Oaxaca Facing Imminent Attack

September 30, 2006 – Information provided below is from Nancy Davies, who is based in Oaxaca and writes frequently on the situation there for Narco News. While the threat of a mass attack has seemed to always be in the air, the situation in recent days has really escalated. Now an attack seems imminent.

APPEAL FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AID

The word I have now is that there are about 5,000 men wearing army uniforms who are not army, but police, culled from other states like Veracruz and Morelia, that is to say, this is a PRI operation, not the federal troops, although I don’t know how our source explains the “naval” helicopters (maybe not?). The “police” are heavily armed, and the attack is supposed to happen around 10:00 PM Oaxaca time. The attack, code name cicloncinco, was revealed by the same person who informed our friend that there would be a drive-by shooting last night, which came true.

Our friend says there are already a lot of PRD people gathered in the zocalo, thousands have gathered, apparently including some foreigners including Univision and CNN.

Aid is asked for food, water, telephone lines. Only one radio station is still operating

Our friend told us to stay off the streets. Good friend. The one still operating radio station says, stay calm, not respond to acts of aggression which are provocations. Our friend says the city is “surrounded”, not sure what that means.

Anybody who can email should do so, to any addresses you have, phone calls, faxes, etc. (cabascal@segob.gov.mx) the message is “no a la repression, si a la destitution de Ulises Ruiz.”

La Jornada has a live feed running on their site. Please disseminate news however you can.

There is still a chance that this is psychological warfare, very tiring. Doesn’t look good right now.

Here is a list of Mexican consulates in the US and Canada:
http://elenemigocomun.net/2005/09/mexican-consulates-united-states-canada/

Here are people to email or fax:

VICENTE FOX QUESADA
PRESIDENTE CONSTITUCIONAL DE MÉXICO
FAX. + 55 52 77 23 76,
vicente.fox.quesada (at) presidencia.gob.mx

LIC. CARLOS ABASCAL CARRANZA
SECRETARIO DE GOBERNACIÓN
FAX + 55 50 93 34 14,
cabascal (at) segob.gov.mx

DR. JOSÉ LUIS SOBERANES
PRESIDENTE DE LA COMISIÓN NACIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
FAX + 55 56 81 71 99,
correo (at) cndh.gob.mx

DANIEL CABEZA DE VACA
PROCURADOR GENERAL DE LA REPÚBLICA
FAX: +55 53460908,
ofproc (at) pgr.gob.mx

LIC. ULISES RUIZ ORTÍZ
GOBERNADOR DEL ESTADO DE OAXACA
Fax: + 951 5020530,
gobernador (at) oaxaca.gob.mx

6 Comments

  1. helicopters — Sat Sep 30

    Two grey helicopters circled at 5:00 pm, causing the Ruiz supporters to run out into the street waving white flags . They are said to be navy heleicopetrs. george took photos, I am listening to the radio 710 Am, which says keep calm, there are 3000 people at each barricade, they are probably more afraid than we are, keep calm, maximum alert, this is not Atenco, we are on our own turf and they are strangers here. The helicopters are probably doing reconaissance, and ore certianly trying to terrorize. Press Conference at 6:00 in the zocalo, if anybody is on line and can attend.

  2. update

    At 9:00 PM the APPO closed the historic center, telling people who were caught away from hoem to present themselves as rapidly as possible to pass through the barricades. The APPO has determined to fight off any attack, asking people to come in support, and at the same time telling those outside the city and around the state to organize their defense.

    The radio Ley has been calmly presenting a lawyer’s account of what could happen next, as the barricades go up around the center of the city shaped like an island inside the highway roads.. Logically, if URO asks for federal intervention that’s a tacit declaration that he cannot govern, and he’s caught by the fact of the ungovernabilty- which means that he can be replaced –it’s sort of like a catch22 for him, but that legal scenario wouldn’t apply if he can get other PRI states to do the attack, as long as it’s a success – -. If it fails he’s out, so I guess he thinks he has nothing to lose. 5,000 might not be enough men to do it. “No pasaran” says the radio, let’s multiply the barricades.

  3. Dispatch from Oaxaca City

    October 1, 2006 — Things are extremely tense right now.

    I haven’t had the time to write and post as much as I feel like I need to right now. I spent last night at a barricade in Santa Lucia waiting for the military to come. The helicopters and army planes started circling the city yesterday at 4pm.

    At our barricade the police drove by shooting and when people ran they took one person into custody. But nothings new. They have been shooting at the barricades for 4 months, what’s new is the fact that they have brought in shit tons of military, they are just waiting for the perfect time to strike. For 2 nights now we have stayed up waiting with little cups of coffee and too much adrenaline. We have been waiting for the sound of helicopters and tanks, now that we are anxious, sleep deprived and scared who knows when they will actually roll in.

