Tuesday, March 13, 2007

TAKE BACK MEXICO


The following below was sent to me by a friend. After that you will find a communique concerning the encampment from the EZLN.

Why Should we Be Part of the Cucapa Encampment?


1. The Cucapa Camp is an Essential Part of La Otra Campaña: The aim of La Otra Campaña is no more and no less than TO TAKE MEXICO BACK peacefully--- through a democratic process of building a (trans) national horizontal network connecting up all the grassroots local struggles, together developing a new social agenda, social contract or constitution and at a strategic moment, in the near future, taking national coordinated action, like a national strike that is peaceful but massive. The ideal is that Chican@s and Mexican@s and all their relations be part of that strategy--not just supportive of, but and integral part of every stage of this strategy.


2. A Profound Structural Democratic Transformation In Mexico Means Movement Towards a Profound Structural Democratic Transformation In the U.S.: When the bottom left takes back Mexico, the U.S. undemocratic system will be seriously ill and weakened. Neoliberal Mexico is politically an important extension of the U.S., and the U.S. depends on Mexico economically. When civil society takes Mexico away from the capitalists, it will be a serious amputation of one the U.S.'s major limbs. Such an amputation will cut deep into current U.S.'s geographic, political and imperialist psychological domains.


3. La Otra Campaña is the Most Correct Immigration Policy: The Mexican Nation-Peoples (as oppossed to the Mex. Nation state) includes about 30-35 million people of Mexican descent that have been economically expelled from Mexico and now live in the U.S., who under an other (real democratic) Mexico wouldl have a right to return and the right of return of land. There will be no more economic need to cross the border under life and death pressure.


4. La Otra Campaña Necessarily Entails a Transnational Strategy: La Otra Campaña, although at the moment, is focused on taking back the territory of the current Mexican Nation State, is about taking it for and by the Mexican Nation Peoples and inspiring others to do the same wherever they are. La Otra Campaña is a struggle of a Nation Peoples living and struggling on both sides of an arbitrary and capitalist based nation-state border line. La Otra Campaña is a National Struggle carried out by Trans-National Peoples.


5. The Cucapa Encampment Signals Out the Central Role of the Indigenous Struggles: The Cucapa encampment is the first step of the second phase of La Otra Campaña and it initiates, introduces and further develops the pivotal role of the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico, whose wisdom and courage is the back bone of the left and the bottom. The Cucapa Encampment embodies all the typical genocidal policies of neoliberal capitalism. Stripped of their natural sources of food because of the dams, the Cucapa today depend on selling their labor at super exploitive rates and fishing in the mouth of the Colorado River Delta which is now being prohibited. The encampment is to shed global light on this genocide. So important is this particular struggle to the general and long term that La Comision 6xta of the Zapatista will also be part of the campers.


6. The particpation of Chican@s and "naturalized" Mexican@s is key: We as natural bridges and links to local struggles on both sides. We can bring key resources both to the particular Cucapa struggle as well as to the general and long term Otra Campaña democratic struggle. We can also camp out with the Cucapa to witness the applied policies of neoliberal capitalism. As such, our role as Chican@s and Mexican@s (or of progressives on this side of the border) is not one of support or solidarity work but one of carrying out our part of a regional and in this case transnational strategy.


How Can We Be Part of the Cucupa Encampment and the Overall Otra Campaña?


1. Visit and/or Camp-out: Organize a Caravan to the Cucapa Encampment: We call on all progressive individuals to participate by visiting the camp, and if possible camping out. We expect people from all over Mexico, the U.S. and other countries to participate. We are encouraging all students and student organizations such as MEChA to take group spring breaks at the encampment. The same goes for


2. Fundraising: Individual donations, fundraisers, raffles, t-shirt sales, silent auctions and more ways that you can be part


3. Outreach: Get the information out to others. We especially want to reach out to our multicultural grassroots friends and families.


4. Meetings: Banda Martes, which is dedicated to working as part of La Otra here in Los Angeles, has regular meetings at the Eastside Cafe on Tuesdays at 8:00 pm. The ESC is located at 5469 Huntington Drive North (corner w/Maycrest) in El Sereno, Los Angeles 90032.

