> > ________________________________________________ > > A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E > > http://www.ainfos.ca/ > > ________________________________________________ > > > > Communique' from the Clandestine Revolutionary > > Indigenous Committee - > > General Command of the Zapatista Army of National > > Liberation. > > Mexico. > > > > January 1, 2001. > > > > > > Seventh Anniversary of the Zapatista Uprising. > > > > Through my voice speaks the voice of the Zapatista > > Army of National > > Liberation; > > > > Indigenous Mexican brothers and sisters; > > > > Brothers and sisters of Mexico and the World; > > > > In this, the seventh year of the war against > > forgetting, we repeat what we > > are. > > > > We, we are wind. Not the breast that inspires us. > > > > We, we are word. Not the lips which speak to us. > > > > We, we are steps. Not the foot that walks us. > > > > We, we are beat. Not the heart that drives us. > > > > We, we are bridge. Not the lands which are joined. > > > > We, we are path. Not the point of arrival or of > > departure. > > > > We, we are place. Not the one who occupies it. > > > > We do not exist. We only are. > > > > We are seven times. We, seven times. > > > > We, the mirror repeated. > > > > We, the reflection. > > > > We, the hand that is only opening the window. > > > > We, the world called to the door of the morning. > > > > > > Brothers and Sisters: > > > > Seven have been the reflections which the ancient > > mirror has plucked in the > > second century and the twentieth hundred which have > > ended. > > > > In the first, we were wind from below, unexpectedly > > awoken. From very far > > back in time, memory was made breath of fire. > > Fierce was the look and hard > > was the path, we returned, then, as the dead of > > always, but this time in > > order to wrest a place in life. With us, the > > mountain thus knelt down on > > the land and blew our history through the streets > > where the tyrant dwells. > > > > With the second reflection, we were lips for the > > word and ears for the > > heart of the other. The fire remained quiet and the > > heart learned to > > conjugate by broadening ours. Shield and blade thus > > made, the word > > resisted in that way, and betrayal was rendered > > futile. > > > > With the spark of the third reflection, we made > > agreement with the one who > > governs so that we who are color and blood of the > > earth might have a > > dignified place with everyone. The one who governed > > did not honor his > > word. We, however, became bridge for other worlds. > > Thus we learned that > > dignity is not the exclusive property of any nation, > > and that goodness has > > many faces and speaks many tongues. > > > > It was in the fourth reflection that those who > > govern and sustain us took > > the first step. One thousand one hundred and eleven > > times our gaze looked > > upon the solitude finally defeated. Nonetheless, > > the stupidity that > > governs with blood wanted to block so much gazing. > > "Acteal" it is called > > where they will still never close their eyes. > > > > The fifth reflection was growing resistance, making > > it school and lesson > > which gave direction. There, alongside the one who > > says he governs, war, > > destruction, lie and intolerance. Here, quiet > > dignity, rebel silence, > > self-governance. > > > > The sixth reflection traveled much, five times a > > thousand, to all the lands > > of those we call brothers. We asked of them, we > > listened to them. We held > > our word so that it would become fruitful and, in > > its time, it might find > > its time. > > > > The seventh finally came, and with it, the one that > > was already tottering > > fell. The other came, with many faces and without > > face, with name and > > unnamed, and, completely anonymous, not the last, > > but indeed a ladder. The > > one who never imagined that anything would be > > possible without his > > tutelage, found himself alone and fell, to the > > regret of no one. > > > > With the seventh reflection completed, the most old > > of the first ones spoke > > to us through the mouths of our most recent dead. > > They spoke to us and > > they told us that the seventh was the moment to > > return to the earth which > > is growing upwards. Where the gentleman with much > > talking and little > > listening has his palace. Where dwells reason which > > can guide the good > > law. Where the other different is our equal. Where > > struggle is the bread > > and salt of every day. > > > > How can this government display itself in front of > > the eyes of the world as > > long as this absurd and cruel situation continues? > > How can they speak of > > "change", of "democracy", of "justice", if they are > > maintaining their > > troops as an occupation army? The Federal Army > > should leave Guadalupe > > Tepeyac, not because it is one of the requisites for > > the renewal of > > dialogue, but because no one can speak of peace > > while the warlike actions > > begun by the previous government continue. > > > > Still remaining are the military barracks of Roberto > > Barrios, La Garrucha, > > Cuxulja', Jolnachoj and the Euseba River. In > > Roberto Barrios the army does > > not only have a barracks. It is also maintaining a > > checkpoint day and > > night which inhibits the movement of the indigenous > > in the area, thus > > contradicting Se~or Fox's statements and the > > government propaganda which > > speak of the checkpoints having been suspended. The > > only purpose of the > > military position of Roberto Barrios - as well as > > those of La Garrucha, > > Cuxulja', Jolnachoj and the Euseba River - is to > > threaten the zapatista > > cultural centers which are close to those locations. > > They have no tactical > > military, strategic, propaganda, social or economic > > value. Their only > > purpose is to intimidate. And that, as has been > > seen, has been a failure. > > > > Still remaining is the release of all the imprisoned > > zapatistas. In > > Chiapas, Tabasco and Quere'taro there are persons > > who have committed no > > crime other than that of sympathizing with our > > cause. There can be no > > dialogue if we zapatistas are criminals in the eyes > > of government justice. > > Their release is fundamental for dialogue. > > > > Still remaining is the constitutional recognition of > > indigenous rights and > > culture. The so-called Cocopa law is not the result > > of a zapatista whim. > > It was drawn up by senators and deputies from the > > four principal parties > > registered as: PRI, PAN, PRD and PT. This law > > captures the essence of > > what was agreed to at San Andre's, at whose table > > not only the federal > > government and the EZLN were in dialogue, but also > > indigenous > > representatives from all the country's ethnic > > groups, scientists, > > researchers, humanists and law experts. > > > > For dialogue and peace, during this seventh > > anniversary of the zapatista > > uprising, we are calling on all the honest men and > > women of Mexico and of > > the world, along with us, to demand that Se~or Fox > > withdraw the Army from > > Guadalupe Tepeyac, and in that way the indigenous, > > who have been living in > > exile for almost six years, may return to their > > homes; > > > > To demand that the military barracks which are > > threatening the indigenous > > zapatista cultural centers, in La Realidad, La > > Garrucha, Roberto Barrios, > > Moise's Gandhi and Oventik, be withdrawn once and > > for all; > > > > To achieve the release of all the zapatista > > prisoners who are in jails in > > Quere'taro, Tabasco and Chiapas. Their release will > > be an act of basic > > justice for our dead. > > > > And already, many times before this 7, it was > > written: > > > > > > "Come and see a wild nopal: and there you will > > calmly see a soaring eagle. > > There he eats, there he grooms his feathers. > > > > And with that your heart will be content: > > > > There is the heart of the Co'pil that you were going > > to wrench out, > > > > There, where the water turns and turns again! > > > > But there, where it was going to fall, you would > > have seen amongst the > > > > Crags, in that cave between reeds and rushes, > > > > That wild nopal has sprung up from the heart of > > Co'pil. > > > > And there we shall be: > > > > There we shall await and meet all peoples." > > > > (Taken from the Nahuatl poetry "Foundation of > > Mexico" in 1325) > > > > > > Brothers and sisters: > > > > Today it has been seven years of the war against the > > forgetting. Today, > > the one who governs says he wants peace. The one > > who preceded him said the > > same, and he did not do so, but rather tried to > > destroy those who defied > > him by merely living. > > > > That is why we wish to remind everyone, and the one > > who is government, > > today, that there are still many injustices which > > must be put aright. > > > > As a part of the signals which we are demanding for > > dialogue, we have > > demanded the withdrawal and closing of seven > > military positions. Each of > > them represent an affront to the desire for peace by > > the great majority of > > Mexicans and hundreds of thousands of persons from > > other countries. The > > withdrawal of the military barracks at Amador > > Herna'ndez was a good sign and > > a first step towards the dialogue table, but six > > positions still