    Many of the barricades have big signs that say “somos listos”. “Listo” equals molotov coctails, rocks and big sticks. I am fearful that the army is more “listo” than APPO and that it is going to be extremely bloody and horrible when they roll in. But APPO isn’t going to fucking give up. Anyhow, keep us in your thoughts and I will keep in touch.

  4. October 2nd – It doesn´t mention the kidnapping that happened yesterday of a university student by military forces who shot up the university, beat people up and took a student leader hostage, also that there has been continuing violence during the nights.

  5. MAXIMA ALERTA EN OAXACA

    OAXACA EN ALERTA MÁXIMA…

    Después del despliegue policíaco y militar en Salina Cruz y Bahías de huatulco y de los vuelos de reconocimiento ayer sábado sobre la capital Oaxaqueña, este domingo continuo la guerra de baja intensidad emprendida por el gobierno tanto federal como estatal, durante la tarde continuaron los sobrevuleos de helicópteros de la Armada Mexicana sobre la capital y las zonas aledañas a la ciudad de Oaxaca, se confirma el secuestro de Pedro Gracia quien fue herido de bala y desaparecido en una camioneta chevrolet color azul con placas 20926 ó 20902, es estudiante de la Facultad de Derecho y de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Autónoma Benito Juaréz de Oaxaca y dirigente del FRP (Frente Revolucionario del Pueblo) también se comunica que el otro vehículo es una camioneta tipo lobo.

    SEGUIMIENTO A TRAVÉS DE RADIO APPO:

    entre las 23:02 y las 01:14 horas entre la noche del sábado 1 y la madrugada de este 2 de octubre se informa que continua desaparecido el compañero secuestrado la tarde del sábado,.

    Un grupo de choque perteneciente al Partido de la Revolución Institucional (PRI) retiene y golpea durante varias horas a otro compañero, cerca de las 23:14 horas es rescatado por un grupo organizado de la Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (APPO).

    se anuncia que hay unas avionetas de la fuerza armada sobrevolando la capital Oaxaqueña, lo hacen con las luces apagadas y ya llevan algunas horas rondando el área en que se encuentra las antenas de transmisión de Radio APPO.

    Se habla de aproximadamente 4000 efectivos de Infantería de la Marina Nacional que se encuentran apostados en Salina Cruz y Bahías de Huatulco, cunetan con un amplio numero de tanquetas militares, camiones todoterreno, aproximadamente 10 helicópteros y dos aviones y camionetas tipo puma que se encuentran el la carretera que conduce de Huatulco a la ciudad de Oaxaca, se calcula que aproximadamente un total de 8000 cuerpos militares ingresarían a la capital oaxaqueña en un operativo coordinado con la Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP), elementos de la Marina Nacional, la tercera Brigada de la Policía Militar y el Grupo de Operaciones Especiales de la Armada, la APPO ha intentado mantener el dialogo con el gobierno Federal, aun así, no obstante, hace de conocimiento publico la exigencia de la salida de Ulises Ruiz del gobierno estatal, lo cual no es negociable por ninguna razón.

    00:51 A través de Radio APPO alertan sobre la posible entrada de las fuerzas armadas durante la madrugada, continúan llamando a reforzar las barricadas que están siendo atacadas por grupos de choque priistas y a construir mas y hacer fogatas como símbolo de protesta, llaman a no caer en provocaciones y a no dirigir cohetones contra las avionetas que sobrevuelan la ciudad para evitar ser ubicados,.

    01:14 Pide Radio APPO difundir por todos los medios posibles lo que esta ocurriendo en Oaxaca al resto de la comunidad internacional, afirman que esto ya no es un movimiento de grupos sino de bases y por la militarización del estado esto se ha vuelto de carácter internacional, continua la alerta máxima.

    03:09 Se exige la desmilitarización del estado, la gente ha salido desde hace ya bastante rato a las calles, se han reforzado las barricadas en tanto la APPO reivindica su lucha pacifica, piden la vía del dialogo y rechaza la violencia en contra de la población civil que exige la salida de Ulises Ruis del gobierno de Oaxaca, responsabilizan al Gobierno Federal del presidente Vicente Fox, al Secretario de Gobernación Carlos Abascal y al exgobernados Ulises Ruiz por cualquier atrocidad emprendida por las Fuerzas Armadas y la PFP en contra del pueblo oaxaqueño.

    03:12 Se reportan nuevos ataques por grupos de choque en distintas barricadas, en la llamada “barricada de los lobos” logran repeler a un grupo de priistas que llego en cuatro camionetas y al cual ya tienen identificado.

    continuamos el monitoreo para mantener al tanto de la situación de violencia ejercida por el Gobierno Mexicano en contra de la población, la alerta máxima continua, la posible suscripción del “acuerdo de gobernabilidad, la paz y el desarrollo de Oaxaca” se tiene prevista para este miércoles, es muy probable que después de este día las fuerzas armadas y policíacas repriman salvajemente a la población civil de Oaxaca, pedimos igualmente difundir esta información y estar pendiente para apoyar al pueblo que lucha por una causa justa.

Comments are closed.