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| OAXACA NEWS |
| Tuesday, October 31, 2006 |
OK IF YOU KEPT UP WITH ME IN THE SUMMER YOU KNOW I WAS IN OAXACA AND
HOPE TO GO BACK IN MARCH W/ ACCD
HERE IS AN EMAIL WE GOT TODAY !
READ ON
Hello, all!I just spoke to Ana Maria about the situation in Oaxaca. First, a commentary... isn't it interesting how the Express-News didn't cover the story when it first broke--even when you were sending information and fantastic photos to them--but now it has been on the front page Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?Thankfully, Ana Maria is fine and doing well, at least under the circumstances. After going back to work, the Instituto Tecnologico and most other schools have once again suspended classes, at least for the remainder of the week. Banks are closed "until the situation normalizes" and people are lined up at ATMs hoping to get some cash before it runs out. Payday is just a couple of days away and it looks like most people won't have access to their money if this continues a while.Ana Maria reports that she doesn't leave her home, except for brief trips. She isn't afraid of violence against her, but she says that much of the city is blocked and that getting around is difficult. However, no one ventures out at night because of the danger. The military is occupying the Zocalo and helicopters hover around at all hours. Neither side in this standoff is budging. The governor remains indignant and refuses to resign. The protesters refuse to give up, though they've been forced to abandon their encampments.The entire Senate and Chamber of Deputies has called on Gov. Ulises Ruiz to step down. This is significant because elected officials from throughout the Republic of Mexico and from all political parties are pressuring him to leave. His refusal is purely political. If he leaves now--short of completing the first two years of his term--a new election is called and the PRI (his political party) is doomed to losing the governorship. If he leaves after he completes two years, then he can name a successor to fill out the remainder of the six- year term and the PRI remains in power a little while longer. He finishes two years in December, but Ana Maria says not to count on his leaving then.The economy is severely suffering. Many people have lost their jobs. Hotels and restaurants are closed, staff fired. Factories (what few there are) are closed or running only one shift, laying off the other workers. Tourists are mostly limited to journalists, human rights advocates and the curious. On the bright side (if there is one), food is still in adequate supply; however, if money runs out, people will begin to go hungry.In short, the situation is not good, but thankfully Ana Maria is surviving. The State Department has posted a warning on its site specifically about the violence in Oaxaca. We will continue to monitor the situation, but at this point, Ana Maria doesn't think there will be much change until after Jan. 1. She is optimistic, however, that a Spring Break trip is possible and she thinks that hotel rates will be more economical as the locals try to rebuild their city and their livelihood.Please keep Ana Maria and all Oaxaqueños in your prayers.Saludos,mark |
posted by Melissa Rodriguez @ 10/31/2006 04:57:00 PM   |
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| brad will killed in oaxaca |
| Sunday, October 29, 2006 |
THIS IS FROM WASHINGTONPOST.COM
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER WE WERE EVACUATED FROM OAXACA IN JUNE!
READ ON BE KNOWLEDGABLE OF THE WORLD NEXT DOOR TO US!
Police Ordered to Oaxaca After 3 Killings in Strike
By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, October 29, 2006; Page A14
MEXICO CITY, Oct. 28 -- President Vicente Fox on Saturday ordered federal police to seize control of strike-ravaged Oaxaca de Juarez, a popular tourist destination where a U.S. journalist was among three people killed Friday.
Despite pressure from Oaxaca's tourist industry, Fox had been reluctant to intervene in a five-month conflict that has pitted the governor of the state of Oaxaca against a coalition of citizen groups and striking teachers demanding his ouster. But the shooting death of Brad Will, 36, a volunteer correspondent for the Web site Indymedia.org, and two Mexican protesters prompted the president to respond with force for the first time.
Protesters carry an injured cameraman who was shot and later died when clashes erupted between unidentified gunmen and protesters who are demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico on Friday Oct. 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) (Eduardo Verdugo - AP)
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Several Mexican newspapers published front-page photographs of the mortally wounded Will lying in the street with blood trailing from a gunshot wound in his stomach. Photographs also showed rifle-wielding men in civilian clothes roaming the streets. Indymedia, citing a witness account, said Will was pulled to safety after being shot but died before reaching the hospital.
Strikers blamed the killings on plainclothes paramilitary members affiliated with Gov. Ulises Ruiz's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. The governor's office accused members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, or APPO, an umbrella group that includes union members and indigenous groups that have joined the teachers' protest.
Fox did not say how many federal police he planned to send to Oaxaca. Officers began arriving there by plane Saturday. In a statement, he said the mobilization was a response to events that threaten "the order and peace of citizens in the region."
