El Enemigo Común

by carolina

Abraham Ramírez Vásquez, Juventino García Cruz and Noel García Cruz, the first political prisoners of the Ulises Ruiz regime in Oaxaca, are from the Zapotec town of Santiago Xanica. The three members of the Committee for the Defense of Indigenous Rights (CODEDI) and the Popular Anti-neoliberal Oaxacan Magonista Coordinating Body (COMPA) were arrested on January 15, 2005, after hundreds of preventive and judicial police opened a crossfire on a group of 80 men, women, children and old people who were unloading bricks from a truck as part of a community work project. Abraham, Noel and Juventino were seriously wounded by gunshots. The people responded to the attack with sticks and stones, but more police came in, dragged the three wounded people out of the clinic, and took them to a house to be tortured by the police. After a few days, they were taken to the Ixcotel prison and then to the prison at Pochutla. Despite their serious wounds, they received no medical treatment until 36 hours after being admitted to the Pochutla hospital.

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February 18, 2010 – From Casa Chapulin – Juan Manuel Martinez Moreno, husband and father of three children, was released from prison for wrongfully being accused for the killing of Indymedia journalist Bradley Ronald Will. Will was shot on October 27, 2006 by paramilitary troops under the orders of governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz while he was recording a mobilization in Santa Lucia del Camino, Oaxaca during the 2006 APPO movement.

Amidst the clouds and rainy day, the Martinez Moreno family was greeted by community members, teachers, friends, and media. Family and friends marched from the prison to the Zocalo. Juan Manuel was imprisoned for approximately 16 months without any solid evidence or witnesses proving him guilty.

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How can we ever express our gratitude when there just aren’t enough words. And the emotion that whirls in our throats, our heads, our hearts, unnerves us and keeps churning, seeking an exit like a trapped bird beating its wings against the bars of its cage. And the words stick in our throats. That’s how I feel because you’re here brothers, sisters, all of you.

Because you drank from my chalice of bitterness, grief, rage along with me, and made my fear, my anger, my impotence yours. It’s not my intention to praise you or to move you with empty words. I’d reproach myself and you wouldn’t accept it.

Putting one’s conscience above mean interests devoid of solidarity principles is inconceivable for those who have let themselves be dragged down by greed and personal abundance, denying their brothers and sisters, denying their people. They’ve put a price on their dignity.

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Starting around 10 o’clock in the morning on Sunday, December 13, the main plaza in San Salvador Atenco started to fill up with young people of all ages ready to move their bodies to the sounds of jarocho, trova, hip hop, reggae and, more than anything ska, ska, and ska! These festivities marked the end of a successful tour to spread information and build support for the 12 political prisoners and 2 politically pursued people from Atenco. They also marked the beginning of a new stage in the campaign to bring them home in 2010.

Comrades came from Oaxaca, Monterrey and several other states and countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the United States joined in the campaign to learn more about it while enjoying the vibrant rhythms, hot or cool, of the trova from Chile, Cuban music with Radio Son, son jarocho with Los Cojolites of Veracruz, intense songs of Vicente Cayo and hip hop soul by the Chilean singer Moyenei. A lot of people also came mainly to hear some of the best-known bands in Mexico ––Panteón Rococó, Los de Abajo, Los Guanabana and the Cyberpachukote Sound System. Some already knew a lot and others just a little about the defense of these lands and the price paid for it, but everybody knew where they were headed and nobody has missed out on the fact that the word “Atenco” means “resistance.” Even though there was some impatience over the time spent reading statements, the rebellious spirit of the music was contagious, as was the solidarity shown by Roco, Odisea, “el Oso”, Dr. Shenka, and other musicians who got everyone jumping while they shouted out for the freedom of the prisoners and called on the crowd to express their feelings for Calderón and other known tyrants.

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Central Penitentiary, State of Oaxaca, December 16, 2009

TO THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
TO HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE GROUPS
TO THE DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS OF SECTION 22, SNTE, OAXACA, OAX.
TO THE LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA
TO THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA, MEXICO, AND THE WORLD

We, the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience of the Loxicha Region who are still locked up in this prison, are writing to your organizations to let you know about the recent murder of an Indigenous Education professor who was working in the Loxicha Region and about the killings of other citizens. Day by day, state repression against the Zapotec people of Loxicha is heightened, creating an intolerable political climate precisely at the time when people are beginning to reconstruct the social fabric that was torn apart by State repression in 1996. For this reason, we, the Loxicha political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, from our battle front, vigorously repudiate the cowardly murder of professor ELEAZAR MARTINEZ ALMARAZ, who was shot down on the morning of December 14, as well as the murders of other Zapotec people, whose cases have resulted in absolute impunity.

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