OPDDIC Members Threaten to Dismantle the Autonomous Municipality of Olga Isabal
Article by Simon Walker
According to members of the The Good Governing Council “The Heart of the Rainbow of Hope” of Morelia, the PRIsta, Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (OPDDIC) intends to take possession of the lands recovered by the Zapatistas in 1994 in an area now known as the Zapatista Autonomous Municipality of Olga Isabel.
The Good Governing Council condemned the actions of the OPDDIC who, according to the Council, “also plans to dismantle the autonomous municipality, tear down houses, offices, storerooms, the schools, health clinic, the women’s artesanía house and arrest the most well-known autonomous authorities.” The OPDDIC has has issued similar statements threatening to dismantle the municipality since October 17 of this year.
OPDDIC, identified as a paramilitary group with connections to the PRI party was founded on May 20, 1998 in the municipality of Ocosingo by Pedro Chulín Jiménez, and ex-state legislator for the PRI party. The organization is active in the regions of Taniperla, San Jerónimo Tulijá, Ocosingo, Tila, Yajalón y Chilón.
In recent meetings, OPDDIC has stated that “if they (the Zapatistas) stop us from realizing these actions, there are 35 who possess high caliber firearms determined to open fire against the Zapatista compañeros and support bases of this municipality.” The group also indicated that there are at least 300 people ready to gather in order to retake the land, and that “more will come for the jungle.”
On October 18 more than 100 OPDDIC members arrived at the municipal seat of Olga Isabel accompanied by an engineer and a truck containing seven Public Security forces (Chiapas state police) and 8 OPDDIC members, all of whom were armed. They attempted to enter Olga Isabel, but were turned back by community members.
On October 19th Mariano Toledo Sánchez y Daniel Sánchez of the Secretary for Attention of Indian Peoples (SEAPI), as well as a politician from Chilón, Alberto Pérez Deara, arrived at Olga Isabel. They informed the Autonomous Authorities that OPDDIC’s attempts to retake Zapatista land are federal orders, and cannot be resisted. The following day a vehicle carrying Mexican Federal Army troops passed by the community and took photographs of the residence of the municipal authorities. One each of these mornings, the son of the commissioner of OPDDIC, guarded by 10 armed men, fired shots into the air in front of the community.
In recent months, particularly due to the red alert declared by the EZLN on June 19, OPDDIC has held several meetings and forceful actions to threaten not only Olga Isabel, but also the Zapatista municipalities of San Manuel and Ricardo Flores Magón. .
In a press release issued on October 20, the Good Governing Council of Morelia stated they hold President Fox responsible for the current problems in the municipality of Olga Isabel, as well as future developments. The communiqué contained the following: “We as Authorities of the Good Government Junta state, as was stated to that politician (Alberto Pérez Deara) by the Authorities of the Municipality of Olga Isabel, it is not the federal government who is going to give orders, it is the people who should lead.”
Sources: Center for Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research http://www.laneta.apc.org/capise/ingles/start.html
La Jornada http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/10/18/022n2pol.php
According to members of the The Good Governing Council “The Heart of the Rainbow of Hope” of Morelia, the PRIsta, Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights (OPDDIC) intends to take possession of the lands recovered by the Zapatistas in 1994 in an area now known as the Zapatista Autonomous Municipality of Olga Isabel.
The Good Governing Council condemned the actions of the OPDDIC who, according to the Council, “also plans to dismantle the autonomous municipality, tear down houses, offices, storerooms, the schools, health clinic, the women’s artesanía house and arrest the most well-known autonomous authorities.” The OPDDIC has has issued similar statements threatening to dismantle the municipality since October 17 of this year.
OPDDIC, identified as a paramilitary group with connections to the PRI party was founded on May 20, 1998 in the municipality of Ocosingo by Pedro Chulín Jiménez, and ex-state legislator for the PRI party. The organization is active in the regions of Taniperla, San Jerónimo Tulijá, Ocosingo, Tila, Yajalón y Chilón.
In recent meetings, OPDDIC has stated that “if they (the Zapatistas) stop us from realizing these actions, there are 35 who possess high caliber firearms determined to open fire against the Zapatista compañeros and support bases of this municipality.” The group also indicated that there are at least 300 people ready to gather in order to retake the land, and that “more will come for the jungle.”
On October 18 more than 100 OPDDIC members arrived at the municipal seat of Olga Isabel accompanied by an engineer and a truck containing seven Public Security forces (Chiapas state police) and 8 OPDDIC members, all of whom were armed. They attempted to enter Olga Isabel, but were turned back by community members.
On October 19th Mariano Toledo Sánchez y Daniel Sánchez of the Secretary for Attention of Indian Peoples (SEAPI), as well as a politician from Chilón, Alberto Pérez Deara, arrived at Olga Isabel. They informed the Autonomous Authorities that OPDDIC’s attempts to retake Zapatista land are federal orders, and cannot be resisted. The following day a vehicle carrying Mexican Federal Army troops passed by the community and took photographs of the residence of the municipal authorities. One each of these mornings, the son of the commissioner of OPDDIC, guarded by 10 armed men, fired shots into the air in front of the community.
In recent months, particularly due to the red alert declared by the EZLN on June 19, OPDDIC has held several meetings and forceful actions to threaten not only Olga Isabel, but also the Zapatista municipalities of San Manuel and Ricardo Flores Magón. .
In a press release issued on October 20, the Good Governing Council of Morelia stated they hold President Fox responsible for the current problems in the municipality of Olga Isabel, as well as future developments. The communiqué contained the following: “We as Authorities of the Good Government Junta state, as was stated to that politician (Alberto Pérez Deara) by the Authorities of the Municipality of Olga Isabel, it is not the federal government who is going to give orders, it is the people who should lead.”
Sources: Center for Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research http://www.laneta.apc.org/capise/ingles/start.html
La Jornada http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/10/18/022n2pol.php
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