Members of Community Radio in Oaxaca Beaten and Jailed
30 Sep 2004 16:14 GMT
features2004At 6:13 in the morning of the 14th of september, several police units, including forces of the UPOE (Special Operations Police), policia preventiva, turism police, police of the state of Oaxaca, the Federa Agency of Investigations (AFI), and plain clothed officers numbering a sum of 200 violently evicted members of Guetza Radio and the Popular Indigenous Counsel of Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magon (CIPO - RFM) with tear gas, cuncusion grenades and water hoses. To this date seven people remain in jail.
The repression marks the most recent attack by the government of Oaxaca, under Governor Jose Murat, against the Indigenous people of Oaxaca and the CIPO in particular. The CIPO, with the Indigenous National Congress, recently organized the first National Encounter of Autonomies, the participants of which included student activists, labor unions and indigenous communities, in order to facilitate a discorse between the problems of each community and formulate proposals in the spirit of mutual aid. Guetza Radio transmitted and archived the encounter.
Guetza Radio, along with the CIPO, is a voice in the city of Oaxaca which continually demands justice for indigenous people and political prisoners of the region. The raid of the radio marks one more step in the history of repression against free radio in mexico. It is also part of the current political trend toward fascism throughout the country, as displayed by the examples of recent violence against demonstrators in Guadalajara and the growth of power throughout the country of the PAN, party of the ultra-right.
Guetza Radio continues transmiting from a new location and in a new frequency. They demand the following rights:
1.-immediate and unconditional liberty of all political prisoners.
2.-an end to the harrassment and repression of community radios throughout the country
3.-constitutional recognition of community radios and the peoples proposal for radio and television
4.-the return of confiscated equipmentSend letters of Solidarity to: Guetza Radio or CIPO-RFM
CIPO-RFM | indymedia mexico | Guetza Radio Raided | Summary of Events | National Encounter of Autonomies | Letters of Solidarity | Related News | Photos of the Prisoners | More Photos | flyer | More information in English
we got to move
Bandera Negra 30.Sep.2004 17:53
I give a call to all students activists,labor unions, Human rights organizations and leaders of the civil society around the World to send e-mails and letters to the Mexican Embassys in their countrys to denounce the represion of free speech in oaxaca and set free the community members that are in prison,tell them that if they continue human rights abuses we gonna do a BOIKOT to MEXICAN PRODUCTS(Mexicans dont lose nothing the companys is ruled by rich thugs)and tell the tourist that go to Mexico that their not gonna buy nothing if these abuses continue Remember that today is in Mexico tomorow in your home land. Viva Zapata Y la Memoria.
more articles in english from the cipo-rfm website
tierraylibertad 30.Sep.2004 17:59
Sta. Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca, 14th September 2004
pm_pgje@yahoo.com.mx).
Brothers and sisters,
The repressor government is worried and has begun a campaign to clean up the image of its heroic and valiant police who faced women and children during the eviction of the peaceful protest in front of the government buildings and the Church of St.Domingo. They have started sending pictures of some of our arrested brothers and sisters to the media from the e-mail address of the Ministerial Police (
You don’t have to look hard to see that all the pictures have been tampered with to make it seem that the prisoners are all in a good state of health and have not suffered abuse. Without doubt it is the use of more or less light in certain points, profile shots and various other electronic tricks to make it seem that nothing has happened to them.
However, in spite of this "magic", it is in some cases impossible to erase completely the violence against our brothers and sisters, particularly in the cases of: Kalid, Dolores, Miguel, Reynaldo, Leonor, Gildardo, José, Margarita, Guadalupe, whose photos show evidence of bruising, despite everything.
The use of light makes it difficult to a certain extent to see the swelling and helps to hide the blows. They want us to believe that they haven’t been beaten. Now all we are missing is for them to show pictures of the poor policemen of the special forces who were hurt by the hordes of the CIPO-RFM! Then we will be the violent ones.
