PeaceNews #2475-76: Article

more peacenews:

subscriptions:

You are here: Frontpage > Issues > 2475-76 >

In May, regular PN contributor Jess Orlik travelled to Mexico. As the country goes to thepolls for its July general election, she reports on the development of the Zapatista-conceived "Other Campaign", the brutal clashes with police in San Salvador Atenco, and theongoing and defiant teachers' strike - which has seen thousands take to the streets in

Jess Orlik

On Sunday 2 July , gen -eral elections were held in Mexico. Thethree main parties; the ruling PAN (Party of NationalAction), the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) and thePRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution) are fighting aclose battle, but this year they face a fourth opponent whichseeks to shake the founda tions of the whole politicalsystem. Originating "from below and to the left", it callsitself La Otra Campana (The Other Campaign).
The Other Campaign was conceived by the EZLN (Zap -atista Army of National Libera tion) but the or ganisation iskeen to disassociate itself from claims to leadership or control ofthe movement. The campaign aims to create a social movementof the left to oppose capitalism and neo-liberalism in Mexicoand globally.
Historically, the EZLN hasconcentrated on creating and maintaining the autonomousZapatista municipalities in Chi apas, the southernmost state ofMexico. Recently however , the EZLN has begun to look at theposition it holds in relation to a wider political struggle. Theorganisation felt that it was not enough to maintain theseautonomous zones in Chiapas, it had to join in struggle withother movements engaged in the fight against capitalism and neo-liberalism in order to effect rev olutionary change in Mexico. Daily strugglesThe Other Campaign has three strands. One is to uphold anddefend the autonomous Zap atista communities. The second,called the "Inter galactic Com mission", deals with the interna tional aspect of the campaign,and the third, entitled the sixth commission of EZLN, has takenon the struggle nationally . Sub comandante Marcos has adoptedthe role of spokesman for The Other Campaign in this nationalcontext.
The campaign has been tour -ing the country since 1 January 2006 and aims to stop in all 32states over the course of the year. When the Campaign calls ameeting, ordinary people speak about their daily struggles suchas extortionate electricity bills or lack of government support forsmall farms. Marcos takes notes and summarises the discussionat the end of the meeting. There is no attempt to offer an easysolution, instead people are encouraged to join together instruggle to oppose the political and economic system that disad -vantages them.

Historic resistance

Since it began its tour, The Other Campaign has been beset by anumber of obstacles. In April, the campaign stopped in San Sal -vador Atenco, a town with a his tory of political resistance to neo-liberal state policies. In 2001 President Vicente Fox's govern -ment announced plans to build a new international airport forMexico City in the area around Texcoco and Atenco, expropriat -ing 5000 hectares of farmland. When the plans were announced500 local farmers resisted and blockaded the highway betweenTexcoco and Lecheria.
The airport plan was just oneof a number of projects proposed by Vicente Fox, among them thePuebla Panama which would open up southern Mexico totransnational corporations through the construction of anindustrial and transportation corridor starting in Atenco.Farmers and residents of Atenco have resisted this project andformed an alliance called La Frente de los Pueblos en Defensade la T ierra (The People' s Front in Defence of the Land) (FPDT).In 2002, Fox announced the can cellation of the airport project.More recently in Atenco the government announced plans toraze the traditional municipal market and replace it with a modern shopping complex. Manyinhabitants of Texcoco, which lies on the eastern edge of MexicoCity, travel to neighbouring Atenco to sell produce, primarilyflowers, around the market. In anticipation of the project,municipal leader Nazario Gutier rez, a member of the PRD, gaveorders to police to remove local vendors from the market at thebeginning of April 2006. How ever, the vendors came to anagreement with the authorities, which allowed them to continueselling from 3 May 2006.
In the meantime, members ofthe FPDT were providing secu rity to The Other Campaign andSubcomandante Marcos at the Monday 1 May rally in MexicoCity. The rally was well attended, with speakers from many differ -ent organisations such as unions and women's groups, as well asIgnacio Del V alle, the leader of the FPDT. Marcos promised toalign The Other Campaign with Atenco's struggle. Flower powerOn 3 May 2006, 60 flower ven dors returned to Atenco to setup their stalls but were met by the police who again attemptedto forcibly eject them. This time though, the vendors had askedthe FPDT to accompany them and the police met with fierceresistance from approximately 80 civilians. A call for help to other sup porters in Atenco resulted in ablockade of the highway border ing Atenco and leading to Texco-co. The police tried to lift the blockade five times, and fivetimes they were resisted. The protest was marked by extremeviolence. An estimated 50 people were injured and 106 arrested;11 police were taken hostage but were later released to theRed Cross. A 14-year -old boy was shot in the chest and killed.On the same day, police stormed the house where FPDT leaderIgnacio Del V alle was hiding. He was beaten with clubs andthen arrested. On the evening of 3 May members of The OtherCampaign arrived in Atenco to lend their support.At 6.30am on Thursday 4 May, 3000 police surroundedAtenco. Within an hour they had invaded and occupied thetown. The police moved from house to house, beating people,making arrests and destroying property. Many ar gue that theprotests of the day before served as a convenient pretext for thebrutal repression enacted in Atenco on 4 May. Tear gas, clubsand firearms were used to con trol civilians and many womendetained have made allegations of rape and sexual assault bypolice officers. One woman, who had been a speaker in MexicoCity on 1 May , was repeatedly kicked in the groin. It is esti -mated that 200-300 people were detained; many of these wereadherents to The Other Cam paign. At 5.30pm the siege waslifted and the police left.

Autonomy and support

The struggle in Atenco is led by the FPDT but The Other Cam -paign has pledged its support, stating, "For us, they, those whocomprise the FPDT are The Other Campaign in those lands.We will respect their decisions. We will go wherever they tell usto go. They have been clear in their demands; immediate liber ation of those detained and totalwithdrawal of the government forces that are invading theirlands." This illustrates the nature of The Other Campaign.Each individual struggle is con trolled by those involved, withthe campaign acting as a sup portive framework within whichthose struggles can be publicised and supported. The Other Cam -paign pledged to halt its tour until the political prisoners ofAtenco were released.
The tense situation andincreased repression enacted in Atenco is evident all over Mexico.In Oaxaca state, the annual teachers strike has been metwith violent repression. In Oax aca city on Wednesday 14 June asit-in by thousands of teachers was disbanded by police withtear gas, smoke grenades, stun guns and firearms. The teachersare calling for better provision of education services and increasedsalaries, and their protest has support from many. A march onFriday 16 June attracted over 300,000 people from variouspolitical or ganisations such as students' groups and unions.Teachers have been striking for several weeks now and have setup a camp in the city.
Like The Other Campaign, theteachers' protest has opened up a space for dissenting voices to beheard. This is a tense time for Mexico, and the increased levelof state repression is an indica tion of the fear felt by an elitewhose power is being severely challenged at a grassroots level. The Other Campaign called for a public debate in MexicoCity on 30 June and 1 July , and for peaceful mobilisations onSunday 2 July, election day.

Jess Orlik is a regular PN contributor. In May she travelled to Mexico where, amongst other things, she challenged Zapatista women to a game of basketball.
For documents in English and Spanish from the Other Campaign, see http://www.eco.utexas.edu/ ~hmcleave/TheOtherCampaign.htm
Watch the Atenco documentary Breaking the Seige, produced by Canalseisdejulio Promedios http://www.salonchingon.com/ cinema/otra_canal6atenco.php