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July 6-9:: International Fax and Phone Campaign (Spanish and English). A delegation of direct action and anti-globalization activists will be visiting the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco at 11:30am on Wednesday Jul 7th
19 people have been imprisoned in Guadalajara since May 28th. Those who are residents of the state of Jalisco, of which Guadalajara is the capital, have to pay 25,000 pesos ($2,500). Those individuals not from Jalisco are expected to pay 50,000 pesos-- these fees are only the bail that allows them to be released from jail. Everyone who has charges against them, which is everyone who was still in jail after Saturday the 29th of May, has to be processed juridically. They are required to return to Guadalajara every week, and, depending on the verdict in the court, may face further charges or prison sentences. Given the political environment in Guadalajara and Jalisco, which are both governed by the "National Action Party" (PAN), the party of the extreme right in Mexico, further fines and sentences are a very real possibility.
Monday June 28th was an international day of action to demand the liberation of the people who are still being held one month after they were arrested in Guadalajara during the third gathering of heads of state from the EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean (ACLUE). As of that date there were approximately 33 people still being held. There was a march in Mexico, D.F. to demand that the people who were arrested in Guadalajara exactly one month before be set free. Photos: 1 Report: 1 Read more about the Caravana Libertaria action on Mexico Indymedia. Also planned for that date in Guadalajara were a Forum about Human Rights, Constitutional Legality, and Freedom for All Political Prisoners and a Silent March. An action was also planned for that day in Madrid. A delegation in San Francisco tried to visit the Consulate with a letter that listed its demands, but the two top officials were not present. Organizations all over the world have been writing letters and visiting consulates and embassies to let them know that the world is awaiting the release of the prisoners. Contact info for the Mexican Embassy and Consulates Donations are needed for legal expenses for the arrested Guadalajara protesters. Read Indybay's past coverage of the arrests and detentions in Guadalajara and about the political situation in Mexico City | 6/29 Report from Mexico City
19 people have been imprisoned in Guadalajara since May 28th. Those who are residents of the state of Jalisco, of which Guadalajara is the capital, have to pay 25,000 pesos ($2,500). Those individuals not from Jalisco are expected to pay 50,000 pesos-- these fees are only the bail that allows them to be released from jail. Everyone who has charges against them, which is everyone who was still in jail after Saturday the 29th of May, has to be processed juridically. They are required to return to Guadalajara every week, and, depending on the verdict in the court, may face further charges or prison sentences. Given the political environment in Guadalajara and Jalisco, which are both governed by the "National Action Party" (PAN), the party of the extreme right in Mexico, further fines and sentences are a very real possibility.
Monday June 28th was an international day of action to demand the liberation of the people who are still being held one month after they were arrested in Guadalajara during the third gathering of heads of state from the EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean (ACLUE). As of that date there were approximately 33 people still being held. There was a march in Mexico, D.F. to demand that the people who were arrested in Guadalajara exactly one month before be set free. Photos: 1 Report: 1 Read more about the Caravana Libertaria action on Mexico Indymedia. Also planned for that date in Guadalajara were a Forum about Human Rights, Constitutional Legality, and Freedom for All Political Prisoners and a Silent March. An action was also planned for that day in Madrid. A delegation in San Francisco tried to visit the Consulate with a letter that listed its demands, but the two top officials were not present. Organizations all over the world have been writing letters and visiting consulates and embassies to let them know that the world is awaiting the release of the prisoners. Contact info for the Mexican Embassy and Consulates Donations are needed for legal expenses for the arrested Guadalajara protesters. Read Indybay's past coverage of the arrests and detentions in Guadalajara and about the political situation in Mexico City | 6/29 Report from Mexico City
Mon May 31 2004
Urgent Reports from Guadalajara
An International Day of Action was held on Friday June 4th - more...
Update 6/11: Testimonies from prisoners that have been released have confirmed the torture that is going on inside the jails of Guadalajara, Mexico. 25 total still in jail. One activist, Mapache, who was identified as an organizer immediately upon being arrested, and was shown pictures of other activists and instructed to identify them. When he refused, he was given electric shocks to his testicles. Liliana Galaviz Lopez, an IMC photographer, is still in critical condition at a local hospital, after she suffered severe head trauma and cranial swelling at the hands of Mexican police. Bails currently range from $3,000 to $25,000 for the 25 prisoners who have been in prison since May 29. San Francisco's Balazo Galeria has organized a benefit for the prisoners for Saturday June 12th. Supporters are also encouraging people to contact their local Mexican embassies and demand the release of the prisoners.
Update 6/3: Even more arrests in Guadalajara. The repression against nonconformist young people here becomes more serious every day. Since this morning, patrols of the Preventive Police continue to surround the Independent Media Center (CMI)—the branch office of the international agency Indymedia—on the corner of Zaragoza and Juan Manuel, and in the evening, anti-riot police forcefully dispersed a peaceful assembly in front of the Municipal Palace. Through the course of several hours, seven boys were taken prisoner—one of whom, Benjamin Quirarte, was brutally beaten in the installations of Public Security. - La Jornada more...