Take care that you are not surprised, that you let yourself be tricked. Look closely at the pictures and you will see the marks. Then ask yourselves if you can see something on the face, the part where they are least likely to be beaten, what can it be like for the rest of their bodies? Let us remember that they are trained to hit without leaving obvious marks. And what about psychological torture, which is more damaging than physical blows? What about threats and sexual assaults on our women? What is that?
Let it be clear: the police do not treat the poor and indigenous people with kid gloves. They only respect the big criminals, narcos and politicians.
Sta. Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca, 14th September 2004
Brothers and sisters,
At 10.30am we began action to recover our wrongfully brothers and sisters. Of the three nominated committees, the one that went to the state attorney's office was made up of fewer than 20 men and women. We discovered the state attorney's office had been transformed into a bunker. Police of all types blocked off the accesses and there were hundreds of heavily armed female police and plainclothes officers, together with a helicopter that flew over the area – all in all, over 500 guarding the state attorney's office.
On arriving they repeatedly insulted us and several times made attempts to take our video camera when we approached the door where we supposes our imprisoned brothers and sisters were.
Another committee was established to complain in writing to the State Commission of Human Rights (CEDHO), where we reported that even members of the CEDHO were involved in the eviction. A third committee was formed to present the complaint to the CNDH and to contact the media, various organizations and to update them on recent developments.
Others among us dealt with organizing a return to our protest camp in the square in front of the government building and St.Domingo Church.
At 4.23pm, we moved back in, despite the entrances leading to the government buildings being closed off. Rows of grenadiers and hundreds of police officers covered the entrances on all four sides of the building but could not prevent the our organization taking back its positions in the square.
There were approximately 20 of us then, but now there are between 70 and 80 of us and, although we are surrounded by about 500 policemen, uniformed and plainclothes, the approximately 40 women, 25 men and 10 children will remain here until we obtain our demands. Apart from the freedom of our prisoners, we also demand:
1) Respect for the autonomy of our communities.
2) Punishment for those paramilitaties who launched the brutal attack on our community in St.María Yaviche in the Sierra Juárez on 16th October 2003 and again, on 9th February and 11th July 2004 in Lagunilla and Yucunicuca Yosonotu, in the Mixteca region¸ and who are under the protection of Governor José Murat and who will no doubt continue to be protected by Ulises Ruiz.
3) Freedom for our brothers and sisters: Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzin, Miguel Cruz Moreno, Leonor López Alavez (aged 15), Reynaldo Feria Hernández, Gumaro López Alavez, Carmen López Pérez, Kalid Pérez Gómez (aged 17), Margarita García García, Habacuc Cruz Cruz, Gildardo Pérez Gómez (aged 17), Hipolito Rodríguez Soriano, José Cruz Cruz, Abel Ramírez Ramírez, Guadalupe García García and Mauro García García, members of the Organizing Committe, of the grassroots Countil of the CIPO-RFM, democratic workers of the “tres poderes” syndicate.
4) A solution to the agrarian conflict.
5) Guarantees for the life of Raúl Gatica.
At 5.25pm we are officially told the charges with which our brothers and sisters are being charged and held: under AV. Prev: 1778(PME/2004), they are charged with injuring, damaging and crimes against a public functionary (the person in question being PGR Att. Angulo de la Peña), and against officers of the UPOE, Juducial and AFI special police forces. The file is in the hands of Ángel E. García of the sub attorney’s office for investigation.
Our brothers and sisters still cannot make a statement until the offended police officers have done so. In other words, those who hit us and kidnapped us are the offended party! Offended by what? That dignified Indians, Indians that resist, exist? That we injure the authority of power with our dignified resistance? That we damage their batons when they beat them against our heads? Was the crime against the delegate of the PGR because he lost the shine off his boots when he kicked us? Or is it perhaps that these kind policemen from the special forces are beginning to be afraid because we didn't run from their bombs and gas? Do they worry that we are less and less fearful? Are they terrified that we natives are getting more and more rebellious and demanding our rights as people? That is truly the only crime that we have committed.
