>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) > >MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY >AUGUST 15-21, 2000 > >CONTENTS: >1. Salazar wins in Chiapas; PRI rule will end on December 8 >2. PRI vs. PRI in Mexico State: 15 dead, 102 wounded in gun attack >3. Robles wins abortion vote in Mexico City legislature >4. Briefs > >1. SALAZAR, 53%; DAVID, 47% > >Six weeks after the ruling Institutional Revolutionary >Party (PRI) lost the presidency, and six years after >the Zapatista National Liberation Army took up arms >against the government and State it represented, the >PRI has lost power in the Zapatistas' home state of >Chiapas. > >In statewide gubernatorial elections marked by 52% >abstention but otherwise characterized as "peaceful" >and "respectful," opposition alliance candidate Pablo >Salazar Mendiguch�a defeated the candidate of the >ruling PRI party, Sami David David, by a margin of >52.7% to 46.9%. > >The Zapatistas abstained from voting for the most >part, and the PRI won more votes than the opposition >in the six electoral districts where the EZLN is the >strongest. > >Ironically, the reversal of fortune for the PRI in >Chiapas comes amid an actual increase in voter support >for the party statewide. In the July 2 federal >elections (which the PRI won handily in Chiapas), PRI >presidential candidate Francisco Labastida won >approximately 470 thousand votes against a combined >560 thousand votes for the PAN, PRD, and other >assorted opposition parties. > >On August 20, Sami David David actually pulled in more >votes than Labastida, and the vote count for Salazar >came up about 40 thousand votes short of that offered >to the combined opposition on July 2. > >In other words, between the PRI's victory in Chiapas >on July 2 and its historic loss on August 20, the >PRI's vote count went up and the opposition's vote >count went down. The difference was that on July 2 >the opposition was split, while this time eight >parties united behind Salazar's independent candidacy. > >The only opposition party which declined to join >Salazar's Alliance for Chiapas was the Social >Democracy Party, whose gubernatorial candidate polled >less than one percent of the total vote statewide. > >After the State Electoral Commission (CEE) issued >preliminary results which gave an "irreversible" >advantage to Salazar, Chiapas Interim Governor Roberto >Albores Guill�n was quick to recognize the opposition >victory. At midnight, Albores appeared on television >to officially congratulate Salazar and reiterate his >"commitment" to work with the governor-elect to >acheive an orderly transfer of power on December 8. >Albores also called on all those who supported Sami >David David and the PRI to recognize and accept the >opposition triumph "for the good and the tranquility >of Chiapas and of Mexico." > >Sami David himself, however, only recognized Salazar's >victory after a full day had passed after the closing >of the polls. On election night, he said he would not >make any statement acknowledging the victory of either >candidate until the Electoral Commission issued its >final and official report three days later. But the >next day David finally gave in, apparently under >pressure from sectors of the PRI and the state >government, and accepted the inevitable. > >President-elect Vicente Fox, for his part, publicly >congratulated Salazar on his victory before the CEE >had even released its preliminary results, and added >that he looked forward to working closely with the >future governor to achieve lasting peace and >reconciliation in the state. > >Immediately after his election, Salazar said that his >top priorities as governor would be to open a new >dialogue with the EZLN; work with all sectors of >Chiapas society toward reconciliation; insist on the >immediate disarmament and criminal investigation of >paramilitary organizations; and create the necessary >conditions so that the thousands of displaced >indigenous civilians in Chiapas may return as soon as >possible to their homes and communities of origin. > >However, Salazar added that the conflict in Chiapas is >a conflict of national dimensions, pitting the >Zapatista Army and its supporters against the Federal >Government, and that as such it is the incoming >government of Vicente Fox at the federal level, rather >than the state of Chiapas, which must deal directly >with the Zapatistas to resolve the simmering six-year >old conflict. > >Final electoral results will be released on August 23, >and Salazar will be sworn into office on December 8, >exactly one week after Vicente Fox becomes president. > > >2. PRI VS. PRI VIOLENCE LEAVES 15 DEAD AND 102 WOUNDED >IN MEXICO STATE > >A street battle between rival factions of the >Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in the State >of Mexico on August 18 left at least 15 people dead >and more than 100 injured, the majority with gunshot >wounds, after