During the first year of the so called “government of hope” civil, indigenous and campesino organizations kept a certain silence before the prospect of the new administration of Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, whose alliance of parties defeated the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI) in 2000 after they had been in power for many years.  The organizations maintained three positions in regard to the government.  One stance handed over all its hope and a blank check to the new government.  In fact, some members of civil agencies and campesino and indigenous organizations were set up as public civil servants in diverse posts and levels of the state government, - even close relatives of those who were known for their radical defense of the San Andrés Accords.  Some financial agencies and foundations also handed over a blank check in order to channel their economic resources into investment projects.  Nevertheless, others persevered with the expectation (as the saying goes) “seeing is believing.”  The third group stood its ground, as always, with total rejection of and incredulity at the new administration’s making any authentic changes.

In whatever form, the situation for the indigenous communities of Chiapas has not changed – it has only gotten worse.  This chronology is taken from Enlace Civil on whose web page (www.enlacecivil.org.mx) you can find each of these denunciations of humans rights violations during the first year of the administration of Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía.  Could this explain one of the causes of the large rate of electoral abstention this past July 6 for the federal elections?  It is only one example of what happened during 2001 in Chiapas.

February 15:  The autonomous municipality of Polhó denounced that in the community of Usithucum the paramilitaries threatened the displaced population and they hold Adán Hernández Pérez responsible for this.  On the other hand, the community of San Francisco K’ontontik denounced the threats and beatings on the part of the state police aimed at Zapatista support bases as they do their work.

February 16:  The autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón denounced the harassment that they suffer on the part of the army and the state police forces at checkpoints, from flyovers, patrols and the increase of troops in the zones.

March 15:  The municipality of Che Gueverra denounced that in the community of El Carrizal there are military patrols and confrontations with people belonging to OCEZ and the judicial police because of forest problems and harassment.

March 23:  The autonomous municipality of Francisco Gómez reported that the army uprooted the military camp located in Garrucha and moved it 4 kilometers from this community.

April 23:  The autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón denounced the continuous attacks against the settlers of the communities by the army and the patrols along the roads of San Jacinto Tzeltal and Nuevo Mariscal.

May 1:  The municipality of the First of January made it known that some  unidentified persons emptied bottles of asunto into the water and sowed marijuana near the community.  It is thought this was done so that the army would have a pretext for interfering in the community.

May 7:  The autonomous municipality of Polhó denounced the fact that persons belonging to the PRI have burned and destroyed houses and crops.

May 11:  The autonomous municipality of Polhó denounced that in the community of Tzanebolom six persons were ambushed.  Of those six persons, three died and three were left wounded.  They hold a companion base of support responsible for this act.

May 17:  The autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón denounced the continuous patrols and harassment by the federal army.  They seek an end to these hostile operations against the communities. 

May 22:  The autonomous municipality of Francisco Gómez and the ejido of Rómulo Calzada reported conflicts with people belonging to the PRI because of forest exploitation (trafficking in precious woods) that is taking place on the lands of the ejido.

May 24:  The authorities of Potobic denounced aggressions, threats and provocation by the paramilitaries aimed at the inhabitants of this and nearby communities.

June 3:  The municipality of San Pedro Polhó charged harassment against the people of the community of Poconichim by the priista municipal president of Chenalhó. 

June 4:  The Network of Community Defenders denounced actions carried out on the part of the Mexican army stationed in Cabaña San Isidro of the 31^st military zone against the indigenous community of San Isidro el Ocotal.

June 5:  The autonomous municipality of San Pedro Polhó denounced harassment and threats by the military and the state attorney pushing for confrontations.

June 8:  The autonomous municipality of El Trabajo announced that there is a project on the part of the federal government to turn part of the lands of the ejido of Roberto Barrios into a tourist center and thus break up community life.

June13:  Harassment by the state police.  A petition to remove the checkpoints.

June 22:  The autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón denounced flyovers and harassment on land by the military and an increase of military personnel at the checkpoints.

June 24:  The autonomous municipality of Francisco Gómez denounced provocation by the municipal president of Ocosingo and the priistas who are scaring livestock and destroying harvests.  The same day the Network of Community Defenders denounced acts implemented by the Mexican army stationed in Cabaña San Isidro in the 31^st military zone against the indigenous community of San Isidro el Ocotal.

July 9:  The autonomous municipality of El Trabajo reported harassment, threats and theft by a person from the community of Roberto Barrios.

July 10:  The autonomous municipality of Roberto Barrios denounced the theft of money belonging to a women’s cooperative of the ejido as well as constant threats against a catechist from the community for telling people about Plan Puebla-Panamá.

July 13:  The autonomous municipality of El Trabajo denounced the fact that, as always, PROGRESA is used to divide the communities.

