Situation in Oaxaca

[Thor Henning]

Here is a new article from BBC about the situation.

[RonH]

Originally Posted by fryman

Stay as far away from Oaxaca as you can, it is a jungle right now.

Its tragic it has gone this far. Such a beautiful area, and some of the nicest people I have ever come across.

[fryman]

Well, we have an idiot for president, and he doesn't care about this since in a couple of months his term will end and he will go back home and rest.

[PlayadelSoul]

Originally Posted by fryman

Well, we have an idiot for president, and he doesn't care about this since in a couple of months his term will end and he will go back home and rest.

A crooked PRI Governor and a crooked PRD Teacher Union, battling over to see who gets the bigger piece of the PAN pie.

[mofi]

Originally Posted by Mexivoof

I heard recently: BBC... Teachers will vote to return to work. Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel... American journalist dead reporting on a gun fight in Oaxaca. I actually heard a few weeks ago that the situation had been resolved, guess that was wrong. Cripes I wish the US had decent news coverage of its North American neighbors.
Quick... Americans... who is the Canadian PM?? Don't feel bad, w/o looking it up I can't name him either

Stephen Harper

[maestranba]

Thanks for the update, guys. I knew something big was happening this weekend. My colleague got an email from her daughter who's living in Oaxaca. She was really pissed b/c her Verizon service had been cut off. Apparently, they found out Ruiz was calling Fox on a cell phone whose service is the same as Verizon uses there, so they cut it off. They had also cut off all the radio stations, both am and fm, and she said there was going to be a huge 72 hour protest this weekend. She was upset b/c she had to go to the grocery store and was dreading the crowds that would surely be there.

I feel so bad for her. There's been nothing but unrest since she moved there, and there are practically no students at the language school she's working at. She's afraid her contract might end before June. I only hope this is over with soon. Nothing good is coming of it, for anyone!!

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by fryman

Well, we have an idiot for president, and he doesn't care about this since in a couple of months his term will end and he will go back home and rest.

Classic sidestepping dance. The consummate pragmatic politician.
Evidently he was trying to see if the protests and/or the senate would ultimately oust the governor, thus eliminating the most contentious issue on the table between the protesting factions (teachers' unions, leftist and indigenous groups) and the government. A bit much of wishful thinking IMO.

He's had a few too many embarrassing crossings with the likes of the ever charismatic Sub-comandante Marcos, and a host of intellectual dignitaries from Europe and elsewhere reminding him of the vital importance of resolving such pressing issues as political corruption (so rampant while the PRI ruled for over 70 years) and ameliorating socio-political inequities such as the indigenous predicament with dignity, not military impunity, to dare face another fiasco.

As it turned out, just as the teachers had arrived at some accord, he was eventually forced to send in federal forces to untangle the mess in the city of Oaxaca. Forced because of the shooting death of an American journalist.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by RonH

Its tragic it has gone this far. Such a beautiful area, and some of the nicest people I have ever come across.

I'll second that, any day of the week, or weekend.

[Michael]

This is a comprehensive update on the current situation in Oaxaca.
http://www.topix.net/content/ap/0648...92273333310376
I was disappointed to read that the American camera man (at least according to this article) was an activist in Mexico to help the protesters cause. ………….

……that was gutsy move. He must have known the risks.

If you come to Mexico as a foreigner and choose sides in a political battle you’ve decided to break the law. If after you become involved you also choose to get between two sides that have started to shoot at each other, you’ve decided that your cause is worth dying for.

I’m sorry it had to come to that.

[PlayadelSoul]

Originally Posted by itsmysecondtime

Classic sidestepping dance. The consummate pragmatic politician.
Evidently he was trying to see if the protests and/or the state senate would ultimately oust the governor, thus eliminating the most contentious issue on the table between the protesting factions (teachers' unions, leftist and indigenous groups) and the government. A bit much of wishful thinking IMO.

He's had a few too many embarrassing crossings with the likes of the ever charismatic Sub-comandante Marcos, and a host of intellectual dignitaries from Europe and elsewhere reminding him of the vital importance of resolving such pressing issues as political corruption (so rampant while the PRI ruled for over 70 years) and ameliorating socio-political inequities such as the indigenous predicament with dignity, not military impunity, to dare face another fiasco.

As it turned out, just as the teachers had arrived at some accord, he was eventually forced to send in federal forces to untangle the mess in the city of Oaxaca. Forced because of the shooting death of an American journalist.

Man, are you out of touch.

Sub Commandante Marcos was relegated to the position of cartoon character, years ago. The teachers rejected the latest offer, and they are not really the major players anyway. Their yearly strike was used as an excuse for a mini coup by PRD. The governor of Oaxaca is PRI, and spent the money he was supposed to use to pay the annual mordida to the teachers unions reps.

Fox has stayed out of it, because he did not want to side with either side. Now, that it has gotten violent to the point that foreigners (albeit not so innocent ones) are being killed, he has decided to knock some heads.

It is not about indigenous groups. It is about money, and the corruption surrounding it.

[Sol]

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

Man, are you out of touch.