armed members of the Organization of >Villages and Colonies (OPC) attempted to prevent the >swearing-in of mayor-elect Jes�s Tolentino Rom�n >Boj�rquez, affiliated with the Antorcha Campesina >(Campesino Torch) organization, in the municipality of >Chimalhuac�n. > >Antorcha Campesina and the OPC are rival groups within >the PRI. All of the dead and most of the wounded in >Chimalhuac�n come from the ranks of Antorcha >Campesina, whose members - unlike those of the OPC - >were not armed with firearms with the fight began. > >The OPC is lead by Guadalupe Buend�a Torres, "La >Loba," previously known for having organized a public >fundraising event for then-presidential candidate >Francisco Labastida in May which was headlined by >professional male strippers. > >La Loba controlled the OPC for its entire twenty-year >existence, and also pulled the strings of power in the >municipality of Chimalhuac�n for most of that time. >Antorcha Campesina arrived in the municipality in >1988, and since then has disputed local power with La >Loba and the OPC. > >Antorcha gained control of the PRI apparatus in the >municipality in 1997, and this year nominated >Tolentino from within its own ranks as the PRI's >candidate for mayor. La Loba responded by calling on >her supporters to vote for the opposition PRD party. >Tolentino won anyway, by a margin of six thousand >votes. After the election, La Loba insisted he would >never govern; the events of August 18 were apparently >an attempt by the OPC leader to fulfill her promise. > >The police stood by and did nothing for the first hour >of the battle, although eventually the Rapid Reaction >Forces intervened and detained 229 people, most from >the OPC. Of these, 67 tested positive in gunpowder >residue tests. Police said most of the weapons used >in the ambush/fight/massacre were legal .38 and .22 >pistols. > >Arrest warrants were subsequently issued for La Loba >and the other leaders of the OPC, although Buend�a >herself quickly went into hiding before the violence >even ended and has yet to be apprehended by the >police. > >The PRI, for its part, condemned the violence and >accepted what it called its "historical >responsibility" for having tolerated and even >supported groups such as the OPC within its >organization. > > >3. ROBLES WINS ABORTION VOTE IN MEXICO CITY; CHURCH >COUNTERATTACKS > >By a vote of 41 to 7, the Legislative Assembly of >Mexico City approved an initiative sponsored by mayor >Rosario Robles, of the Party of the Democratic >Revolution, to decriminalize the practice of abortion >in cases in which the health of the mother is at risk, >when the fetus presents serious congenital defects, >and when the pregnancy is the result of undesired >artificial insemination. > >Abortion is already permitted in Mexico City when the >pregnancy is the result of rape. > >The initiative brought immediate condemnation from the >Roman Catholic Church, the right-to-life organization >Pro-Vida, and conservative sectors of the National >Action Party (PAN). The transition team of >president-elect Vicente Fox had previously asked >Robles to withdraw her initiative. > >The president of the Commission of Justice in the >national Senate, Juan de Dios Castro - of the PAN - >attacked the initiative and insisted that abortion is >never justified, not even when the mother has been >raped. He said that the idea that a woman has the >right to decide about the future of a fetus simply >because it is within her body is a fallacy, and that >the decriminalization of abortion in the case of rape >is a legal maneuver derived from times of war when >soldiers raped civilians, and has no place in a >contemporary society. > >For his part, Jorge Serrano Lim�n, president of >ProVida, led a series of confrontational Operation >Rescue-style protests in Mexico City, demonstrating >outside the legislative offices of the Assembly and >closing a number of women's health clinics. Graffiti >of "Robles, Assassin" appeared in various parts of the >city, and Serrano Lim�n called for citizens not to pay >their taxes to the local government upon >implementation of the new law. He also said that >raped women should give their babies up for adoption >and undergo psychiatric treatment, and that all women >who support decriminalization of abortion are >lesbians. > >The Church also attacked Robles' proposal, and all >attempts to decriminalize abortion in the cases of >rape and the health of the mother. Cardenal Juan >Sandoval I�iguez even went so far as to say that women >need to dress more conservatively to avoid being >raped. > >Blatantly ignoring virtually all sociological and >psychological studies of the phenomenon, Cardinal >Sandoval declared that sexual abuse occurs because the >society is "eroticized" and "bombarded with sex," and >that women "must do their part, since they tend to >dress in a very provocative manner; they need to be >more decent and not