Update 6/2: More arrests in Guadalajara. At least 3 more arrests have been confirmed in the last hours. These occured during a peaceful protest that began at 4:00 today in the Governmental Plaza of Guadalajara. Soon after the first reports of the arrests, police parked and dismounted a truck in the corner in from on the Independent Media Center, blocking traffic and interrorgating bystanders. Unconfirmed reports have also been recieved that police have recieved orders for the arrests of members of the Centro de Medios Independientes. Read more at Guadalajara Indymedia
Update 5/31: Extreme police repression broke out at the ALCUE trade summit in Guadalajara, Mexico. Global justice activists demanding public participation and democratic debate over development polices, along with bystanders, were brutally beaten, gassed, and arrested. The majority of those detained were picked up in the street in the hours later as they attempted to retreat to safety. As the authorities have refused to release the names, charges and locations of the arrestees, the arrestees are considered to have been "disappeared" by the authorities. In negotiations, police have proposed to ransom all but 9 of the disappeared in exchange for payment for property damage.
Rumors were confirmed concerning the torture and humiliation of the prisoners. Upon arrival the men were separated from the women. The women were made to strip completely, were forced into strange positions, and were told to open and close the door each time. They were detained for more than three hours on the ground with their arms on their necks while being kicked and jumped upon. From the inside some of the prisoners overheard someone saying that the foreigners should be released as quickly as possible so as to not create problems with the embassies.
5/29/04: Urgent reports of repression are coming in from Guadalajara, where police have cracked down on protests at the EU-Latin American trade summit. Police have kidnapped protesters and are demanding ransom money for their release. Donate to the Legal Fund. En español | Full coverage at Mexico and Guadalajara Indymedia | May 30 update | Photos 1 2
Update 6/11: Testimonies from prisoners that have been released have confirmed the torture that is going on inside the jails of Guadalajara, Mexico. 25 total still in jail. One activist, Mapache, who was identified as an organizer immediately upon being arrested, and was shown pictures of other activists and instructed to identify them. When he refused, he was given electric shocks to his testicles. Liliana Galaviz Lopez, an IMC photographer, is still in critical condition at a local hospital, after she suffered severe head trauma and cranial swelling at the hands of Mexican police. Bails currently range from $3,000 to $25,000 for the 25 prisoners who have been in prison since May 29. San Francisco's Balazo Galeria has organized a benefit for the prisoners for Saturday June 12th. Supporters are also encouraging people to contact their local Mexican embassies and demand the release of the prisoners.
Update 6/3: Even more arrests in Guadalajara. The repression against nonconformist young people here becomes more serious every day. Since this morning, patrols of the Preventive Police continue to surround the Independent Media Center (CMI)—the branch office of the international agency Indymedia—on the corner of Zaragoza and Juan Manuel, and in the evening, anti-riot police forcefully dispersed a peaceful assembly in front of the Municipal Palace. Through the course of several hours, seven boys were taken prisoner—one of whom, Benjamin Quirarte, was brutally beaten in the installations of Public Security. - La Jornada more...
Update 6/2: More arrests in Guadalajara. At least 3 more arrests have been confirmed in the last hours. These occured during a peaceful protest that began at 4:00 today in the Governmental Plaza of Guadalajara. Soon after the first reports of the arrests, police parked and dismounted a truck in the corner in from on the Independent Media Center, blocking traffic and interrorgating bystanders. Unconfirmed reports have also been recieved that police have recieved orders for the arrests of members of the Centro de Medios Independientes. Read more at Guadalajara Indymedia
Update 5/31: Extreme police repression broke out at the ALCUE trade summit in Guadalajara, Mexico. Global justice activists demanding public participation and democratic debate over development polices, along with bystanders, were brutally beaten, gassed, and arrested. The majority of those detained were picked up in the street in the hours later as they attempted to retreat to safety. As the authorities have refused to release the names, charges and locations of the arrestees, the arrestees are considered to have been "disappeared" by the authorities. In negotiations, police have proposed to ransom all but 9 of the disappeared in exchange for payment for property damage.
Rumors were confirmed concerning the torture and humiliation of the prisoners. Upon arrival the men were separated from the women. The women were made to strip completely, were forced into strange positions, and were told to open and close the door each time. They were detained for more than three hours on the ground with their arms on their necks while being kicked and jumped upon. From the inside some of the prisoners overheard someone saying that the foreigners should be released as quickly as possible so as to not create problems with the embassies.
5/29/04: Urgent reports of repression are coming in from Guadalajara, where police have cracked down on protests at the EU-Latin American trade summit. Police have kidnapped protesters and are demanding ransom money for their release. Donate to the Legal Fund. En español | Full coverage at Mexico and Guadalajara Indymedia | May 30 update | Photos 1 2
Sun May 9 2004
Student Activist Brutally Murdered in Mexico
Mexico City - On Monday, April 19, student activist Noel Pável González did not return to his house. By Friday a missing person’s report had been filed and by Saturday, his parents were notified that Pável’s body had been found in a remote area of the Ajusco mountains. While the body had been hung to give the illusion of a suicide, Pável had suffered severe physical abuse, including torture, rape and eventually the shattering of his skull.
