Mexico: marches for the freedom of the political prisoners of Eloxochitlán, Oaxaca and international solidarity actions
The newspaper Periódico Mural reports on marches for the freedom of six political prisoners indicted nine years ago. After the Community Assembly was dissolved with gunfire and the son of the ‘cacique’ [landlord despotic that rules political, economical and socially on land] was arrested and returned back by the police, he later appear dead. After a trial with many irregularities they imprisoned the six political prisoners. Mural explains the events like this:
“On December 14, 2014, the former municipal president Manuel Zepeda Cortés dissolved with gunfire the Community Assembly that would decide the direction of the community according to its customs and habits.
Making trouble and failing till their doom is the logic of the reactionaries and they cannot go against it. This explains the way of acting of the ‘caciquismo’[the way to rule as a cacique] of the Zepeda in the Mazatec mountains. In those troubles, Manuel Zepeda Lagunas, son of the ‘cacique’, was arrested by the community police, who was handed over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but was later found dead; everything seems to indicate that it was a settling of accounts between the powers of the State to finally criminalize the members of the Community Assembly.
As a result, Omar, Alfredo, Jaime, Fernando, Herminio and Francisco remain unjustly deprived of their liberty in the midst of a judicial process plagued by irregularities and with the threat of a conviction of up to 50 years. Behind the slogan of keeping them in prison is the former local deputy and today head of the Women’s Secretariat, Eliza Zepeda Lagunas, the young Morenoist member of the cabinet of Salomón Jara Cruz who is also heir to the regional political ‘caciquismo’ erected by her father Manuel Zepeda Cortés. The official of the 4T says she is the victim of attempted homicide and according to testimonies of the people, she has sworn that the prisoners of Eloxochitlán will not be released while she is in power.”
Since his imprisonment, the Mazatecas por la Libertad collective was founded by the family of prisoners and community members and they have demonstrated demanding his release. In this case the complicity and corruption of the old State that keeps the six political prisoners incarcerated is shown. Their last action was a convoy full of political content. Unión Popular de Vendedores and Ambulantes 28 de Octubre and Pueblo Unidos from the regions of Cholulteca, both from Puebla; the People’s current – Red Sun, CIPO-RFM and APIIDTT of Oaxaca, among others participated.
“The march has been combative, both in its content and in the general conduct of the contingents who in their path made graffiti, shouted slogans and put up posters and dazibaos on the facades of transnational companies and in the palace of ignominy. The banners of unity and the combativeness of the demonstrators have forced the “new State government” to give in to dialogue with the relatives of the political prisoners, scheduling a meeting with the governor,” the newspaper added. Different slogans were also written:
Free the political prisoners of Eloxochitlán of Flores Magón!
Freedom sentences, now!
In addition, actions against the CIIT (Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec) have been reported from different parts of the world. The struggle against this corridor is being carried out because of the implications of its construction, expelling poor peasants and indigenous people from their lands in order to cede the lands to large foreign companies and carry out the project despite the implication it has for the people. In addition, there are many cases of repression because of opposing the CIIT.
From Chile, a graffiti was painted on a wall in protest against the CIIT:
In the image you can read “The interoceanic corridor dispossesses and kills peasants and indigenous people in Mexico! FRP.” FRP stands for People’s Revolutionary Front. You can read the news in Nuevo Peru.
Also from Madrid in Spain, pamphlets were distributed in front of the Mexican embassy in the city to raise awareness among passers-by about the implications of the corridor. The pamphlets read the slogans “State Terrorism in Mexico!” and “The Interoceanic Corridor loots and kills poor peasants and indigenous people!”
In addition, a danzibao with the same slogans was put up at the Complutense University of Madrid to inform students about what CIIT entails. You can read the full news in the newspaper Servir al Pueblo.
Also in Bremen in Germany, a wall painting was done demanding Justice for Felix Vicente Cruz! With the Red Sun the people will win!”.
We have previously published statements from various organizations on the murder of Felix Vicente Cruz, who died on 13th of April after he was shot by an armed group in the Municipal Agency.