ask for it." > >The Bishop of Cuernavaca, Luis Reynoso Cervantes, >launched a verbal attack on Mexico City mayor Robles, >calling her a "cowardly assassin." Bishop Reynoso >also suggested that women who "think they might be >raped" should "use anticonceptive devices to avoid >becoming impregnated." > >Meanwhile, in the PAN-controlled state of Guanajuato, >legislation criminalizing abortion even in the case of >rape has been approved by the state legislature, and >is simply awaiting the signature or veto of PAN >governor Ram�n Mart�n Huerta, who has hired the Center >of Studies of Opinion (CEO) of Guadalajara to carry >out a statewide survey on the matter. > >In Nuevo Le�n, another state governed by the PAN, an >initiative to reform the state constitution "to >protect life from the moment of conception" and >criminalize abortion in all cases (eliminating >existing exemptions for the cases of rape, health of >the mother, or congenital defects present in the >fetus) was frozen in the current legislature, due to >opposition from the PRI, PRD and PT parties. But >since the PAN won an absolute majority in the >legislature in the July 2 elections, it will have the >votes necessary in the next session to push the >measure through on its own. > > >4. NEWS BRIEFS > >- Julio Boltvinik, a researcher at the Colegio de >M�xico and generally considered one of Mexico's top >experts in economic studies of poverty, announced on >August 17 the conclusion of a nationwide study which >suggested there are 75 million poor people in Mexico - >out of a population of 97 million - and that of those, >45 million live in conditions of extreme poverty. >Boltvinik said that the majority of Mexico's poor are >urban youth, contrary to official statements alleging >that most poverty in the country is found in rural >areas. Boltvinik added that it will be essential for >the incoming government of Vicente Fox to give less >priority to macroeconomic indicators and more >attention to the welfare of the population, and that >existing government anti-poverty programs need to be >completely overhauled to become effective. > >- Luis Ernesto Derbez, one of the "economic >coordinators" of Vicente Fox's transition team, >announced this week that Fox will try to convert the >nationalized oil company, Petr�leos Mexicanos (PEMEX), >into a multinational corporation with capacity to >invest in other countries. Derbez also laid out the >fundamental economic goals for Fox's administration: >sustained GDP growth of 7% by 2005; 3% annual >inflation as of 2003; a fiscal deficit of 0.75% of GDP >beginning in 2001; and oil export prices of between 16 >and 18 dollars per barrel in 2001. > >- On August 19, a delegation composed of four past >winners of the international Goldman prize for >environmental protection were denied entrance into the >penitentiary of Iguala, in the state of Guerrero, to >visit this year's winners of the prize, Rodolfo >Montiel Flores and Teodoro Cabrera Garc�a. Montiel >and Cabrera have been imprisoned for their >environmental activities in Guerrero for fifteen >months. The government-sponsored National Human >Rights Commission (CNDH) recently affirmed that they >are being held for crimes they did not commit, and >that it was only under military torture that they >"confessed" to such crimes. > > >_______________________________________________________ > >SOURCES: Milenio, Proceso, La Jornada, El Universal, >El Excelsior. > >This report is a product of the Mexico Solidarity >Network. Redistribution is authorized and encouraged >provided that the source is cited. > >This and past news updates are archived at: >http://www.mexicosolidarity.org/news/ > >Comments: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ********* > >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: "Mexico Solidarity Network" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Fall Human Rights Campaign >Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 > >Mexico Solidarity Network � Fall 2000 Human Rights Campaign > >Contact: 773-583-7728 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >The Mexico Solidarity Network is a national coalition of 90 >community-based organizations that support Mexico/US struggles for >social and economic justice, dignity and democratization on both >sides of the Rio Grande. > >The Fall 2000 Human Rights/Militarization campaign is a >national mobilization to end militarization, defend human rights and >open spaces for democratization in poor and indigenous communities in >Mexico. > >This Fall campaign features twelve regional Mexico Solidarity tours >focused around education of civil society, media and congressional >offices. Each tour will feature a prominent Mexican human rights >expert making public presentations, speaking at universities, and >meeting with editorial boards, Congressional offices, local elected >officials, and community leaders. The tours are part of