Strike leaders reinforced barricades and vowed not to budge.
"These forces coming here are only going to make things worse," Florentino López Martínez, an APPO organizer, said in a telephone interview from downtown Oaxaca. "This is not a solution to the problem."
Mexican presidents are often reluctant to use force because federal officers have been accused in the past of inciting violence, most notably during student protests before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Nonetheless, Fox ordered federal police to take over the city of Nuevo Laredo last year to quell an outburst of drug violence.
In Oaxaca de Juarez, the teachers' protest is an annual rite that began 26 years ago. The protests are usually peaceful and generally last a week or two, but this year the teachers became infuriated when Ruiz sent hundreds of police to forcefully remove demonstrators from the city's idyllic squares. APPO soon took on a greater role in the demonstrations, pushing an agenda of economic, social and political reform in Mexico's second-poorest state.
The demonstrations have left the region a shambles and scared away the tourists who are the foundation of the city's economy. Death estimates during the strike range from nine to 14, and APPO leaders say that more than a dozen of their members have disappeared. Countless downtown businesses have closed, buses have been set on fire, demonstrators have barricaded themselves in government buildings and protest blockades have cut off main thoroughfares. At times in the past five months, residents have been warned not to leave their homes. Shots have been fired at a university radio station, and more than a million students have been unable to attend classes.
"The city is practically kidnapped by all this," Luz Divina Sarate, a Ruiz spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. "The people are tired of this."
Friday's shootings at several flash points in and around Oaxaca de Juarez took place despite signs of progress in negotiations with the striking teachers. Last week, teachers tentatively ratified an agreement that would allow them to return to classes at some unspecified date and receive 30 percent raises spread over six years.
But their unmet central demand -- the resignation of Ruiz -- threatened to undermine the fragile pact. Even as Friday's deaths reignited passions Saturday, federal negotiators continued to meet with teachers union leaders in Mexico City.
The spike in violence also seemed to suggest that there will be a long wait before Oaxaca's stunning colonial streets are once again crawling with camera-toting tourists. After the shootings, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Tony Garza, warned Americans to stay away. |
| posted by Melissa Rodriguez @ 10/29/2006 10:49:00 PM |
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| police ordered to oaxaca after 3 killings |
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THIS IS FROM WASHINGTONPOST.COM FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER WE WERE EVACUATED FROM OAXACA IN JUNE! READ ON BE KNOWLEDGABLE OF THE WORLD NEXT DOOR TO US! Police Ordered to Oaxaca After 3 Killings in Strike
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, October 29, 2006; Page A14
MEXICO CITY, Oct. 28 -- President Vicente Fox on Saturday ordered federal police to seize control of strike-ravaged Oaxaca de Juarez, a popular tourist destination where a U.S. journalist was among three people killed Friday. Despite pressure from Oaxaca's tourist industry, Fox had been reluctant to intervene in a five-month conflict that has pitted the governor of the state of Oaxaca against a coalition of citizen groups and striking teachers demanding his ouster. But the shooting death of Brad Will, 36, a volunteer correspondent for the Web site Indymedia.org, and two Mexican protesters prompted the president to respond with force for the first time. Several Mexican newspapers published front-page photographs of the mortally wounded Will lying in the street with blood trailing from a gunshot wound in his stomach. Photographs also showed rifle-wielding men in civilian clothes roaming the streets. Indymedia, citing a witness account, said Will was pulled to safety after being shot but died before reaching the hospital. Strikers blamed the killings on plainclothes paramilitary members affiliated with Gov. Ulises Ruiz's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. The governor's office accused members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, or APPO, an umbrella group that includes union members and indigenous groups that have joined the teachers' protest. Fox did not say how many federal police he planned to send to Oaxaca. Officers began arriving there by plane Saturday. In a statement, he said the mobilization was a response to events that threaten "the order and peace of citizens in the region." Strike leaders reinforced barricades and vowed not to budge. "These forces coming here are only going to make things worse," Florentino López Martínez, an APPO organizer, said in a telephone interview from downtown Oaxaca. "This is not a solution to the problem." Mexican presidents are often reluctant to use force because federal officers have been accused in the past of inciting violence, most notably during student protests before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Nonetheless, Fox ordered federal police to take over the city of Nuevo Laredo last year to quell an outburst of drug violence. In Oaxaca de Juarez, the teachers' protest is an annual rite that began 26 years ago. The protests are usually peaceful and generally last a week or two, but this year the teachers became infuriated when Ruiz sent hundreds of police to forcefully remove demonstrators from the city's idyllic