UA: Civil Society of Oaxaca emits humanitarian alert due to armed attack of the State against civilians

TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Facts

Today, June 19th, we have been witnesses of the extremely violent actions of the Mexican State repressing the teachers and the organized civil society in resistance in different areas of the State of Oaxaca including the Istmus of Tehuantepec, Nochixtlán and the city of Oaxaca.

As a result of the excessive use of force, at least six persons have lost their lives and dozens have been injured and arrested. At this moment there is no information about the whereabouts of the arrested persons neither there is an exact total number of injured and killed persons. Medical attention was not guaranteed and civil society had to create points of emergency medical attention to injured persons without being able to cope with the demand.

There are happening particularly violent actions in the city of Oaxaca tonight. We have witnessed the arrival of a large number of airplanes of the Federal Police and the Gendarmerie in the city throughout the day as well as we witness that the tension is increasing every minute.

Previous events:

In the State of Oaxaca people live in a context of generalized violence in which repression and criminalization of the social movement and particularly against the teachers who belong to the Sección 22 aggravated in a particularly severe way linked to their fight against the implementation of the educational reform. By today, organizations from civil society and Human Rights organizations reported at least 75 Human Rights defenders imprisoned as political prisoners.

Within the events of criminalization of the Oaxacan teacher´s union stand out the following:

  • May 2013, detention of five teachers in Oaxaca: Damián Gallardo Martínez, Lauro Atilano Grijalva Villalobos, Mario Olivera Osorio, Sara Altamirano Ramos and Leonel Manzano Sosa.
  • In 2015, media campaigns of defamation and criminalization against the teachers increased permanently side by side with the process of dismantling of the IEEPO (State Institute of Public Education in Oaxaca) which took place in July leaving therefore thousands of teachers in a particular vulnerability due to not receiving payment for their work.
  • October 2015: Detention of Juan Carlos Orozco Matus, Othón Nazariega Segura, Efraín Picazo Pérez and Roberto Abel Jiménez García and emisión of dozens of arrest warrants against members of the Sección 22.
  • In April 2016, Aciel Sibaja Mendoza, financial secretary of the Sección 22 was arrested.
  • In May 2016 Heriberto Magariño López, another leader of the Sección 22 was arrested.
  • At last, June 11th Francisco Villalobos Ricardéz, leader of the Sección 22 was arrested and only hours afterwards June 12th Rubén Núñez Ginez, general secretary of the Sección 22 was arrested as well.

It is important to mention that arrest warrants are issued against teachers of intermediate authority, that means against teachers who coordinate and drive the teacher´s movement. This strategy is meant to disassemble the movement.

The same way diverse relators of the United Nations made urgent calls to the Mexican authorities expressing their concerns about the violations of Human Rights reported in some cases, in particular detentions without arrest warrant and without investigation, the use of torture during the posterior period of the arbitrary detention and other violations of the guarantees of the arrested persons[1].

The use of detentions, campaigns of defamation and repression against the Sección 22 have the clear aim to lessen the teacher´s movement which plays historically an important role in the social movement of Oaxaca. Dissembling the teacher´s movement impacts directly the work which all the persons and organizations of Human Rights are realizing in the State of Oaxaca and in Mexico.

We, the signing organizations, request that organisms, which are represented by you, are on the alert regarding this particularly violent situation which exists right now and that you join us in the following demands towards the federal government as well as the government of Oaxaca:

  • Cease of the wrongful and disproportionate use of force and repression against the teachers and the civil society who make use of their legitimate right of expression and free protest.
  • Immediate establishing of a round table for dialogue with the teachers of Oaxaca.
  • Immediate medical attention for all injured persons result of the violent acts of the State.
  • Cease of the criminalization of the teachers, cancelation of arrest warrants against members of the teacher´s union of Oaxaca and immediate liberation of all teachers which have been arrested in an arbitrary and illegal way.
  • Punishment of all persons responsible for arbitrary detentions, torture and other violations of Human Rights against members of the teacher´s union of Oaxaca.

