January 30, 2012
As a security measure and to avoid the great risk that remaining isolated and out in the open near La Sabana (UBISORT territory), four kilometers from San Juan Copala, represented, the displaced from San Juan Copala, members of the Autonomous Municipality, and solidarity organizations returned to Yosoyuxi near nightfall.
We woke up here and the displaced and the autonomous authorities decided to establish a blockade of the highway the runs from Juxtlahuaca to Jalatlaco, at the turnoff for Yosoyuxi, while a commission of 20 compañeras and compañeros traveled to the city of Oaxaca to demand information as to the location of David Venegas Reyes “Alebrije” and his immediate release.
We again condemn the state government authorities (deputy secretaries) for their inability to facilitate the arrival of the commission of the displaced, to which they had already agreed, to the assembly that took place this Sunday in San Juan Copala, and who were only able to manage the deceitful and illegal arrest of David Venegas.
It was agreed upon that 10 representatives of the displaced would be at the assembly, but something very shady happened with the government “negotiators,” as with the arrest they prevented the meeting that would have occurred in said assembly.
The displaced have agreed to give the government’s representatives until Thursday one final chance to mediate. If, upon receiving no response, the displaced will enter San Juan Copala that morning, knowing that they are risking their lives and that this is due to the irresponsibility of the government, which has only managed to maintain checkpoints on the highway from Juxtlahuaca to Yosoyuxi, in order to keep watch, as a means of intimidation and surveillance.
Communal Council of the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan Copala
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Translated by Scott Campbell.
David Venegas is still being held in custody despite efforts made by displaced Triqui women to refute the charges against him and obtain his immediate release. Meanwhile, the mainstream news media are repeating the government’s trumped up charges. Noticias.net reports that “ ‘El Alebrije’” punched government officials”, while Oscar Rodríguez writes in Milenio that Governor Gabino Cue “confirmed” that David “was arrested by state security forces in the Triqui area when he tried to disrupt the assembly in the indigenous community of San Juan Copala” and “attacked police officers”. Never mind that he wasn’t even in San Juan Copala, much less the so-called assembly. He’s being tried and convicted in the media.