remain. > > > > Guadalupe Tepeyac still remains. On February 10, > > 1995, the residents of > > this community were stripped of everything they had > > by Federal Army troops. > > Preferring exile to serving the occupation troops, > > the residents of > > Guadalupe Tepeyac went to the mountain, and they are > > living there now. For > > 2149 days these Tojolabal indigenous have been > > forced to live and die far > > from their lands. A result of the Zedillo betrayal, > > this injustice > > continues today under Se~or Fox's regime. > > > > For dialogue and peace, on this seventh anniversary > > of the war against > > forgetting, we are inviting everyone to accompany us > > to Mexico City, seat > > of the federal Legislative Branch, and, for us, > > together, to convince the > > deputies and senators of the justice represented by > > the constitutional > > recognition of indigenous rights and culture. > > > > > > Brothers and Sisters: > > > > For many years, those who were the government took, > > and they helped > > themselves to it, they tried to destroy the first > > blood of these lands. > > Seeing how the most first seed abounded, they grew > > tired of fighting with > > us with their most terrible deaths, and then the > > great gentlemen tried to > > kill us with forgetting. > > > > But we indigenous resist. > > > > We resist unto death that which killing kills. > > > > We resist unto death that which kills forgetting. > > > > We resist unto death. > > > > We live. > > > > We are here. > > > > So it has been ordered by our most first: > > > > Our heartbeat unfolds in the 7. > > > > It shall make echo > > > > And bridge > > > > And path > > > > And place > > > > And home > > > > So that the first heart of this Patria might live, > > > > So that silence shall never again be accomplice to > > crime, > > > > So that the word is not lost amidst the noise, > > > > So that solitude may be defeated and there be no > > borders for hope, > > > > So that everyone's steps might have dignified path, > > > > So that no one may be without place for sowing > > memory, > > > > So that all may come and go, and that walls be not > > jail, but shelter, > > > > So that this country called Mexico may never again > > forget those whom they > > are for and with, > > > > So that those who were previously outside and > > persecuted, might be within, > > and with everyone, being who they are, but with > > everyone, > > > > So that never again will a first of January be > > necessary which awakens and > > returns memory, > > > > So that the Mexican indigenous might be indigenous > > and be Mexican. > > > > So it is ordered by our most first. It is 7 now. > > It is now the time of > > the most small. > > > > The time of the indigenous of Mexico. > > > > > > Brothers and Sisters: > > > > > > We are the zapatistas. > > > > We do not conquer. We persuade. > > > > We are not served. We serve. > > > > We are not wall. We are bridge. > > > > We do not dictate the steps, we, we are the most > > small. > > > > > > Brothers and Sisters: > > > > > > It has been 7. This year our steps grow wider. > > Like seven years ago, but > > with words instead of fire, the hour of the Mexican > > indigenous is arriving > > once again. From them, with them and for them, we > > are today once more > > lifting the flag of indigenous rights and culture. > > We shall continue > > fighting because Mexico shall never again walk in > > the forgetting. Because > > the Patria will not again be synonymous with > > exclusion. Because the > > morning shall find us alongside all the different > > ones. > > > > VIVAN THE MEXICAN INDIGENOUS! > > > > VIVEN THE EXCLUDED OF THE ENTIRE WORLD! > > > > VIVA THE ZAPATISTA ARMY OF NATIONAL LIBERATION! > > > > VIVAN OUR DEAD FOREVER! > > > > DEMOCRACY! LIBERTY! JUSTICE! > > > > > > >From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast. > > > > By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous > > Committee - > > General Command of the Zapatista Army of National > > Liberation. > > > > Comandante David > > > > > > ******** > > ****** The A-Infos News Service ****** > > News about and of interest to anarchists > > ****** > > COMMANDS: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > REPLIES: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > HELP: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > WWW: http://www.ainfos.ca/ > > INFO: http://www.ainfos.ca/org > > > > -To receive a-infos in one language only mail > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] the message: > > unsubscribe a-infos > > subscribe a-infos-X > > where X = en, ca, de, fr, etc. (i.e. the language > code) > > > __________________________________________________