SINCERELY

Civil Society of Oaxaca

  1. Asamblea de Pueblos Indígenas del Istmo en la Defensa de la Tierra y el Territorio.
  2. Asamblea Popular del Pueblo Juchiteco APPJ.
  3. Asesoría Integral y Litigio Estratégico a Pueblos Originarios, A.C. ASER-LITIGIO
  4. Centrarte, A.C.
  5. Centro Antonio de Montesinos A.C.
  6. Centro Comunal de Salud y Tecnologías Integrales, A.C.
  7. Centro de Acompañamiento a Migrantes Caminos, A.C.
  8. Centro de Apoyo al Movimiento Popular Oaxaqueño, CAMPO, A.C.
  9. Centro de Apoyo para la Educación y Creatividad Calpulli, A.C.
  10. Centro de Atención Infantil Piña Palmera, A. C.
  11. Centro de Atención para el Desarrollo, CODICE, A.C.
  12. Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac, A.C.
  13. Centro de Derechos Indígenas Flor y Canto, A.C.
  14. Centro de Desarrollo Comunitario Centéotl, A.C.,
  15. Centro de Encuentros y Diálogos Interculturales, A.C.
  16. Centro para los Derechos de la Mujer Naaxwiin, A.C.
  17. Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos “Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño”, A.C.
  18. Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos de la Costa, A.C.
  19. Circulo Profesional por la Formación con Equidad de Género, A.C.
  20. CODICE, A.C.
  21. Colectiva Mujeres Lilas.
  22. Colectivo Bolivariano Oaxaca.
  23. Colectivo Conserva A.C.
  24. Colectivo Mujer Nueva.
  25. Colectivo Musiquero “Tapacamino”
  26. Comité de Defensa Integral de Derechos Humanos Gobixha, Código DH, A.C.;
  27. Comité de Familiares y Amigas/os de Damián Gallardo Martínez.
  28. Comité por la Defensa de los Derechos Indígenas (CODEDI).
  29. Comunidades Campesinas y Urbanas Solidarias con Alternativas, CONCAUSA, A.C
  30. Consejo Indígena Popular “Ricardo Flores Magón”, CIPO-RFM
  31. Conservación, Investigación y Aprovechamiento de los Recursos Naturales. CIARENA, A.C.
  32. Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca, A.C.
  33. Defensoría para la Igualdad, A.C.
  34. Defensores Oaxaqueños por los Derechos Humanos “Isabel” A.C.
  35. Diversidades y No Discriminación, A.C.
  36. Enlace Comunicación y Capacitación, A.C.
  37. Enlace de Pueblos y Organizaciones Costeñas Autónomas, EPOCA, A.C.
  38. Espacio Alternativo, YUNHITZ
  39. Esperanza Mixe, A.C.
  40. Feminismo Comunitario Tejido Oaxaca.
  41. Foro Oaxaqueño del Agua.
  42. Fundación Comunidad, A.C
  43. Fundación Ikoots, A.C.
  44. Grupo de Mujeres 8 de Marzo, A.C
  45. Grupo de Mujeres la Palma. NDACUKO, A.C.
  46. Herramientas para el Buen Vivir A.C.
  47. Ideas Comunitarias, A.C.
  48. Iniciativa Ciudadana Oaxaca, A.C.
  49. Iniciativas para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Oaxaqueña, A.C., IDEMO
  50. Instituto de Comunicación y Cultura, S.C.
  51. Liga Mexicana por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos LIMEDDH-OAXACA
  52. Lunas del Sur, A.C.
  53. Manapaküy, A.C.
  54. Mie Nillu Mazateco, A.C.
  55. Movimiento Agrario Indígena Zapatista, A.C.
  56. Mungier Ndyuc Defensores del Mar A.C.
  57. Ojo de Agua Comunicación, A.C.
  58. Organizaciones Indias por los Derechos Humanos en Oaxaca (OIDHO), A.C,
  59. Palabra Radio
  60. Planeta Inclusión, A.C
  61. Planeta Rock Oaxaca.
  62. Promotora de Servicios para el Desarrollo, S.C.
  63. Radio Nahndia.
  64. Red de Análisis Multidisciplinario y Cooperación Económica Solidaria, Raíces, A.C.
  65. Red de Cafeticultores 5 de Diciembre, A.C.
  66. Red de Mujeres Activistas y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos de Oaxaca.
  67. Red por los derechos sexuales y reproductivos. DDSER Oaxaca.
  68. Seminario Mundos Rurales Tierra Territorio y Territorialidades UAM UACM ENAH.
  69. Servicios para una Educación Alternativa, EDUCA, A.C.
  70. Servicios Universitarios y Redes de conocimiento en Oaxaca, SURCO, A.C.
  71. Sinergia, A.C.
  72. Taller de Lecto-escritura Zapoteca Uken Ke Ujen A.C.
  73. Tequio Jurídico, A.C.
  74. Tianguis Indígena Multicultural del Istmo, A.C
  75. Tianguis Popular Itinerante.
  76. Unión Cívica Democrática de Barrios, Colonias y Comunidades, UCIDEBACC
  77. Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo, UCIZONI, A.C.
  78. Unión de Comunidades y Ejidos de Yautepec, para la Conservación de la Flora y Fauna, A.C.
  79. Unión de Organizaciones de la Sierra Juárez de Oaxaca, UNOSJO, SC.
  80. Universidad de la Tierra en Oaxaca, A.C.
  81. ¡¡¡Si no están ellas,…. No estamos todas!!!

notes

[1] UA 13/2015: In the cases of Juan Carlos Orozco Matus, Othón Nazariega Segura, Efraín Picaso Pérez and Roberto Abel Jiménez García (Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions; Special Relator on promotion and protection of the right of freedom of opinion and expression; Special Relator Especial on the right of freedom of pacific assembly and association; and Special Relator on the situation of Human Rights defenders)

UA /2014 In the case of Damián Gallardo Martínez (Special Relator on torture and other cruel, inhumane treatments or cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment, Special Relator on the situation of  Human Rights defenders, Special Relator on promotion and protection of the rights of freedom of pacific assembly and association).  Available: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/CommunicationsreportsSP.aspx

It should be pointed out that the arbitrary character of the detentions as well as the their focus on Human Rights defenders were recognized by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions of the United Nations[1].

[1] Opinion num. 23/2014 in the case of Damián Gallardo Martínez y Opinión num. 56/2015 in the case of Nestora Salgado García issued by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions of the United Nations.