July 14:  The autonomous municipality of El Trabajo reported constant threats and harassment against the support bases in the community of Roberto Barrios.

July 17:  The autonomous municipality of Roberto Barrios denounced the presence of the military in their communities and an increase in the constituents in the barracks of Cintalapa.  It is a government lie that there is no military presence in the communities of Chiapas.  Another autonomous municipality, Francisco Gómez, denounced attacks by the militants of the ARIC and requested the liberation of a sick person detained by them.

July 23:  The autonomous municipality of Vincente Guerrero denounced incursions and harassment by the Mexican army and they fear imminent violation of the human rights of the settlers.

July 26:  The army got into the community of Santa Cruz with the pretext of doing social labor causing fear among the community members.

July 27:  The federal government opened a dirt road into the community of Roberto Barrios under the guise of helping the communities and so that the army could carry out activities of “social labor.”

 August 8:  Provocations by the priistas and constant harassment in addition to threats and the burning and destruction of houses.

August 11:  An increase of forces.  19 federal army vehicles, among them buses and vans, arrived at the military camp located in the colony San Cayetano that is 2 kilometers from Oventic Aguascalientes II in the municipality of San Andrés.

August 13:  The municipality of San Juan de la Libertad denounced patrol actions and low level flyovers by the federal army, state police and judicial police on the roads and in the communities.

August 18:  Provocation by the priistas and constant harassment in addition to threats and the burning and destruction of houses.

August 27:  Inroads by the state police under the pretext of looking for robbers meddling in the nearby ocotales of the community.

September 2:  Paramilitary harassment against the displaced in the northern zone and the expulsion of 4 families who are Zapatista support bases and threats by a paramilitary member of Paz y Justicia.

September 10:  Priista authorities of a community in Palenque harassed Zaptista support bases.

September 13:  Members of Paz y Justicia harassed and attacked Zapatista support bases.

September 14:  Paramilitaries burned the house of a Zapatista sympathizer in Roberto Barrios.

October 1:  Threats of dislocation against Zapatista sympathizers of the community of April 10.  On their side, authorities from Roberto Barrios denounced paramilitary attacks.

October 8:  The Network of Community Defenders denounced that in the ejido of Santo Domingo y Arroyo Granizo the authorities were accused in front of the public minister and  consigned before the law for prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages.

October 14:  In the autonomous municipality of Francisco Gómez in the community of San Manuel a group of priistas burned one house and destroyed others so that they could seize some lands that do not belong to them.

October 17:  Harassment by the military and state police against communities of the Santo Domingo valley, autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón.

October 20:  Autonomous municipalities denounced military harassment against the population and the commercial center in Cuxuljá.

October 26:  The Network of Community Defendors for Human Rights handed over its complaint against the constitutional reforms regarding Indigenous Matters to the OIT.

October 28:  A Zapatista supporter from Francisco Gómez died from wounds inflicted by paramilitaries in July of 2001.  Meanwhile, militants from ORACO removed the commercial center in Cuxuljá from the Zapaptista support bases.

Octobre 29:  The autonomous municipalities spoke out against the attacks by ORACO in Cuxuljá.

October 30:  The municipality of Che Guevera reported that ORACO continues its agression in Cuxujlá.

November 11:  The autonomous municipality of San Manuel denounced that military harassment continues against the communities.

November 12:  A member of the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights was attacked.

November 21:  The Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights denounced the grave situation suffered by 64 families displaced from the northern zone by the paramilitaries of Paz y Justicia in 1996.

December 4:  Priistas requested the intervention of the state police in Taniperla, municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón.  Meanwhile, the agrarian lawyer tried to violate internal regulations of the community of Arroyo Granizo, municipality of Ricardo Flores Magón.  Also, threats of dislocation were made against ejidos in the northern zone of Chiapas.

December 15:  Attacks against the population and civil observers in Roberto Barrios.

December 29:  Actions of harassment, aerial operations and military movements in the indigenous communities that live in the triangle of the Monte Azules reserve that belongs to this municipality.

December 30:  The Zapatista support base of the eijido of Nuevo México, Ocosingo, was attacked.  On the same day, the new placement of the federal army in the ejido of Linda Vista in Palenque was denounced.

December 31:  The municipality of San Andrés denounced threats on the part of the priista municipal council of this same municipality and militants of this party.

Here is just a sample of what happened during the first year of the government of Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía.  Nevertheless, the problems of the sugar industry sector must be acknowledged.  It felt betrayed by the new government which neither listened to its demands nor complied with the campaign promises before the crisis in this sector, the corruption and the “cacique” control of the Orantes family.  The coffee harvest and small business people must also be mentioned here.  In the face of all this, the “government of hope” preferred to establish the security of federal politics rather than face up to or put a end to the racial problems in many of the sectors of Chiapaneco society.

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