Welcome to the month of June!
The month of gay, lesbian, trans, bi… pride
The month of the Word Environment day…
But also the month of the third anniversary of the attacks against the teachers who participated in the sit-in on the 14th June 2006 in the main square of Oaxaca.

In Casa Chapulín we have recently had the following workshops/debates:

Workshop on the Mining Industry
Presented by Anabel López

Anabel spoke about the mine of Carrizalillo, situated in the state of Guerrero. The multinational company Gold Corp. is extracting gold and other metals from the mine based in the community of Carrizalillo, where it is renting hectares of land to conduct open-pit mining. Anabel informed us about the nature of the negotiations between the community and this monstrous business: until 2007, the company Gold Corp. paid the landowners $1.547 (Mexican pesos) each year for every hectare of land they used. However, in 2007, the landowners organized a sit-in to demand a better pay for the use of their land, managing to increase the amount to $14.500 as a result of their demonstrations. At this present moment, the pay is in the form of ounces of gold, which is the most just method of payment due to the present high value of gold. The people of the community have managed to achieve the construction of a community clinic, as well as a sports area and a classroom for children (with this money). However, the question is what has the business Gold Corp. gained in exchange? Gold Corp. takes all that it manages to extract during the 24 hours of permanent work: their process of open-pit mining means that the impact on the land will result in visible damages for approximately 900 hectares (one can only imagine the size of the big hole…). However, the environmental impact is barely spoken of, especially the damage that is not yet visible but will be in the future. The health costs of the people of the community are also not yet clearly evident: in the few years that the mining business has been in operation, they have not yet discovered that it causes great illnesses. However, the process of monitoring the health costs has not been strictly carried out. The people of the community who used to live off the cultivation of maguey for the production of mezcal look with nostalgia at the passing by of the giant trucks that  through their old lands. 

The debate left us thinking much about the present situation and about the future for the people of the community of Carrizalillo, as well as the role the government has in granting permission to the big mining businesses in their rootless responsibility regarding the land and its people.

The Mérida Initiative, the war against drug trafficking and the repression of social movements
Presented by Kristin Bricker.

The debate focused on the basic principles of the Initiative, such as what it consists of (The Mérida Initiative is a military assistance package sent from the government of the United States to the government of Mexico.  It includes equipment, armaments, training and intelligence). Kristin informed us of exactly what types of equipment is being sent to México: the assistance package contains anti-riot equipment for the use of the police against mutiny, armored vehicles for the new Federal Police, equipment for the use of telephone line interception, scanners or molecule detectors, equipment used to verify migrants´ documentation as well as equipment that uses x and gamma rays. 
Kristin also spoke about the use of training and intelligence: North American judges and attorney generals will take part in exchanges with their Mexican counterparts so that they may learn how to work under the new legal reform. Exchanges will take place between prison wardens and directors of maximum security prisons so that the Mexican wardens may learn how to work like the North Americans. In addition, North American so-called “experts” will give advice regarding the changes to the prison system of maximum security. Furthermore, the Mexican police force will receive training on the issue of human rights and “the use of force”. The training of police in Central America will take place in the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), which is a school used for the North American police force. A special school dedicated to the training of dogs is also going to be built, where police will be trained on how to use dogs to detect explosives and drugs.  Mexican agents will also receive training by the United States outside of the Merida Initiative but within the framework of the war against organized crime.
Armament: will include 3 Black Hawk helicopters
 Arms equipment also includes Pave Hawk helicopters, the number of which is still unknown, as well as 8 CASA 235-300M Persuader planes used for maritime surveillance, which are capable of carrying missiles and torpedos as well as transporting 57 military soldiers with all of their equipment or 48 skydivers. 
Repression and human rights in the war against narcotraficantes:
The number of complaints against the military has multiplied by six during the period of six years in which president Calderón has been in power. The complaints revolve around increasingly serious abuses, such as the use of torture, rape, forced disappearance and assassinations.  More that 10,600 people have been executed under the command of Calderón, whilst homicide has increased by more than 200%. Furthermore, many cases of repression have arisen against those who fight for social justice under the framework of the war against organized crime.
More information about the Iniciativa Mérida can be found on the webpage of Narco News, Laura Carlsen, Friends of Brad Will.

Film Showing:
LA LUZ ES DEL PUEBLO: Civil resistance against the high tariffs of electrical energy.
Produced by CIEPAC (www.ciepac.org)

This film documents the social struggle against the high tariffs of electrical energy in Chiapas and in other states of Mexico. The activists of this social movement explain the motives for civil resistance, among which include the elevated rates of electrical energy in the neighborhoods and indigenous communities, the power cuts implemented by the Federal Commission of Energy (CFE), the repression against activists who fight against this, as well as the capitalist and antidemocratic structures that operate behind this conflict. The activists of this video also elaborate on the practice of civil resistance: including the ideas of mutual support, mobilizations, protest, solidarity and training. 