squares. APPO soon took on a greater role in the demonstrations, pushing an agenda of economic, social and political reform in Mexico's second-poorest state. The demonstrations have left the region a shambles and scared away the tourists who are the foundation of the city's economy. Death estimates during the strike range from nine to 14, and APPO leaders say that more than a dozen of their members have disappeared. Countless downtown businesses have closed, buses have been set on fire, demonstrators have barricaded themselves in government buildings and protest blockades have cut off main thoroughfares. At times in the past five months, residents have been warned not to leave their homes. Shots have been fired at a university radio station, and more than a million students have been unable to attend classes. "The city is practically kidnapped by all this," Luz Divina Sarate, a Ruiz spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. "The people are tired of this." Friday's shootings at several flash points in and around Oaxaca de Juarez took place despite signs of progress in negotiations with the striking teachers. Last week, teachers tentatively ratified an agreement that would allow them to return to classes at some unspecified date and receive 30 percent raises spread over six years. But their unmet central demand -- the resignation of Ruiz -- threatened to undermine the fragile pact. Even as Friday's deaths reignited passions Saturday, federal negotiators continued to meet with teachers union leaders in Mexico City. The spike in violence also seemed to suggest that there will be a long wait before Oaxaca's stunning colonial streets are once again crawling with camera-toting tourists. After the shootings, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Tony Garza, warned Americans to stay away. |
| posted by Melissa Rodriguez @ 10/29/2006 08:43:00 AM |
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| FED POLICE AUTHORIZED TO ENTER OAXACA |
| Saturday, October 28, 2006 |
Federal Police Authorized to Enter Oaxaca
A Day Of Killings While Teachers Negotiate in Mexico City
By Nancy DaviesCommentary from Oaxaca
October 28, 2006
President Vicente Fox, through his Secretary of Internal Affairs Carlos Abascal, has authorized the entry of the Federal Preventive Police (PFP in its Spanish initials) into Oaxaca, in direct response to the events of October 27 in Oaxaca. Following a declaration by the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) to launch an all-out work stoppage and boycott to force the hand of governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (known as "URO"), Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) supporters, both police and private individuals, assaulted the population in several different areas of the city on Friday. The result, according to the Radio Universidad, was four dead, thirty wounded. The dead have now been identified as Emilio Alonso Fabián, Bradley Will and Eudocia Olivera Díaz. The fourth reported death, of Esteban Zurita López, is at the center of accusations by both sides of the conflict, with each blaming the other.
Airplanes full of PFP officers and riot gear have already arrived, with the police now gathered at a nearby military base, reports the national daily El Universal.
Photo: D.R. 2006 Nancy DaviesMy analysis is that if the PFP enter the city by day, a negotiated exit is open for the APPO, possibly implying the removal URO from office. If they come by night, they're likely coming to dislodge by force the resistance lodged in the zocalo (central city plaza) and barricades. URO precipitated the intervention by his attacks. The question is, does the PAN party of Fox and Calderón want to maintain URO as a sop to the PRI, or has URO become so costly that the PAN may choose to dump him? If so, URO's setting up of the APPO backfires.
The state assembly of the local teachers' union, Section 22, called on URO to resign before November 30 and to guarantee the physical safety of teachers returning to work, pay salaries in arrears, release political prisoners, and retract arrest warrants for the leaders of both the APPO and Section 22, among other demands. These demands were part of the decision of the teachers' vote to return to the schools, scheduled tentatively for October 30.
While Section 22 spokesperson Enrique Rueda Pacheco was in Mexico City talking with Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal about the conditions for a phased-in regional opening of schools, the attacks began in Oaxaca. The problem for URO of course was that returning to the classrooms did not imply lifting the APPO's occupation of the city center, nor the return of government buildings to the government. The teachers' voting to return also included the condition that they would continue their struggle to oust URO.
Meanwhile, URO refused to resign or take a leave of absence. During the teachers' assembly meeting, shooting and bus burning went on outside the Hotel Magisterio, where the meeting took place.
On Friday morning, the day scheduled for the onset of the big anti-URO strike, I walked up the north-south street close to my house. The newly constructed small neighborhood barricade consisted of three men, six women, a snarl of barbed wire, a banner, and a barrel. On the main road, traffic was light and getter lighter. In the middle of Niños Heroes Street, a woman held an umbrella against the sun with one hand and with the other tossed aside the rocks that impeded traffic in front of her shop. When she reached the sidewalk where I was watching, she snarled, "Ya basta! That's enough of these blockades!" It appeared she not did not understand that, no more than 300 meters behind her, two busses were being maneuvered into position for a complete blockade of the avenue.
