Melel News Synthesis: 5/4 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal ________________________ Translated by irlandesa Press Synthesis Tuesday, May 4, 1999. ********************************* COMMUNITY CONFLICTS ********************************* Diario de Yucatan. PRI AMBUSHED IN EL BOSQUE. The State Attorney General's Office reported that alleged zapatistas ambushed PRI Fausto Lopez Cruz in the community of Los Platanos, municipality of El Bosque. They added that Lopez Cruz was on his way to work in the fields when he was intercepted by three persons, who shot at him, wounding him in the knee. Lopez Cruz said that he identified one of his assailants, and he stated that he was in the EZLN, and that he was one of the indigenous displaced from Los Platanos April a year ago. ******************************** COUNTERINSURGENCY ******************************** Cuarto Poder. FORMER ZAPATISTAS DEMAND THAT ALBORES GUILLEN KEEP HIS PROMISES. Former zapatistas and members of the Pueblo Maya organization demanded that the substitute governor, Roberto Albores Guillen, present himself in order to carry out his promises of awarding them economic aid for having deserted the EZLN. They also asked for the dismissal of the government delegate in the Border zone, Francisco Torres Vera, who has refused to disburse the aid, and who has provoked confrontations in the community. ******************************* Cuarto Poder. PURPORTED EZLN SUPPORT BASES DESERT. In a communique signed by authorities in the 20 de Noviembre community, municipality of Las Margaritas, it was reported that residents of that town decided to leave the EZLN support bases and to return to institutional life, in order to take advantage of state government aid programs. ******************************* CHIAPAS CONFLICT ******************************* Cuarto Poder. A SERIOUS CRISIS WITHIN THE COCOPA. PRD Deputy and Cocopa member, Gilberto Lopez y Rivas, said that the crisis inside that body has grown more serious since the suspension of dialogue, with their members seriously divided. He added that the situation is very delicate, since PAN Senator Luis H. Alvarez is reviewing whether or not to resign from the Cocopa, saying he is tired of the EZLN and Federal Government's refusal to renew negotiations. ****************************** PARAMILITARIZATION ****************************** Cuarto Poder. DENUNCIATION THAT LOS CHINCHULINES HAVE BEGUN HARASSMENT CAMPAIGN IN BACHAJON. Residents of Bachajon, municipality of Chilon, called on the Attorney General's Office of the Republic to open investigations into Los Chinchulines paramilitary group. They say that the paramilitaries have begun a campaign of harassment and attacks against those they consider to be their political enemies, whether they are PRI, PRD or from any other political party. They added that the climate of tension has increased since the release of the 16 Chinchulines who participated in the massacre of May 5, 1996. They also hold the state government responsible for any new violent incidents that might occur in that municipality, because they allowed these persons to be released despite their having been accused of multiple homicide, breaches of the peace and the burning and looting of houses, among other crimes. They also said that they have asked PRD Deputy and Cocopa member, Gilberto Lopez y Rivas, to retake the Bachajon case, and that he ask the proper bodies to include Los Chinchulines in their investigations of paramilitary groups operating in Chiapas. **************************** JUSTICE **************************** La Jornada. VOICE OF CERRO HUECO LAWYER ASKS FOR PROTECTION. The lawyer for the prisoners in The Voice of Cerro Hueco, Miguel Angel de los Santos, reported that he sought legal protection from the federal court against a possible detention, since the state government has accused him of destabilizing the municipality of Nicolas Ruiz. De los Santos, who is the defense lawyer for 6 Nicolas Ruiz residents, said that it is quite likely that an arrest warrant has already been issued against him. ***************************** DEMONSTRATIONS ***************************** Diario de Yucatan. MORE THAN 50,000 TEACHERS MARCH IN TUXTLA GUTIERREZ. More than 50,000 chiapaneco teachers held a march in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, in order to ask for wage increases, educational budgets, infrastructure and equipment in the centers of learning and for better medical care. In addition, students from the Autonomous University of Chiapas participated in the demonstration, in support of the UNAM strike. Also particiapting were workers from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), who expressed their opposition to the presidential proposal to privatize the electricity sector. **************************** Cuarto Poder. BUSINESSPERSONS CRITICIZE TEACHERS' MARCH. Chiapaneco businesspersons criticized the work stoppage by state teachers, saying that teachers should not be constantly striking, given the backward state of education. They added that the teachers should exhaust all possibilities for dialogue before holding these kinds of demonstrations. ******************************* NATURAL RESOURCES ******************************* Diario de Yucatan. REFORESTATION PROGRAM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN SELVA LACANDONA. The Federal Prosecutor for Protection of the Enviroment, Antonio Zazuela de la Cueva, announced that a reforestation plan would be implemented for reforestation in the Selva Lacandona, with 140,000 hectares to be reforested. He also stated that this program has a budget of more than 20 million pesos, and includes a training program in ten communities concerning ways of utilizing natural resources without causing their destruction. Zazuela de la Cueva also said that he has asked the state government to set up mobile surveillance units and points at the main access points to the Selva, in order to prevent the taking of forest lands, illegal cutting and the looting of wood. He added that the Department of National Defense (Sedena), the Attorney General's Office of the Republic (PGR) and the Federal Highway and Port Police would also be participating in these operations. ****************************** Cuarto Poder. OPERATIONS IN SELVA LACANDONA ANNOUNCED. The State Attorney General, Eduardo Montoya Lievano, announced that an intensive operation would be mounted in the Selva Lacandona in order to look for clandestine settlements and to stop the trafficking in valuable wood. He added that this operation would be carried out in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office of the Republic, the Department of National Defense and the Federal Road Police, who will be in charge of establishing strict surveillance of breaches, roads and rivers. He also said that the permits of all settlements in the Selva Lacandona will be reviewed, and those that are not regularized will be relocated to other places, where they will not impact on the environment. ****************************** Diario de Yucatan. STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN VILLA COMALTITLAN DUE TO RAINS. The mayor of Villa Comaltitlan, Guillermo Dominguez Beizo, declared a state of emergency in that town, following the flooding of sections of two rivers and water entering a hundred houses in 10 communities in the rural area. He added that the levels of the rivers had risen due to the intense rains of the last five days. He further denounced that the National Water Commission (CNA) had not carried out the work on the tributaries. ___________________________________________________ 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-05.12.99-03:28:20-173