Mexico: Two indigenous media activists killed
The two community radio activists were supposed to coordinate the working group for Community and Alternative Communication: Community Radio, Video, Press, and Internet, at the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the People of Oaxaca, which was to begin on April 9 in the auditorium of the teachers union in Oaxaca. The Center for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS) released a statement denouncing the murders and demanding that the state authorities investigate and punish those responsible for the crime. Twenty 7.62 caliber bullet shells were found at the site of the murders, along with other arms including an AK-47. International supporters have been asked to contact their local embassies and consulates and organize demonstrations condemning the paramilitary repression of indigenous women and community media projects.
On April 7, two indigenous Triqui women who worked at the community radio station La Voz que Rompe el Silencio (The Voice that Breaks the Silence), in the autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala (Mixteca region), were shot and murdered while on their way to Oaxaca City to participate in the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca. Three other people were injured.
The two community radio activists were supposed to coordinate the working group for Community and Alternative Communication: Community Radio, Video, Press, and Internet, at the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the People of Oaxaca, which was to begin on April 9 in the auditorium of the teachers union in Oaxaca. The Center for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS) released a statement denouncing the murders and demanding that the state authorities investigate and punish those responsible for the crime. Twenty 7.62 caliber bullet shells were found at the site of the murders, along with other arms including an AK-47. International supporters have been asked to contact their local embassies and consulates and organize demonstrations condemning the paramilitary repression of indigenous women and community media projects.
Two activists killed in Oaxaca
The following article was written by Jessica Martinez and Guadalupe Gomez.
In the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca on the 7th of April, Teresa Bautista, 22; and Felicitas Martinez, 20, two radio journalists of the community radio “La Voz que Rompe el Silencio” (The voice that breaks the silence) were killed in an ambush near Llano Juarez, the road goes from Joya del Mamey to Putla del Guerrero, 50km from San Juan Copala, and 350km west of Oaxaca .They were from the Autonomous Municipal of San Juan Copala travelling in a car with other people towards Oaxaca City, the capital of the region.
In the attack Faustino Vasquez Martinez, person in charge of the registry office of Juxtlahuaca, and activist in the Organization of Unity for Social Welfare in the region of Triqui (Ubisort), his wife, Cristina Flores 22, and their sons Gustavo and Jaciel Vasquez Flores 2 and 3 years of age were hurt. They were able to inform the legal authorities, the Working Together Community Support Organization (CACTUS).
They had all left together at 1pm to go to the city of Oaxaca where they would have coordinated the workshop on Alternative and community communication: community radios, video, newspaper publications, internet. This workshop would have been part of the Regional State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca held in the offices of the National Education Workers Union (SNTE).
Several of the people injured in the attack - hadsustained severe burns.. This is the reason why they have been taken to the hospital “Friends of the Child and Mother” that is situated in the municipal of Putla del Guerrero.
In a telephone interview, with the Prosecutor of Justice, he confirms to have found 20 AK-47 shells where the attack happened. This evidence has been given to the prosecution in investigation number 105/2008.
The CACTUS association, based in Huajuapan de Leon, has condemned what has happened and prompt the authorities to find press charges against the culprits.
In a press release the CACTUS express: “Sorrow and anger is what we are feeling in our heart” for the death of Felicitas and Teresa.
CACTUS also remembers: Together with them we have walked in the creation of the community radio La “Voz que Rompe el Silencio” (The voice that breaks the silence). The laughter and difficulties of our daily work giving voices to those who have always been denied it. Bringing the agreements of San Andres alive in full expression of our right of self determination and expression as women, as indigenous people and as Triqui. This was and will always be something that touches our heart.
The radio station, a project of the autonomous municipal of San Juan Copala, was inaugurated by the local authorities on the 19 of January 2008. It took the 94.9 frequency, and it is a project to mark a year of collaboration between the communities and the organizations and a year since the autonomous municipal was declared.
It was also created to broadcast the reality of life of the Triqui people, what the municipal government is doing, the condition of life all over the state and nationaland international political news. During the inauguration of the radio it was said: “This region is very isolated so the communication with the other communities of Oaxaca and of the Republic will allow us to break the siege that we are under.”
With this in mind the two speakers were going to participate to the State Forum for the Defence of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca and Indigenous Peoples. In particular they were going to participate in the workshop of the Network of Indigenous Community Radio Stations of the Southeast.
The members of CACTUS declare that the attack adds to the sense of insecurity that already exist in this part of the country and to the repression that the state is doing towards autonomous municipalities and community radios. These community radios are just beginning to put into practice their right of communication stipulated in the International Labour Organization Convention 169.
