Benefit for Indigenous Farmworker’s Resistance in Oaxaca

COMPA, the Oaxacan Anti-neoliberal Popular Magonista Coordination, is an indigenous farm-worker’s rights group in Oaxaca, Mexico composed of over 300 communities around the state.

COMPA has been under constant attack by successive Institutional Revolutionary Party or P.R.I. governors determined to uproot an entire population. Most recently, Oaxacan Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz took office and outlawed most forms of political protest and freedom of press, detaining hundreds and murdering others.

Teach-in & Benefit for C.O.M.P.A.
The Oaxacan Anti-neoliberal Popular Magonista Coordination
FRIDAY APRIL 22ND @ 8PM
AT THE RHIZOME COLLECTIVE
300 ALLEN ST

8pm COMPA teach-in
9pm Film Jornada de Lucha
9:30pm music from MONO NEGRO
10:30pm Lumberjack DJ’s

On February 3rd, at an agenda setting meeting with the secretary of governance, everything felt fine until three COMPA leaders left the meeting and were detained by state police in the parking lot. Two of the three were released and a third remains in prison. Hours later, militarized state police entered the COMPA office in Oaxaca City and arrested another two COMPA members, one of which has been released due to international pressure.

Six COMPA members remain in prison, and COMPA has held a permanent sit-in at the CNDH office in Mexico City for over four months. The expense of this campaign is becoming overwhelming for COMPA, and the Austin Community is being asked to help.

COMPA is an indigenous farm-worker’s rights group in Oaxaca, Mexico composed of over 300 communities around the state.

COMPA has been under constant attack by successive Institutional Revolutionary Party or P.R.I. governors determined to uproot an entire population. Most recently, Oaxacan Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz took office and outlawed most forms of political protest and freedom of press, detaining hundreds and murdering others.

In January of 2005, Ruiz imposed a P.R.I. municipal president, Sergio Garcia Cruz, in the COMPA community of Santiago, Xanica by using election fraud and brute force. In response, the people of Xanica refused to participate in anything organized by Cruz, including communal workdays. Independent of Cruz, the people of Xanica organized their own own communal workday. This challenge would push The P.R.I. land baron to violence. With the help of Governor Ruiz, Cruz ordered state police to surround the community members during their workday, and open fire.

Three COMPA members were shot and arrested. The rest of the community thwarted any further violence against them with sticks, bricks and stones. COMPA immediately organized a caravan to Mexico, City where they met with Jose Luis Soberanes, the President of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH). Soberanes scheduled a meeting with Governor Ortiz and members from COMPA to be witnessed by three human rights observers from CNDH.

On February 3rd, at an agenda setting meeting with the secretary of governance, everything felt fine until three COMPA leaders left the meeting and were detained by state police in the parking lot. Two of the three were released and a third remains in prison. Hours later, militarized state police entered the COMPA office in Oaxaca City and arrested another two COMPA members, one of which has been released due to international pressure.

Six COMPA members remain in prison, and COMPA has held a permanent sit-in at the CNDH office in Mexico City for over four months. The expense of this campaign is becoming overwhelming for COMPA, and the Austin Community is being asked to help.

The Austin Independent Media Center ( www.austin.indymedia.org ) has been instrumental in gathering information and raising consciousness with regards to COMPA’s many struggles over the last for years.

On Friday April 22nd at 8pm The Austin Indymedia will be hosting a benefit on behalf of COMPA at the Rhizome collective located at 300 Allen ST. for more information please check out our website at www.austin.indymedia.org.

Download fliers here.