Local News (in chronological order).

The Case of Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno
The judge responsible for this case has given order for the commitment of Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno, accused of the murder of Brad Will. Despite the lack of clear evidence that indicates that Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno is responsible for this crime, it seems as though the case of Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno will have to wait for between 4 and 7 months time until more is confirmed. For this reason, a number of international organizations of solidarity have compiled a letter, which can be found in: The letter expresses solidarity with Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno and his family and urges for his prompt release, alongside the prosecution of those responsible for the crime.


The Case of Marcellino Coache:
Marcellino Coache has been both a leader of the APPO and a trade union director. He was a political prisoner in 2006 due to his involvement in social work and within the APPO. In recent months, he has suffered from various forms of harassment, the most serious of which occurred on Wednesday 4th March 2009 when he was kidnapped, tortured and severely threatened with the death of himself, the members of his family and his lawyer if he revealed what had happened to him. As a result of the situation, a press conference was organized to publicize the fact that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CIDH) was urging the Mexican government to ensure the safety of Marcellino Coache and his family. Two weeks later, Marcellino Coache and his defense team met with the Federal Government to discuss the implementation of a security plan that would be used for Marcellino Coache. However, due to the privacy of the meeting, we are unsure as to exactly what methods were decided upon that were going to be implemented to protect Marcellino Coache and his family.

 
Sit-in for political prisoners in the main square of Oaxaca
Since the 15th May, there has been a sit-in for the political prisoners held from the movement that took place in 2006. Within the sit-in the families of Miguel Ángel García and Víctor Hugo Martínez Toledo were present: both were political prisoners who are members of the APPO who were detained on the 3rd November 2006, accused with of rape of a woman. Miguel Ángel García and Víctor Hugo Martínez Toledo had been given sentences of 7 years and 6 months in prison.
However, the good news is that three weeks after the sit-in, both Miguel Ángel García and Víctor Hugo Martínez Toledo were released!

Day against Homophobia
Between the dates of the 14th and 17th of May, various activities were organized to educate and act out against homophobia in Oaxaca. To mark the date of International Day against Homophobia, on the 17th May, the first Muxhe wedding took place (Muxhe is a term used to describe a homosexual transvestite male who takes on a traditionally feminine role within the zapteco community). Various activities were organized in celebration for “The Pride of being Different”.  From the fliers that were handed out throughout the City of Oaxaca, we learn a few interested facts that demonstrate the rising statistics of violence: homophobia in México results in an increasingly high amount of victims. Between 1995 and 2004, 332 executions took place against homosexual people, of which 317 were men and 15 women. At this present moment, 3 murders occur each month as a result of homophobia.

Meeting about “Forced disappearance in Mexico: the case of EPR”
Family members of Edmundo Reyes Amaya and Gabriel Alberto Cruz Sánchez, alongside the journalist Miguel Ángel Granados Chapa and Dr. Israel Ochoa Lara collaborated with the Mexican League of Human Rights (LIMEDDH) to organize an event on Saturday 23rd May in the City of Oaxaca to denounce the state of the disappeared military belonging to the EPR. Despite the involvement of a dialogue committee to facilitate talks between the EPR and the Mexican government, the situation of those missing continues without resolution. Both Edmundo Reyes Amaya and Gabriel Alberto Cruz Sánchez are still missing and according to Granados Chapa (member of the commission), the Mexican government is not making an adequate effort to find them and is actually obstructing the investigations. The daughter of Edmundo Reyes, Nadin Reyes, has requested solidarity and support in this case until those missing are found. The meeting ended with the following shout:

¡Vivos se los llevaron vivos los queremos!
¡Desaparecidos Presentación!

 
Alive they took them, alive we want them!
Appearance of the Disappeared!

Imprisoned Loxichas

Monday 8th June marks the beginning of the Caravan for the Liberation of the 12 Imprisoned Loxicha in which caravans leaving the town of Loxicha will travel to the City of Mexico in a protest of demand for the prompt liberation of the imprisoned Loxichas. The following groups will be taking part: Indigenous Towns of Oaxaca, Section 22 of the Teachers Union, and the Zapatista Collective of Oaxaca which forms part of The Other Campaign.

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Happy solstice day to our Friends of CASA!

Saludos de Solidaridad,
 
Colectivos de Apoyo, Solidaridad y Acción
Oaxaca, Mexico