. DON SAMUEL SAYS CHURCH SHOULD CHANGE ITS STRUCTURE IF IT WANTS TO WORK WITH THE POOR. The Bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, said that, if a church decides to work more closely with the poor, it needs to change its structures and its method of organizing itself. He added that, through this, the poor would no longer be persons who are evangelicized, but they themselves would take on the work of announcing good news and denouncing what is causing death in the communities and the barrios. ****************************** AGRARIAN ****************************** Cuarto Poder. CORRUPTION AND REPRESSION BY GOVERNMENT DELEGATE DENOUNCED. The Independent Central of Agricultural Workers and Campesinos (CIOAC) denounced the corrupt and repressive actions that the government delegate in the Border zone, Francisco Torres Vera, has committed against the indigenous communities in the municipality of La Trinitaria. Torres Vera has fabricated crimes against campesinos, such as in the case of Reynol Hernandez, who was detained and tortured by the Municipal Police because of his alleged responsibilty for agrarian problems in the Jose Linda Flor community. **************************** OFFICIAL POLICIES **************************** La Jornada. LABASTIDA ALREADY CAMPAIGNING FOR PRESIDENCY. The former governor of Puebla, Manuel Bartlett, said that the Secretary of Government, Francisco Labastida, should resign his post, because his pre-campaign has created a rather irregular situation. He said that Labastida no longer knows if he is the Secretary of Government or a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. ___________________________________________________ NUEVO AMANECER PRESS-N.A.P.To know about us visit: http://www.nap.cuhm.mx/nap0.htm (spanish) ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-05.12.99-01:13:46-7174