We are surrounded by large numbers of police and may suffer further repression at any time. But we are determined to resist and remain here opposite the government buildings where we can later re-occupy the Church of St.Domingo. We hope, we trust that we will not be left alone in this fight and that anyone reading this will do whatever they can to work towards obtaining the freedom of the prisoners and a solution to the demands of the indigenous people
The Murat government dialogues with violence and repression
Sta. Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca, 16th September 2004
Brothers and sisters,
At 9 in the evening, approximately 30 members of the Treasury Police, the PABIC, headed by Aristeo López Martínez attacked us again. They destroyed the marquee, our horns were taken and they kicked our brothers and sisters.
At 9.37pm, 10 army vehicles entered the square together with 20 people in plain clothes but with a military appearance and about 200 members of the special State police UPOE forces, dressed in black and in plain clothes. First they surrounded the camp and then violently evicted us once more from the public soil again where governor José Murat (the Priista responsible for the repression) would later be speaking at the Mexican independence rally several hours later. The violence that was unleashed all seems to indicate that that this will be the preferred approach of Ulises Ruiz as governor.
The 100-odd people who were protesting were dispersed but we lost count of the number of those who were injured and arrested and those who were able to regroup.
At 10.16pm we regrouped, and amid beatings and bruises we occupied our protest site again, holding hands and resisting the special police force attacks directed by José M. Vera Salinas and Manuel Moreno Rivas, the latter once involved in the organization of an attack on José Murat’s car.
During the eviction, Elizabeth Pérez Cruz, a member of the organizing committee who is not under arrest, was openly threatened by an official of José Murat who can be clearly identified.
All this was reported to the CEDHO, in the person of the complaints official on duty, Atty. Luz Ma. Hernández, requesting that she verify the facts. She did not want to do so, alleging that we were simply making trouble. We insisted that she perform her task, but she replied that she followed the orders of those who paid her, not of any organization.
In the meantimw, while we were being attacked on the square, our brothers and sisters who had already been arrested were being moved from the San Antonio de la Cal justice department to Ixcotel Prison.
We requested that the State Commission for Human Rights observe the transfer, but the complaints official was unwilling to do so.
Among the serious irregularities are the division of our comrades among various penal institutes in the state although they are registered as being at Ixcotel. All these tricks must be investigated as we would remind people that the PRI government is expert in fabricating crimes, or erasing all traces of something.
At 9.50pm, the following comrades entered Ixcotel Prison: Miguel Cruz Moreno, Leonor López Alavez (aged 15), Reynaldo Feria Hernández, Carmen López Pérez, Gumaro López Alavez, Kalid Pérez Gómez, Gildardo Pérez Gómez, José Cruz Cruz, Abel Ramírez Ramírez, Guadalupe García García, Mauro García García.
Margarita García García was taken to Miahuatlan prison in the Ministerial police car number 09.
Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzin and Abacuc Cruz Cruz were taken to Etla Prison in a white Pic Huck.
Now, at 12.30 at night, the remaining members of the CIPO-RFM at the demonstration camp are surrounded by hundreds of police who have threatened to beat us to a pulp after the independence rally. In other words, the critical moment of our protest will arrive after 2am, when most people will leave the square and we will be alone.
There is every possibility that they will come back to beat us, injure us, imprison us, kill us or simply make us “disappear”. But we will resist because we know that the struggle does not need those who say that they fight for justice and freedom, but those that simply fight.
The people responsible for this repression, amongst others, are: José Murat and Celestino Alonso who has unleashed this violence in order to create the necesary conditions for Ulises Ruíz Ortiz to become governor.
It is now 5.00am on the morning of the 16th September and we have not slept. We are in groups in front of the government buildings. We have been beaten, but we continue to resist and remain here. In spite of everything, we have delivered 3,000 white flowers, also damaged by the police, bearing the legends: "Freedom to the indigenous prisoners of the CIPO-RFM, long live autonomy, death to bad government", “A cry for justice, freedom to the prisoners of the CIPO-RFM, long live autonomy, death to bad government".
We are already preparing for the march at 10.00am today, 16th September. We will participate even in the face of further attacks. Let them be warned!