Pável was an accomplished student and organizer, who was studying Latin American Studiies and Social Anthropology at the UNAM. As a volunteer with “Resistencia Hacia Nuevo Amanecer” and his cooperative, Smaliyel, in solidarity with zapatista organic coffee growers, he worked tirelessly on issues of free trade and student autonomy within the University. Family, friends and Mexican citizens are demanding an investigation by the Attorney General of the Republic into his brutal murder, which has sent a clear message to activists locally that organizing will not be tolerated. In the wake of Pável’s assassination, the EZLN has sent out an electronic denouncement to compañeros all over Mexico, stating:
”...While the dirty war follows its course in Mexico, the government of this country is pronounced against Cuba, in the name of ‘human rights’. While it signs Free Trade Agreements, they continue to find women assassinated in Juarez. While it gives the organic coffee of Chiapas to the Starbuck multinational, Pável, activist of the cooperative of zapatista coffees, Smaliyel, is assassinated.... “
On Thursday, April 29, hundreds marched to the Ministry of the Interior to demand transparent information about the campaign of death and brutality against more and more student activists, including beatings by undercover government agents.
For full reports: In English | En Espanol | Bi-Lingual Coverage on Chiapas IMC
Pável was an accomplished student and organizer, who was studying Latin American Studiies and Social Anthropology at the UNAM. As a volunteer with “Resistencia Hacia Nuevo Amanecer” and his cooperative, Smaliyel, in solidarity with zapatista organic coffee growers, he worked tirelessly on issues of free trade and student autonomy within the University. Family, friends and Mexican citizens are demanding an investigation by the Attorney General of the Republic into his brutal murder, which has sent a clear message to activists locally that organizing will not be tolerated. In the wake of Pável’s assassination, the EZLN has sent out an electronic denouncement to compañeros all over Mexico, stating:
”...While the dirty war follows its course in Mexico, the government of this country is pronounced against Cuba, in the name of ‘human rights’. While it signs Free Trade Agreements, they continue to find women assassinated in Juarez. While it gives the organic coffee of Chiapas to the Starbuck multinational, Pável, activist of the cooperative of zapatista coffees, Smaliyel, is assassinated.... “
On Thursday, April 29, hundreds marched to the Ministry of the Interior to demand transparent information about the campaign of death and brutality against more and more student activists, including beatings by undercover government agents.
For full reports: In English | En Espanol | Bi-Lingual Coverage on Chiapas IMC
The government of President Carlos Mesa has begun to lose what little control it had over the political and social situation in Bolivia. Monday, more than 5000 university students, who marched on foot almost a hundred kilometers, arrived in the city of La Paz, threatening to paralyze the urban center with marches and street blockades. [more (en/es)] Tuesday, more than 20,000 workers marched in La Paz in opposition to the privatization and export of gas, the key issue in last October's "gas war" uprising, which brought down the government of Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, now in exile in Miami, and left more than 79 people dead, nearly all of them at the hands of government forces. 5,000 more marched in Potosí, while in Santa Cruz labor leaders occupied the offices of transnational oil company Transredes. [report (es)] The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) and other social forces across the country are promising to begin an indefinite general strike and road blockades on May 2[(es)] to bring down the government and its neoliberal policies and replace it with a Constituent Assembly [(es)]. Meanwhile, growing reports of a U.S.-Chile backed coup-in-the-making have been confirmed by both the popular sectors and (obliquely and defensively) the president himself.
Reports: CMI Bolivia | ZNet Bolivia Watch | clajadep-La Haine |
Reports: CMI Bolivia | ZNet Bolivia Watch | clajadep-La Haine |
Dec 31, 2000: The Mexican Army fled an outpost in Jolnachoj, Chiapas following
the Zapatistas' peaceful New Year's Eve
occupation. The Zapatistas cut electric power lines and toppled antennas,
prompting President Vicente Fox to ordered the immediate closure of the base.
Fri Feb 9 2001
IMC Coverage of World Social Forum in Brazil
While the World Economic Forum (WEF), involving the world's rich and powerful corporations, met in Switzerland, nearly 10,000 representatives of social change organizations met at the World Social Forum in Brazil to discuss viable alternatives to globalization and neo-liberalism. Read SF IMC coverage, or full coverage in Brazil and Davos.
Fri Feb 9 2001
Perspectives on Colombian Guerilla Movement
As the US "War on Drugs" continues to sponsor the Colombian military's assault on the country's people and land, FARC rebels discuss their personal motivations for taking up arms in opposition. Hear Professor Peter Dale Scott speak on the US government's role in the escalating violence.
Americas:
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