Melel News Synthesis: 5/7 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal _______________________ Translated by irlandesa Friday, May 7, 1999. ************************************ DIOCESE ************************************ Sin Linea/Cuarto Poder. BISHOP RUIZ HOLDS RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION IN OXCHUC. Despite warnings from the government concerning the alleged rejection of Don Samuel by the communities of Oxchuc, some 3000 indigenous participated this Thursday in a celebration for his retirement, which was held in absolute calm. At the request of the Secretary of Government, Rodolfo Soto Monzon, some 150 Public Security police were present during the activity. During the celebration, held in order to bid farewell to Don Samuel and to welcome the Coadjutant Bishop, Raul Vera, pastoral teams from Tenejapa, Huixtan, Oxchuc, Ocosingo, Altamirano and Yajalon expressed their gratitude for Ruiz Garcia's forty years of work, whom they called the Bishop of The Poor. For his part, Don Samuel called all the indigenous to unity in order to build peace. ************************************ CHIAPANECO CONFLICT ************************************ Excelsior. SECOND ENCUENTRO BETWEEN EZLN AND CIVIL SOCIETY BEGINS TODAY IN LA REALIDAD. The second encuentro between the EZLN and civil society begins this Friday. It will be held in La Realidad and will review the development and the results of the National Consulta for the Rights of the Indian Peoples and For an End to the War of Extermination. The next stage of the Consulta will also be discussed, which is the delivery of the results to the Congress of the Union. ************************************ Diario de Chiapas. ALLEGATION THAT CHIAPAS CONFLICT WILL NOT AFFECT YEAR 2000 ELECTIONS. The President of the Alternative Foundation of the PRI, Cesar Augusto Santiago, stated that the armed conflict in Chiapas will not affect the presidential or the gubernatorial elections in the year 2000. He did admit, however, that the official party would be confronting the most difficult election in their history, since it could be possible that they might lose power. *********************************** PARAMILITARIZATION *********************************** El Universal. LOPEZ Y RIVAS TESTIFIES IN FRONT OF PGR CONCERNING EXISTENCE OF PARAMILITARY GROUPS IN CHIAPAS. PRD deputy and Cocopa member, Gilberto Lopez y Rivas appeared voluntarily before the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) and reiterated the denunciation he made several days ago concerning the presence of paramilitary groups in Chiapas. In front of the Public Minister, Lopez y Rivas said that, when he was Secretary for Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples for the PRD, from 1995 to 1997, he denounced the presence of groups characterized as White Guards to the Department of Government. The genesis of this denunciation had been a visit he had made to Chiapas as a member of an observation committee for peace. He explained that at that time he had been able to speak with members of Los Chinchulines, who described how they were trained to act against the zapatistas and the San Cristobal diocese. He added that, even though he had not had direct contact with any other group, it was openly known that Peace and Justice has weapons, as one of their leaders - and local PRI deputy - had stated. ************************************* OFFICIAL POLICIES ************************************* Cuarto Poder. INDIGENOUS PROPOSAL PRESENTED IN TILA. During the presentation of the state proposal on Indigenous Rights and Culture in the municipality of Tila, the president of the state Congress, Jose Antonio Aguilar Bodegas, called on all ethnic groups to participate and to make known their points of view on this legislative proposal. Samuel Sanchez Sanchez announced a proposal drawn up by the Peace and Justice group, which called for several changes to the Albores Proposal. Sanchez Sanchez said that these changes had been contributed by residents of the communities who belonged to this organization. ************************************ AUTONOMIAS ************************************ Cuarto Poder. INDIGENOUS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES ASK FOR SAN ANDRES ACCORDS TO BE INCLUDED IN CONSTITUTION. Indigenous representatives from several countries in America, who were participating in the Workshop on the Biodiversity Convention held in San Cristobal in late April, called on the Mexican government to promote and to include the Indigenous Rights and Culture proposal drawn up by the Cocopa in the Political Constitution of Mexico. The indigenous - who came from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Panama, Guatenala, Argentina, Peru, Chile and Mexico - asked Ernesto Zedillo to guarantee respect for and the integrity of the Mexican organizations who are fighting for the recognition of their rights and for the creation of a multi-cultural, democratic and just Mexico. ************************************* COMMUNITY CONFLICTS ************************************* Diario de Chiapas. DENUNCIATION THAT PRDs ARE MAKING DEATH THREATS AGAINST PRIs IN NICOLAS RUIZ. The father of the former PRI candidate for the municipal presidency in Nicolas Ruiz, Abel Lopez Zuniga, denounced that PRD activists had threatened 6 PRIs there with death. He stated that there were several arrest warrants out against the PRDs, but, he said, since they had not been carried out, they were continuing to do whatever they wanted. Nonetheless, he added that the PRI's did not want Security Police to enter the municipality again, because they blame them for attacks committed by the police. ************************************* ELECTORAL ************************************* Diario de Chiapas. POSSIBLE CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN PRIs AND PRDs IN CHANAL DENOUNCED. Residents of the Chanal municipality stated that tension remains high there, in the face of possible confrontations between PRD sympathizers, who dismissed municipal president Benito Perez Diaz a few days ago, and the PRIs, who continue to support the mayor. They added that interim alderperson, Leonardo Gomez Santiz, is organizing the people to ratify the position this May 12, when the general assembly will be held and the situation in the municipality will be resolved. ___________________________________________________ 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-05.12.99-08:39:58-13902