Sub Commandante Marcos was relegated to the position of cartoon character, years ago. The teachers rejected the latest offer, and they are not really the major players anyway. Their yearly strike was used as an excuse for a mini coup by PRD. The governor of Oaxaca is PRI, and spent the money he was supposed to use to pay the annual mordida to the teachers unions reps.

Fox has stayed out of it, because he did not want to side with either side. Now, that it has gotten violent to the point that foreigners (albeit not so innocent ones) are being killed, he has decided to knock some heads.

It is not about indigenous groups. It is about money, and the corruption surrounding it.

Thanks for the summary. I agree, this has nothing to do with the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca. It's very sad that some lives have been lost during this conflict.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

Man, are you out of touch.

Sub Commandante Marcos was relegated to the position of cartoon character, years ago. The teachers rejected the latest offer, and they are not really the major players anyway. Their yearly strike was used as an excuse for a mini coup by PRD. The governor of Oaxaca is PRI, and spent the money he was supposed to use to pay the annual mordida to the teachers unions reps.

Fox has stayed out of it, because he did not want to side with either side. Now, that it has gotten violent to the point that foreigners (albeit not so innocent ones) are being killed, he has decided to knock some heads.

It is not about indigenous groups. It is about money, and the corruption surrounding it.

Re-read my post, and read your reactionary response. Tell me what it is specifically that is inflating your head.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by Sol

Thanks for the summary. I agree, this has nothing to do with the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca. It's very sad that some lives have been lost during this conflict.

Re-read my post Sol and see how you responded. I can understand an ideologue like PDS to be blinded by his myopia, but expected a bit more out of you.

[itsmysecondtime]

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

A crooked PRI Governor and a crooked PRD Teacher Union, battling over to see who gets the bigger piece of the PAN pie.

I won't stand by these disturbing trolls of yours.
Not only intellectually disingenuous, it is a dis-service to this forum.

But then again, what else should I have expected from you?

Please show us the evidence regarding the 'crooked' character of this organization.

BTW with regard to my allusion to teachers' accord, it was related to the decision to go back to class on Monday, rather than any deal between the opposing factions. Whether this accord between he teachers will materialize remains to be seen, especially given the most recent developments with the intervention of the feds.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6096960.stm

[itsmysecondtime]

It's so easy to plaster such inflamatory posts without evidentiary support.
I was waiting for PDS to reply to calls for evidence over his remarks, rather than mere prejudices and opnions; but it appears he's deemed reason and evidence inferior and altogether irrelevant in substance to the force of opinion.

In the interest of fairness I post the following links so to allow those who've been following these events to derive their own conclusions as to the credibility of PDS's latest posts.

As to the roots of the current conflict.
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/pu...le_23099.shtml
(contrary to PDS's claims, these observers indicate that while teachers may be most visible, indigenous groups [includind farmers] and their plight remains central to the dynamic of this conflict, you chose which position is most credible)

Regarding PDS's peculiar, if not outright misinforming claim over the irrelevancy of Sub-Comandante Marcos and the role of the Zapatista and indigenous movements in the current Oaxacan conflict.
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarti...9&ItemID=11276


Link to the current unconventional direction of the Zapatista movement, straight from the man's mouth. Evidently not a predictable path, not unlike their first stage in 1994. This stage seeks grass roots strength, the most solid and inevitably the most dangerous to the status quo. This is arguably one of the most daring maneuvers that the movement has opted for, disregarding any alliances with the progressive factions in the political arena. The power is in the hands of the people, it's only a matter of making this meta-narrative clear as daylight.

http://www.counterpunch.org/bogado03102006.html

http://www.citylights.com/CLpubRE.html#4774 (look at the second book down the list)

http://www.citypaper.net/articles/030801/sl.slant.shtml (this 2001 article relating to the popular Zapatista tour in the quest to have the San Andrés Peace Accords ratified should show revealing paralels between the movement's tactics and goals then and now - i.e. why no longer pursuing the conventional political approach this time around)

Zapatista influence north of the border concerning Oaxacan conflict
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...d=oid%3A414012

Regarding the participation of indigenous groups in this multi-group APPO movement for political accountability, apart from other immediate demands.(i.e. ousting of current governor of Oaxaca)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...102900180.html
(look at paragraph number 6)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarti...9&ItemID=11276

http://allbutt.net/places/mexico/oaxaca.html (With well over 1/3 of indigenous individuals comprising the population of Oaxaca, this state has the highest concentration of indigenous peoples; thus to blurt that indigenous groups' participation in this current conflict is irrelevant is akin to saying that there is no conflict in Oaxaca at this time)

Regarding the Zapatista related origin of the organization indymedia that employed Brad Will, the reporter that was shot dead on October 27 while documenting the conflict.

http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml (note the passage on fourth paragraph, on how this organization was born) As for Will's untimely death and the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, you derive whatever conclusion best fits your understanding of this conflict.


Links providing some context to commercial media's portaits of the current conflict in Oaxaca, since most such news reports tend to simply reproduce regurgitated excerpts of ultra-sanitized and hence a distorted sense of the reality on the ground.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarti...m?ItemID=11002

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35050

http://www.topix.net/content/ap/0648...92273333310376

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarti...m?ItemID=11175


Why say indigenous rather than indian?
Edit!!!