The peaceful appearance of this shut-down was brief. By the time I returned home the radio told a different story. URO had been sighted in Santa Lucia, and people were reminded not to overreact.
By mid-day on Friday, a mechanic, Gerardo Sanchez, was abducted by two plain-clothes men and one woman in a vehicle near the El Rosario Bridge, and driven to Tlocolula where the prison is located. His abductors were later identified as state ministerial police.
Photo: D.R. 2006 El UniversalThe operation resembles what happened to Pablo Garcia García on October 1 (Garcia, a student, was beaten, tortured and released). Earlier reports claimed that Gerardo Sanchez had been abducted in Tlocolula. The report said that two lawyers and the PRI mayor were complicit. A call went out for the people of Tlocolula to take over the municipal building. Crowds gathered and that situation remains unclear.
During the afternoon three other teachers were abducted and taken to the city prison, where another shootout occurred. Emilio Alonzo Fabián, a 42-year-old teacher from Loxicha in the Pochutla region, was shot and killed when he ran with others to intercept a car identified as one of those used by the police.
Attacks continued throughout the afternoon in San Antonio de la Cal, in the La Experimental neighborhood, where the Oaxaca state prosecutor's office is located; in Santa Lucía del Camino; and in Santa María Coyotepec.
Three people were dead before the 11 o'clock news came on. During the Oaxaca segment of TV Azteca news, URO announced firmly that four were dead but that the shooting was done by the APPO, while his police were all in their barracks. Photographs and videos emerged later revealing the shooters as members of the ministerial police. URO was interviewed via phone by TV Azteca, which was simultaneously showing people with sticks in their hands running away from what could be heard as gunshots. In the video clip, they were carrying the body of Brad Will, a U.S. Indymedia reporter, who was killed during the afternoon in Santa Lucía del Camino during a confrontation with ministerial police. Along with him, a photographer from Milenio was shot in the foot. Santa Lucia del Camino is now in the hands of the PRI.
In Santa Maria Coyotepec twenty-four people were wounded by 11 p.m. in an attack on the people at a barricade. According to citizens who were present at the time, the victims were shot by police in plain clothes, and thrown into prison with no medical treatment.
During this same long day, Enrique Rueda Pacheco was in Mexico City negotiating a return to classes with Carlos Abascal. When he called the radio station about ten o'clock, he didn't seem too angry, but the others who followed him on the radio were stronger in their outrage. The kindest thing said about Rueda was, that "he's young, he's a politician." Joel Castillo, the state's PRI interior secretary, was named on Radio Plantón as being behind the attacks. "The conditions to go back to classes don't exist," said one spokesperson for the teachers.
At noon on Saturday, October 28, we are waiting for the entrance of the PFP. The announcers on Radio Universidad are saying neither the barricades nor the zocalo will be surrendered.
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| posted by Melissa Rodriguez @ 10/28/2006 07:54:00 PM |
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| happy halloween ! |
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LAST NIGHT I HAD A BLAST THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO CAME OUT AND BOUGHT A PLATE WE HAD A BLAST !!!! AND THERE WERE A LOT OF WINNERS 8 OF THE TICKETS I SOLD WERE WINNERS !!! AFTER WARDS OF COURSE WE (THE GIRLS WENT OUT) THANKS AND ON AN ADDED NOTE MY HATS OFF TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE IN THE RESTURANT BUISNESS I DONT KNOW HOW YALL DO IT!!!!!
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| posted by Melissa Rodriguez @ 10/28/2006 04:43:00 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: Melissa Rodriguez
Home: San Antonio, Texas, United States
About Me: New me, not the same one that started out in the begining of the summer. Oaxaca and what I saw here in SA changed me. I use to think I did a lot, volunteer for organizations, chair events. blablabla. But there is sooo much more to do! And i learned not to be afraid. Not that I was scared of things before. But not to be afraid to venture out and ask questions. Or to say NO! And to ask why something can't happen. To be in the middle of all that and not knowing what tomorrow held. Finding out who really loved you when you called home, who was waiting for your call.. maybe my last call, that woke me up to what i want for my life....New me ..braver, more aggressive, and more FOCUS than ever on a GOAL!
UPDATE: one goal completed since last updated: i graduating w/ my AA in PR!
2nd goal going to OLLU for my BS.
3rd goal: WE ARE GOING BACK TO OAXACA!!!
See my complete profile
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