It also adds to the violence that you can feel in this Western part of the State of Oaxaca, in the district of Juxtlahuaca, Tlaxico and Putla. Also in the Region of Mixteca, where many active political groups are like MULT (Triqui Liberation Movement) and the Unity for Social Welfare of the Triqui Region.
Translated from Spanish
The two community radio activists were supposed to coordinate the working group for Community and Alternative Communication: Community Radio, Video, Press, and Internet, at the State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the People of Oaxaca, which was to begin on April 9 in the auditorium of the teachers union in Oaxaca. The Center for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS) released a statement denouncing the murders and demanding that the state authorities investigate and punish those responsible for the crime. Twenty 7.62 caliber bullet shells were found at the site of the murders, along with other arms including an AK-47. International supporters have been asked to contact their local embassies and consulates and organize demonstrations condemning the paramilitary repression of indigenous women and community media projects.
Two activists killed in Oaxaca
The following article was written by Jessica Martinez and Guadalupe Gomez.
In the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca on the 7th of April, Teresa Bautista, 22; and Felicitas Martinez, 20, two radio journalists of the community radio “La Voz que Rompe el Silencio” (The voice that breaks the silence) were killed in an ambush near Llano Juarez, the road goes from Joya del Mamey to Putla del Guerrero, 50km from San Juan Copala, and 350km west of Oaxaca .They were from the Autonomous Municipal of San Juan Copala travelling in a car with other people towards Oaxaca City, the capital of the region.
In the attack Faustino Vasquez Martinez, person in charge of the registry office of Juxtlahuaca, and activist in the Organization of Unity for Social Welfare in the region of Triqui (Ubisort), his wife, Cristina Flores 22, and their sons Gustavo and Jaciel Vasquez Flores 2 and 3 years of age were hurt. They were able to inform the legal authorities, the Working Together Community Support Organization (CACTUS).
They had all left together at 1pm to go to the city of Oaxaca where they would have coordinated the workshop on Alternative and community communication: community radios, video, newspaper publications, internet. This workshop would have been part of the Regional State Forum for the Defense of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca held in the offices of the National Education Workers Union (SNTE).
Several of the people injured in the attack - hadsustained severe burns.. This is the reason why they have been taken to the hospital “Friends of the Child and Mother” that is situated in the municipal of Putla del Guerrero.
In a telephone interview, with the Prosecutor of Justice, he confirms to have found 20 AK-47 shells where the attack happened. This evidence has been given to the prosecution in investigation number 105/2008.
The CACTUS association, based in Huajuapan de Leon, has condemned what has happened and prompt the authorities to find press charges against the culprits.
In a press release the CACTUS express: “Sorrow and anger is what we are feeling in our heart” for the death of Felicitas and Teresa.
CACTUS also remembers: Together with them we have walked in the creation of the community radio La “Voz que Rompe el Silencio” (The voice that breaks the silence). The laughter and difficulties of our daily work giving voices to those who have always been denied it. Bringing the agreements of San Andres alive in full expression of our right of self determination and expression as women, as indigenous people and as Triqui. This was and will always be something that touches our heart.
The radio station, a project of the autonomous municipal of San Juan Copala, was inaugurated by the local authorities on the 19 of January 2008. It took the 94.9 frequency, and it is a project to mark a year of collaboration between the communities and the organizations and a year since the autonomous municipal was declared.
It was also created to broadcast the reality of life of the Triqui people, what the municipal government is doing, the condition of life all over the state and nationaland international political news. During the inauguration of the radio it was said: “This region is very isolated so the communication with the other communities of Oaxaca and of the Republic will allow us to break the siege that we are under.”
With this in mind the two speakers were going to participate to the State Forum for the Defence of the Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca and Indigenous Peoples. In particular they were going to participate in the workshop of the Network of Indigenous Community Radio Stations of the Southeast.
The members of CACTUS declare that the attack adds to the sense of insecurity that already exist in this part of the country and to the repression that the state is doing towards autonomous municipalities and community radios. These community radios are just beginning to put into practice their right of communication stipulated in the International Labour Organization Convention 169.
It also adds to the violence that you can feel in this Western part of the State of Oaxaca, in the district of Juxtlahuaca, Tlaxico and Putla. Also in the Region of Mixteca, where many active political groups are like MULT (Triqui Liberation Movement) and the Unity for Social Welfare of the Triqui Region.
Translated from Spanish
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