Freedom for the 14 CIPO-RFM prisoners! Bring back the desaparecidos alive!
For the re-organization and free association of our people
FOR THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE CIPO-RFM (those who remain free)
FIRST STATEMENTS BY THE POLITICAL PRISONERS
Brothers and sisters,
According to the habit of the State Justice (injustice) Office, at 11.47pm on
the night of 14th September our brothers and sisters began to give statements,
after a 4-hour meeting between their lawyer, Rogelio Chagoya, and state prosecutors.
The attitude of the state prosecutors, the police and other functionaries, given that the statements of our brothers and sisters directly accuse the police of bad treatment to them, and of having beaten them, tortured,
manhandled, offended and injured them, was to quietly intimidate them or to
change their declarations while they were being dictated.
The Magonistas were badly hurt, far from how they were shown in the
photos that the police fixed, but we saw them in fine spirit, feisty, denouncing
all the aggressions and injustices which they have suffered at the hands of the
AFI, the UPOE and even the human rights commission. For that reason when the
prosecution officials changed their statements, they signed them only
under protest.
The women were taken first to give their statements, followed by the
men. The first group of statements were finished by 5.00am and there was then a
break until 11.00am on the 15th September, all under article 1778 (PME/2004)
for crimes relating to "injury" to members of the ministerial state police,
resistance of individuals, crimes against government officials and
damage to an official vehicle, naturally without showing any evidence. In fact, the
only evidence that exists - a video that they removed from us together with
the camera - disproves everything.
Now they have taken statements from all the fine indigenous people of
the CIPO-RFM. No-one was saved, for the bad government we are guilty,
dangerous.
They have sent us to Ixcotel Prison because we do not have the money to
pay the bail that was set for our rebellious dignity.
The authorities have fixed bail (according to their danger?) for
Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzin at $61,000, for Leonor López Alavez (aged 16),
Carmen López Pérez, Kalid Pérez Gómez, Guadalupe García García, Miguel Cruz
Moreno, Reynaldo Feria Hernández, Gumaro López Alavez, Gildardo Pérez Gómez,
José Cruz Cruz, Abel Ramírez Ramírez and Mauro García García at $45,000.
Margarita García García, Abacuc Cruz Cruz were not offered bail terms as there are 4
cases regarding them waiting to be heard. But the most serious case is that
Hipólito Rodríguez Soriano has "disappeared".
This act of repression against the CIPO-RFM demonstrates the
co-ordination between the State and the federal governments, between Fox and Murat,
between the PRI and the PAN when it comes to attacking poor indigenous people.
Accordingly, the state attorney of the PGR, Álvaro de la Peña Ang ulo
and the Federal Attorney Rubén Casanova Medellín who directs operation, align
themselves with José M. Vera Salinas and Manuel Moreno Rivas (the
escort of the "attack" on José Murat) and compete among themselves to see which of
them can hit harder but leave fewer marks on the defenceless bodies of women and
children.
Although all the police officials involved say that violence was not
used, the evidence says the opposite: the files (0009636) (0009643) of the State
Commission on Human Rights of Oaxaca, dated 14th September 2004, when
talking about the prisoners says: "the visiting inspector certified the
existence of injuries that some of them presented", while in another paragraph, it
says: "Carmen López Pérez requires medical attention and should be handed
over to a Medical Institution so that professional medical aid can be offered
her" (sic). Big business, the PRI-ist authorities and all those who are the enemies
of us, the indigenous people, are paying for large announcements in the
newspapers, the radio and the television in order to speak badly of us, and treat
us as stinking brigands and worse.
But we will continue, firm in our struggle, until such times as we see
the release of our prisoners.
WE NEED YOUR DONATIONS! PLEASE PAY WHAT YOU CAN TO FINANCE THE BAIL ON
OUR
COMRADES WHICH TOTALS 556,000 PESOS
To donate to CIPO
tierra y libertad 02.Oct.2004 21:55
CASA DEL CIPO-RFM:
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teléfono y fax: + (951) 51-78183 y 51-78190
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