Situation in San Sebastián Bachajón

Report from the brigade of observation about the situation in San Sebastián Bachajón

National and international brigade visits San Sebastián Bachajón and reports that the Regional Headquarters is in danger of eviction

The ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón who are organized in defence of their lands are threatened with eviction from the new Regional Headquarters of San Sebastián Bachajón in the coming days. Political party-supporting ejidatarios from the same municipality announced that if public forces do not execute the eviction within ten days, ending on Tuesday 12 February, they themselves will do it. This was explained by compañeros and compañeras from the Network against Repression (RvsR), and other groups who participated between the 6th and 8th of this month in a brigade of observation to San Sebastián Bachajón.

In a sharing on Monday 9th February, many brigadistas told various free media in San Cristobal de las Casas of the current situation of the struggle in the ejido San Sebastián Bachajón as well as the experiences they shared with the compañer@s ejidatari@s.

Listen to the audio of the sharing: http://komanilel.org/2015/02/09/informe-brigada-de-observacion-sobre-la-situacion-en-san-sebastian-bachajon/

The brigade of observation accompanies the ejidatarios of Bachajón

The brigade was composed of 33 people from various countries and four free media from different locations in Mexico. Participants accompanied the ejidatarios in struggle for three days. In addition they addressed the conflict through interviews about different subjects, conducted a questionnaire to report the current situation of the ejidatarios, painted several murals in the facilities of the new Regional Headquarters and collaborated on cooking tasks and security. The short time of the sharing allowed both the members of the brigade and the Tseltales to share their experiences and find together an everyday and closer context. Also, relatives of political prisoners of the struggle and relatives of Juan Vázquez Guzmán and Juan Carlos Gómez Silvano shared their experiences and emotions with the brigade. It was also moving when the RvsR gave the Headquarters a banner with the slogan: "Justice and freedom for Bachajón, the Compañeros are not alone, the Sixth Lives," at the time of departure.

Ejidatari@s welcome the brigade and explain the historical process of the struggle

During the welcome, the compañer@s from San Sebastián Bachajón who were present lined up to receive the brigade. During this time, the national and international brigadistas were presented and the ejidatari@s gave a brief historical account of the process of struggle for the defence of the ejido San Sebastián. During their presentation they explained how the conflict began in 2004, when the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) changed and violated the boundaries of the area that supposedly belongs to the national government, reducing the territory of the ejidatarios. A year later, the ejidatarios and ejidatarias decided together with the ejidal commissioner to install a toll booth at the entrance road to the waterfalls of Agua Azul, which was managed transparently by the whole community. In 2007, however, a new ejidal authority was imposed illegally, who is linked to the political parties. This act drove the ejidatarios who were not party members to create their own commissioner and control committee. Government repression began at this time through imprisonment and murder. They also explained the current situation following the recovery of lands since 21st December, the subsequent eviction on January 9, the road block and the construction of the Regional Headquarters.

Meeting with the families of the political prisoners and of those who were killed

During the visit of the brigade, relatives of Juan Vázquez Guzmán and Juan Carlos Gómez Silvano talked with the compañeros and shared their feelings. Also, relatives of political prisoners explained how public forces with the complicity of the authorities have been creating crimes and imprisoning people who are not to their liking. Such is the case of Esteban Gomez Jimenez, who is in el Amate and accused of homicide, robbery, possession of weapons and organized crime. Similarly the case of Emilio Jiménez Gómez, accused of robbery with violence of a foreigner who never identified him as guilty and who was then forced to sign documents by police which he could not even read. At the meeting they also remembered the three compañeros imprisoned in Yajalón accused of shooting someone during the celebration of el grito in their community. Finally they also spoke of Santiago Moreno Pérez, who has spent five years in prison and is accused of murder. In addition, the brigade collected the cases of Juan Antonio Gómez Silvano and Mario Aguilar, held in Our Lady of Sorrows, who have been formally arrested for attempted murder. Both were tortured by police and threatened.

http://komanilel.org/2015/02/09/informe-brigada-de-observacion-sobre-la-situacion-en-san-sebastian-bachajon/

ENDS

© Scoop Media