State Repression Continues Unabated More Than One Year Into Oaxaca Uprising

Tensions remain high in Oaxaca, Mexico more than a year after the state's bloody crackdown on striking school teachers led to a popular uprising against Governor Ulises Ruiz. This week the Oaxacan state began staging its official celebration of Guelaguetza, the most important indigenous folk festival in Oaxaca. Since last year this festival has become a flashpoint of the struggle between popular movements and the state. Last month the teacher's union and APPO, the popular assembly of the people's of Oaxaca, voted to reclaim the event from corporate and state control. They planned to hold a free celebration early last week as an alternative to the official Coca-Cola sponsored event aimed at tourists.

Thousands of people marched down the streets last Monday demanding the resignation of the deeply unpopular state governor. Governor Ruiz is widely held responsible for leaving the violent deaths of some 25 protestors last year unpunished. In response to last week's gathering the governor sent in hundreds of heavily armed state police to prevent the popular celebration from taking place. The police attacked the crowds and reports indicate that at least 70 people were arrested and 40 were seriously wounded. Emeterio Cruz Vasquez, a 46 year old plumber and spouse of a striking teacher, died from his wounds. Human Rights Watch urged Oaxacan state officials to investigate allegations of excessive police violence against the demonstraters.

Today we find out more about the popular struggles and demands in the embattled region of Oaxaca.

• Gustavo Esteva. Founder of the Universidad de la Tierra in Oaxaca and author of many articles and books. Gustavo is an independent writer and grassroots activist and has been a columnist for La Jornada.

• Damian Lopez. Oaxacan filmmaker and media activist with Mal de Ojo TV, a collective that came together during the 2006 popular uprising in Oaxaca. He was a collaborator on ‘Compromiso Cumplido’ or ‘True to My Pledge’ the first of a two-part documentary about human rights violations by the state during the current conflict in Oaxaca.

• Simon Sedillo. Activist and filmmaker. He has been working in and out of Oaxaca for the last eight years documenting and teaching community based video documentation in indigenous communities. Simon collaborated with the Austin Independent Media Center on the 2005 production of “El Enemigo Común,” which documents paramilitary activity in Oaxaca from 2001 through 2005. He maintains a blog at elenemigocomun.net and is working on a new film project called “El Machete,” a Proyecto Autogestion documentary, filmed and edited by indigenous community members in Oaxaca.

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