We denounce the risk to the life, security and personal integrity of the inhabitants of the EZLN Support Bases of the 6 de Octubre community, Nuevo Jerusalén CGAZ
• The siege of Zapatista autonomy is ongoing
• The Local Autonomous Government has announced that a group of armed people are installed on the recovered lands
The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) has received information from the Zapatista Autonomous Government Collectives (CGAZ), Caracol IX, Nuevo Jerusalén, about attacks by armed people and the installation of huts within the recovered lands of the 6 de Octubre community, Local Autonomous Government (GAL), official municipality of Ocosingo, Chiapas.
On multiple occasions during the month of June, unknown people arrived in the community, carrying weapons of different calibers, intimidating the families of the 6 de Octubre community. They toured around and took photos. Later, two people from the support bases who had gone out to work were threatened: they were warned that they had to leave their community nicely, or that they would be removed “by force.” The community did not respond to these threats, but they intensified. Thus, on the night of August 30th, they reported that a drone was flying over the 6 de Octubre community.
Throughout the month of September, unknown people continued to make incursions, generating fear among the residents. It came to a head on September 23rd, 2024, at approximately 6:00 a.m. when a group of armed people again showed up at the 6 de Octubre GAL. They arrived in ten vehicles with approximately 100 people, got out and began to clear a tract of land to build their huts, near the homes of the Support Base families of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (BAEZLN). Since that date, the armed group has remained in the area, so intimidation and threats have increased. Armed men watch over the activities of the Zapatista families. For their own safety, the men of the community have preferred to remain locked in their homes, and it is the women who go out; however, they have been threatened with rape.
Since September 5th, 2024, different authorities of the Mexican State have been informed of the presence, intimidation and threats of the group of armed people on the lands recovered from the BAEZLN families, without this situation being effectively addressed so far, and there is a risk of internal forced displacement.
We ask the corresponding authorities to:
• Take urgent and necessary actions to guarantee and protect the life, integrity and personal safety of the Zapatista Support Base families, preventing the situation from escalating.
• Investigate promptly and appropriately to identify the people responsible, dismantle and disarm the group or groups operating in the area.
• Guarantee and respect the autonomy and self-determination of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and its Support Bases in general, and of the Assembly of Collectives of Autonomous Zapatista Governments of Nuevo Jerusalén in particular.
• We call for national and international solidarity to sign this urgent action and write to the Mexican authorities to stop these violent actions against the Zapatista communities:
Please sign the petition at the bottom of this link: https://frayba.org.mx/denunciamos-el-riesgo-la-vida-seguridad-e-integridad-personal-de-los-habitantes-bases-de-apoyo-del?fbclid=IwY2xjawF9PEpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYGeVXbV7BnhdO5rDOMQL7X-03s_mzk8AH0RSuGgvqPv7aU7dk9q3Txl2w_aem_l_7psUpnRdYMBCRatIhK_g
Original article by Frayba, October 16th, 2024.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.