NOTICIAS Editorial (Oaxaca): A Historic Victory

Few communication media in the state, nation or the world can face government repression, with all that it implies, and emerge unharmed from such an unequal attack. Not [even] the major daily of Latin America in its time, “El Excélsior” of Julio Scherer García, the Leviathan that succeeded in winning, and finally succumbed to the ferocious attack by Luis Echeverría Álvarez, with the well-known loss of its independence and editorial policy. Because of that, the triumph of Noticias, Vos y Imagen de Oaxaca , after two years of constant official persecution, represents a “historic” victory that cannot pass unrecognized, as much for the media of communication as for society in its totality.

The social, political and intellectual leaders recognized this, those who on Friday 2 March accompanied the workers and the editors of this media on their return to [their premises in] Los Libres Street, after a year and a half of travelling to different places, because of a ficticious strike created by the state leader of the CROC [Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (Revolucionary Confederation of Workers and Campesinos)], David Aguilar Robles, in turn by order of the head of the [state] executive power [governor Ulises Ruíz].

The return home after a lengthy resistance against the pounding by the power structure allowed Oaxacan society to judge for itself the cost of what happened and to project the immediate future of the most important communication medium in Oaxaca. Thus they realized that the battle is still not concluded, that the state government will continue trying again and again to silence Noticias because its truthful and critical editorial policy was the real mBut besides affirming that they are not disposed towards changing this daily's editorial policy at the altar of preserving a better relation with the government, in turn “we are not going to permit it, we are going to be vigilant, I want to say it, because it’s necessary to inform the people truthfully”, maintained Professor Ezequiel Rosales. In various ways the citizens recognized the fundamental role of NOTICIAS during the political crisis of 2006, in which the majority of the communication media chose to deny reality, when they were not disguising it at the request of [those] in the spheres of power. “NOTICIAS” presented an example of truthfulness and trustworthiness that will continue.”

In the face of strong urging, Ericel Gómez Nucamendi, president of the Group NOTICIAS, Voz y Imagen de Oaxaca, did not avoid the theme and assured that the daily has not made any compromise with the federal, local or municipal government, in order that it will continue being independent and will not change its editorial position.

“I want you to carry the conviction that the newspaper NOTICIAS will not change its editorial policy. It will continue being the voice of the people of Oaxaca , the voice of the organizations that don’t have other means for expressing their desires for wellbeing and above all to denounce the bad authorities.”

Gómez Nucamendi guaranteed that in this daily space all ideological currents could be expressed: that of the right, of the left, of the center left and more, “because without freedom of the press the people must be subdued.”

ABOUT NOTICIAS:
One of the best things about the City of Oaxaca is its feisty daily newspaper, Noticias, Voz e Imagen de Oaxaca (Voice and Images of Oaxaca). It's come through a two-year struggle to survive the determined attacks by the ruling fascist government, and in the process has become a major source of information about the popular struggle here. The editorial, from one week ago, is self-celebratory, but why not, they deserve to feel proud after what they've been through. They promise to keep on telling the truth as they understand it, and of course that's what makes them enemies of the brutes that run this state and nation and, I might add, of the rulers of the U.S. as well. Enjoy their editorial. - Julie Webb Pullman

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