Feature Archives

Leftist Rafael Correa, a 43 year-old middle-class economist, beat billionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa in Ecuador’s runoff presidential election on November 26, capturing two-thirds of the vote. Ecuador now joins Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Chile and Brazil in electing leftist chief executives within the last year. During the campaign he said “It is necessary to overcome all the fallacies of neoliberalism,” and that he advocates “Socialism for the twenty-first century.”

On November 30th, The Federal Preventative Police expanded its operations into the surrounding towns around Oaxaca City. Today they have conducted a raid into Zaalchia, 11 kilometers outside of Oaxaca City and numerous other towns. Read More

On November 29th, Radio Universidad was handed over to the administrators of Benito Juarez Autonomous University. As part of an agreement with APPO, the University will now handle security for the station. This week, outgoing Mexican President Fox said that he would use a hard hand against the movement in Oaxaca.

There was a Oaxaca reportback, November 30th, at Bound Together Books in SF. December 1st was an international day of solidarity with APPO. There was a protest at 2pm in Oaxaca. There also was an all-day protest at the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento. On December 6th, Barucha Calamity Peller, who has contributed to Indybay from Oaxaca will give a reportback "Oaxaca: Portrait of Rebellion," at 8pm at Station 40 in San Francisco.

November 27th, 2006 - B.C. Peller reports: Following the repression exerted on November 25th the federal police (PFP) has come out with statements declaring that they're patience is exhausted and that they are willing to go all out to put an end to the movement by December 1st. Read More
November 26th, 2006 - B.C. Peller reports: There are reported to be 4 different armed groups operating in Oaxaca City at the moment, PRI backed paramilitaries, the Federal Preventative Police (PFP), the state police and the Federal Investigative Police (AFI). Read More
November 25th, 2006 - radio zapote writes: Today, after the seventh megamarch in Oaxaca, members of the APPO attempted to form a human fence around the federal preventative police (PFP), but were attacked with gas. This unleashed a series of clashes with violence again igniting in the city. Many have been arrested and there are reports of many wounded, some by gunfire. It is confirmed that three people were killed.

November 25: The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca is on its seventh mega-march with the idea of encircling the federal police who have been stationed in the center square of Oaxaca City since November 2nd. The federal police has responded with massive amounts of teargas. Report from the start of the march.
The date December 1st is looming on the horizon, as it is when the fraudulently-elected Felipe Calderon is supposed to become president of Mexico, and Oaxaca's largely-deposed Ulises Ruiz Ortiz would be eligible to appoint a new governor. With the 7th Mega-Marcha, the popular movement in Oaxaca is stepping up its organizing to maintain its autonomy.
The Cinco Señores Barricade, set up in front of the Benito Juarez Autonomous University, is the last remaining barricade in Oaxaca City. Portrait of The Last Barricade by Barucha Calamity Peller

Tuesday, November 21: At 12:30am, armed supporters of the PRI party ransacked and burned tents at the APPO encampment in Santa Domingo. During the day, two people were detained at the Cinco Senores barricade while government forces were attempting to take it down, and it is reported that one of these two has a gunshot wound and was severely beaten. Today 10 APPO women began a hunger strike in Oaxaca City, as calls were put out for caravans to travel to Oaxaca from around Mexico for a day of action November 25th where the popular uprising will attempt to encircle the police stationed at the city center. APPO Press Release

On Monday,there were clashes with the police and barricades were re-rected around the APPO encampment. Photo Essay by Barucha Calamity Peller | Photos and Audio by Danielsan

Following the call put out by the Zapatistas for a nationwide general strike in Mexico on November 20th, actions had been planned internationally. In San Francisco, approximately 150 protesters marched during rush hour traffic, blocking the entrances to the Oakland Bay Bridge. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | En Español | Video 1 | 2. In Santa Cruz, a rally and march took place at UCSC. Photos

Oaxaca Coverage on Indybay

Oaxaca Solidarity Demonstrations on Monday, November 20th Actions in Mexico and around the world fell on the same day where Obrador, the candidate who lost the summer elections to fraud, is to be inaugurated by his supporters. There have been recent criticisms that Obrador's party is attempting to co-opt the popular movement in Oaxaca, read Women, Political Parties, Barricades and Autonomy by Barucha Calamity Peller. Meanwhile the Oaxacan Attorney General has blamed APPO for the death of Indymedia journalist and anarchist Brad Will. Report, Audio and Photos by danielsan.

Recently reports have surfaced that the Federal Preventative Police have been sexually assualting women in Oaxaca. On Sunday, November 21st hundreds of women marched to confornt the PFP who have been stationed in the city square since November 2nd. March Against Sexual Assualts by the PFP by Barucha Calamity Peller.

The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca had a weekend-long Congress from November 10th-12th, and marches were planned for every day this week. The support at the barricade in front of Radio Universidad has been thinning out and two fast food restaurants near the university were firebombed over the weekend. A Student and Youth Conference also vowed to protect the University. In Oaxaca City, graffiti that is covered up goes back up daily. Pictures of people putting up slogans in Oaxaca and Oaxaca at Any Cost (article and photos) by Barucha Calamity Peller | Report and photos from the APPO Congress by Tristan | Message from the Student and Youth Conference by Danielsan

Upcoming Events and Worldwide Direct Action in Support of Oaxaca on November 20