a national >campaign aimed at implementation of the San Andres Accords, support >for HR monitoring, demilitarization of indigenous areas, and an end >to US military aid and training for Mexico. The tours will plant >these issues squarely in the national debate during the run-up to the >November elections. > >The Fall campaign will kick off several grassroots initiatives, >including: > >� A major Congressional education campaign�including grassroots >meetings with constituencies, the development of �Sense of the >Congress� Resolutions, Dear Colleague letters, and a Jan. 2001 >congressional HR delegation to Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca. � > Corporate campaigns targeted at US-based multi-nationals that >exemplify aspects of free trade that have worsened economic >conditions and contributed to the deterioration of the human rights >situation in poor and indigenous communities. � Local grassroots >campaigns organized by religious, student, and community-based groups >that will: introduce city council resolutions condemning human rights >abuses in Mexico, picket ROTC/military recruiting offices, print >letters to the editor, and promote municipal divestment of US multi- >nationals benefiting from a deteriorating human rights climate. > >The Fall 2000 Human Rights program will be clearly outlined in an >Organizing Packet. The organizing packet will be a useful tool for >local committees, key organizers, and student groups to help spell >out the various campaigns and to provide background information, >sample campaign materials, and key contacts. Development of this >packet is currently underway. Contact the Mexico solidarity Network >for your copy at: 773-583-7728. > >Speaking tours The national human rights campaign will kick off with >a series of regional speaking tours. Each tour will feature a >prominent Mexican HR worker and either an MSN staff person, steering >committee member or an MSN-affiliated regional organizer. Each tour >will last 10-12 days and cover 5-6 cities, spending 2 days in each >stop along the tour. The cities should try to organize $300 per day >to support the tour. This money should be raised by a combination of >a hat pass, event sales, personal and organizational sponsorship, >university sponsorship, grants, or other creative means. The money >will be used to cover organizing and travel expenses, benefit >the Mexican speakers� organizations, and further the campaign as a >whole. > >Following is a basic breakdown of the ideal itinerary for a given >stop on the tour: > >Day one: >� Meeting with the local alternative paper >� Meeting with local mainstream daily editorial board >� Interview on 1 or more local mainstream/community/college radio >station(s) >� One or more university events (Day 1 or 2�) >� Meeting with the church council >� Meet with local unions and labor council >� Meet Local US Rep�s home office, with members of local >committee/coalition >� Meet with local elected representatives. > >Day two: >� Continuation of day one schedule >� Public action targeting a local corporation, Mexican consulate, > or other local target >� Evening speaking event open to the public > >Note: In some cities, one day may be more appropriate than two days. > >Routes >Twelve regions have been identified for the Fall campaign: > >� New England, Sept. 24-Oct. 4 Featuring Andres Barreda, >political analyst >from the National Autonomous University in Mexico City. >� Mid Atlantic, Sept. 24-Oct. 4 Featuring Jorge Luis Sierra, >author and >expert on militarization in Mexico. >� Northwest, Oct. 5-15 Featuring Hilda Navarrete, indigenous >human rights >activist from Guerrero >� New York State, Oct. 4-14 Featuring Abel Berrera, indingeous >human rights >activist from Guerrero. >� Upper Midwest, Oct. 13-22 Featuring Abel Barrera environmental >activist >from southern Mexico. >� Texas, Oct. 20-30 Featuring Gustavo Castro, Director of CIEPAC >and one of >the leading experts on human rights and militarization in Chiapas. >� Midwest, Oct. 28-Nov. 7 Featuring Marisol Lopez, leading >expert on human >rights and militarization in southern Mexico. >� Mid South, Nov. 1-11 Featuring Diego Cadenas, attorney with >the Fray >Bartolome Human Rights Center in Chiapas. >� Southern California, Nov. 9-20 Featuring Onecimo Hidalgo, >leading expert >on politics and social conditions in Chiapas with CIEPAC. >� Florida, Nov. 30-Dec. 10 Featuring Nestora Ramirez, indigenous >human >rights activist from the Loxicha region of Oaxaca. >� Southwest, Dec. 3-13 Featuring Federico Anaya, former attorney >for the >Fray Bartolome Human Rights Center and leading expert on human rights >in >Chiapas. >� Central states, dates and speaker pending. > >Please contact the Mexico Solidarity Network at 773-583-7728 or >[EMAIL PROTECTED] if you are interested in hosting part of the >Fall campaign in your region." JC > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
