By Alejandro Dávila

It was a sunny Sunday, the Oaxacan Zocalo looked as alive and colorful as always with children running around their parents, groups of tourists pointing their cameras towards churches and towards themselves, tons of balloons in the hands of merchants, artisans next to them sitting in front of the poinsetta flowers recently planted. And above all the sound of music from accordions, guitars and marimbas could be heard all over the plaza. Yet there was something else in the Zocalo that last day of November. Something completely out of the ordinary that the Zocalo had not seen in many years. A group of about a hundred people headed by the recently arrived Dr. Bertha Muñoz took a spot right next to the main kiosk to share anecdotes and reflections on the Oaxacan social movement. Dr. Muñoz served as a moderator who spoke only to ask questions, expand ideas, or redirect the theme of a conversation.

“This is not a political meeting…” said Muñoz after someone began talking through a megaphone. “… This is a space of reflection. If you want to make this political I am leaving. What we have to do here is to be non confrontational and exchange our thoughts and feelings to first make clear to ourselves why we joined the movement.”

Bertha Muñoz, better known as la Doctora Bertha, or simply, La Doctora, became well known in Oaxaca during the violence of 2006 by being one of the main voices on the Radio Universidad. She not only contributed to the mega marches with logistical information, local news and encouragement to the several thousands of men and women who were marching and protesting against the violence from local and federal police. She also went around the city on an ambulance treating the injured and was the first one to establish a health post for the wounded.

Throughout the reflection she was most of the time holding a Raleigh cigarette in her right hand and her eyes jumped nervously from person to person diligently as looking for any potential problem that could be lurking within the people who surrounded her. This comes as no surprise given that during the violence in 2006 she received numerous death threats that eventually forced her to flee the country and stay hidden for nearly two years.