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International Invitation to Peace Encampments on Zapatista and Cucapá Territory
To Be Installed February 26 in El Mayor, Baja California; March 13 in Huitepec, Near San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas



By Subcomandante Marcos, EZLN
Translated by Narco News
February 22, 2007


ZAPATISTA ARMY OF NATIONAL LIBERATION
MEXICO

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

TO THE PEOPLES OF MEXICO AND THE WORLD:
TO THE OTHER CAMPAIGN:

The indigenous Cucapá people, the indigenous Quilihua people, the Other Campaign in Baja California, the Independent Francisco Villa Popular Front – UNOPII, the Party of Communists, Socialist and Worker Unity – UNIOS, the Good Government Council of the Chiapas Highlands and through its Sixth Commission, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation…


WE CONVOKE

The Indigenous National Congress, the Other Campaign on both sides of the northern border, the Zezta International, the national and international community in defense of indigenous culture and peace with justice and dignity for the original peoples, the civil organizations and environmental groups of the five continents, the peoples of Mexico and the world, and the alternative media to organize and participate directly or through representatives in…

THE ACTIVITIES AND MOBILIZATIONS THAT FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE ORIGINAL PEOPLES OF MEXICO, REPECT FOR INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND THE DEFENSE OF MOTHER NATURE WILL OCCUR IN MEXICAN TERRITORY DURING THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL AND MAY 2007 UNDER THE BANNER:


THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN DEFENSE OF LIFE, CULTURE AND NATURE: BELOW AND TO THE LEFT


Cucapás, Quilihuas and Zapatistas united
In defense of the original peoples and Mother Earth

DURING THOSE MONTHS, IN INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES OF THE MEXICAN NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST, TWO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ENCAMPMENTS FOR PEACE WILL BE INSTALLED:

THE FIRST OF THEM, IN THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY OF EL MAYOR, ON TERRITORY OF THE INDIAN CUCAPÁ PEOPLE, NEAR THE CITY OF MEXICALI, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO.

AND THE SECOND, IN THE TOWN HUITEPEC OCOTAL (SECTION II) IN THE TERRITORY OF THE INDIAN TZOTZIL PEOPLE, NEAR THE CITY OF SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS, MÉXICO.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, IN THE TERRITORIES OF THE GOOD GOVERNMENT COUNCILS, A CAMPAIGN TO CONSERVE THE FORESTS AND IMPEDE THE HARVEST AND TRAFFICKING OF PRECIOUS HARDWOODS WILL BEGIN, AS WELL AS THE ENACTMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS LAWS FOR PROTECTION OF NATURE.

In Baja California, in the Cucapá indigenous community of El Mayor, the peace encampment will have the mission of accompanying the Cucapá and Quilihua indigenous peoples of the Northwest of Mexico. It will be formally installed on February 26, 2007, at 9:30 a.m., with a traditional ceremony by the indigenous Cucapás. The encampment will be maintained during the months of February, March, April and May of this year of 2007 during the fishing season. The Sixth Commission of the EZLN will be present with one of its Zapatista indigenous delegations of maximum authority beginning in mid-March 2007 until the end of fishing season. The regulations and conditions for participation and attendance in this place will be determined by the Cucapá people. For this encampment we exhort all people who are going to attend to resolve the conditions of their food and lodging by their own means in a manner that does not burden the hard life conditions of the Cucapá and Quilihua peoples. Those peoples and other originals and migrants located in the northwest of our country will offer food and original crafts at fair prices to the participants of the encampment. The regulations for the encampment, decided by the Cucapá and Quilihua, will be able to be consulted in the Internet page of the Sixth Commission of the EZLN (enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx).

In Chiapas, on Huitepec Hill, outside of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in the ecological reserve under the protection of the Zapatista Good Government Council of the Chiapas Highlands, the encampment will have the mission of protecting an important forest region in danger of being looted by international soft-drink and paper manufacturers. This encampment will be made known, in time, by the Good Government Council of the Chiapas Highlands and will be able to be consulted in the Internet page enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx.

We invite the alternative and free media to be present and, with their knowledge and abilities, link both encampments and contribute that way to the defense of nature and its original guardians, the Indian peoples, and the unity of the Northwest and Southwest of the Mexico from below.

We invite the national and international press to report and broadcast, first hand, the life conditions and history of the Indian peoples of the Northwest of Mexico for whom the evil governments only have disrespect and oblivion.


FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ATENCO!

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR OAXACA!

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
México, February of 2007

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