----- Original Message -----
From: Joaquin Cienfuegos
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 6:49 PM
Subject: [ciporfmsolidaridad] Report from Atenco, Mexico 06/19/06 and 06/20/06
Report from Atenco, Mexico 06/19/06 and 06/20/06
"We carry our tools of work, which are our machetes, when we´re marching,
because the police are carrying their tools of work, their guns and clubs. If
they use their tools, then we use our tools."
-Hortensia Ramos of the Frente de Pueblos
en Defensa de la Tierra
The Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra (FPDT) has continue to organize
and take action. Along with the people being detained there are 221 under house
arrest. People basically saw the attack as a form of terrorism. They attacked
to terrorize the community in revenge of their victory over their airport plan
-- and to scare people who are supporters, members, and sympathizers of the
FDTP, and the people who are neutral -- as to show them, this is what will
happen to you if you side with the "macheteros" (what they call the FDTP, and
they uphold with pride). The government wants to get the message accross, that
if you stand up, if you speak out, if you organize your community for a better
life and to defend yourself, you are going to get killed, raped, beaten,
imprisoned, and tortured.
The Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra, has no leaders, only
coordinators (who Ignacio del Valle is), and the coordinatnors lead by example.
One of the comrades from Atenco quoted Marcos on why he feels horizontality is
important, "If they want to destroy our struggle, they have to build more
prisons, hospitals, and cemetaries to put us all in." The tactics of the state
is to go after any formal leadership hoping to destroy the organization, which
is what they intended to do with the FPDT. They are definately going to have
trouble doing that. The struggle is so deeply integrated into the families that
live in Atenco, that some of the compas I talked to are 2nd and 3rd generation
organizers and coordinators with the Frente, and they see organizing the youth
as one of the most important task (as community organizing). One of the compas,
who is a student, even said, if it wasn´t for my grandparents and parents who
are campesinos and know what it is to work the land and the ejido, I wouldn´t
be involved today.
In atenco they have what are ejidos, communal lands. Which have been a way in
which communities have sustained themselves in Mexico for centuries and
especially after the revolution in Mexico of 1910. These communities have been
attacked today by imperialism and privatization -- which is where the struggle
in Atenco began. Today women, youth, and families grow food cooperatively in
the ejidos of Atenco. Some of the most common food they grow is corn, beans,
wheat, and asparanto. The community upholds the land and live off of it. Most
everyone in atenco has some connection to the ejido and this is why the
struggle there has deep roots with families and the community.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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