Mexico’s Supreme Court Accepts the Case of Oaxaca

[Joanne98]

Once Again the Zócalo Vibrates with Color, Voices, Music, and Video Replays of Government Attacks
http://www.narconews.com/Issue46/article2710.html

By Nancy Davies
Commentary from Oaxaca
June 21, 2007

The Supreme Court of Mexico has decided to appoint a commission to investigate serious violations of human rights which occurred in Oaxaca between May 2006 and January of 2007.

Those violations included the attack on sleeping protesters on June 14, 2006 and the subsequent murder of at least 25 sympathizers of the popular movement, along with 575 arbitrary detentions and more than 300 wounded. As of yet, nobody has been charged with any of those crimes. The alleged murderers of the US journalist Brad Will were jailed and promptly released.

According to Noticias of June 20, the Court justices rejected the attempt by Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (also known as “URO”) to prevent the investigation, after he said he “accepted the recommendations” of the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH). URO’s lawyers argued that such “acceptance” was sufficient.

The Court stated it is not. Nor is the court limited by CNDH recommendations, nor is it limited to wrongdoing by state officials. Federal persons such as the Federal Preventive Police were also denounced by the aggrieved APPO activists for violations including sexual assault and torture.

All the responses have been, up to now, farcical, given the quantity of evidence. That these events in Oaxaca have to be investigated by the Supreme Court speaks to the failure of the entire legal and judicial structure not only in Oaxaca, but in Mexico. The Supreme Court has been obliged to take up similar cases in other states as well.

The National Human Rights Commission had suggested an investigation of the Oaxaca perpetrators, including two state government cabinet members – Lino Celaya and Lizbeth Caño – who now top the list of PRI proportional candidates for the state legislature. They were removed by URO from their cabinet posts only to be kept quiet (my supposition) and were given another option for their careers. Clearly URO ‘s “acceptance” did not include any actions against them or anyone else. He offered an “apology” to the teachers, which was firmly rejected since no legal actions against the perpetrators, including URO himself, is part of “I’m sorry.”

The teachers and the APPO demand release of the remaining prisoners, acceptance of the teachers’ union demands, and the departure of URO from office. As the banners in the zócalo proclaim, the APPO “neither forgets nor forgives.”
http://www.narconews.com/Issue46/article2710.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. I'm glad to see something is working right, as to good government in Mexico.

The outrages of the fascist, murderous state government, and the federales in support of those crimes, cry out for investigation and justice. Brad Will filmed his assassins, for godssakes--as he fell to the ground--and they are walking free today, to kill again. These are the people who have murdered, raped, kidnapped and tortured the union and community organizers of Oaxaca--these rightwing paramilitarities in the employ of Gov. Ruiz! The Oaxaca uprising was an entirely peaceful one for SIX MONTHS, in response to official lawlessness and brutality. The people formed their own parallel government, in the Consitutional tradition of local, indigenous rights. They harmed no one! Their demands were reasonable. The violence against them escalated, and then Fox/Calderon ordered in the federal police in full Darth Vader gear to smash THE PEACEFUL PEOPLE OF THE UPRISING, in support of those who had grievously harmed them.

Kudos to the judges and prosecutors who have insisted on a full investigation. I hope they do not get undermined, or corrupted, and end up whitewashing it. I hope they show integrity and honesty. The smashing of the peaceful Oaxaca uprising is a blight on Mexico's name. Redress is required. And I am also glad to see the people of Oaxaca fighting back in this way. They have suffered enormous injustice. The injustice is on-going--in continued detentions, brutality and harassment. Their story needs to be spread far and wide, for its own sake--to help them now--and also to help root out systemic economic and political oppression that has been going on for decades, speared by U.S.-dominated "free trade" (global corporate piracy) and deliberate impoverishment and dislocation of peasant farmers (the REAL reason for "illegal immigration" to the U.S.).

Oaxaca Resiste!

Viva la revolución!