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“Major changes in Latin American have put Washington on edge. Country after country is electing governments who represent the people instead of the financial interests of a few...”
By Erica Thompson
NACLA
January 8, 2009
http://nacla.org/node/5363
JUNTA DE BUEN GOBIERNO
NUEVA SEMILLA QUE VA A PRODUCIR
CARACOL V QUE HABLA PARA TODOS
ZONA NORTE CHIAPAS. MEXICO
1º de Enero DE 2009
A la Opinión Pública
Hermanos y hermanas
Desmentimos sobre la nota que publicó el periódico cuarto poder el Día Miércoles 31 de Diciembre del 2008 (diciendo que hubo enfrentamiento entre bases de Apoyo Zapatistas y [...]
Mexican Rebels Stand in Solidarity with Gaza
While the APPO marches on the US Consulate in Oaxaca, Subcomandante Marcos declares from Chiapas, "to the Zapatistas it looks like there's a professional army murdering a defenseless population" in Palestine
Your silence hurts me. –Mahumud Darwish, Palestinian poet
When the Zapatistas rose up in arms on January 1, 1994, most of them thought they were going to die. Many did. Their rag-tag Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) set out to reverse 500 years of conquest, and it had a formidable enemy: the US-equipped Mexican military. Indigenous communities were under a constant state of siege and occupation for the next two years. However, the EZLN's rifles and sticks weren't its only defense: Mexicans and the international community mobilized to demand peace in Chiapas.
Now, on the fifteenth anniversary of their uprising, the EZLN is calling for the same solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza. In a speech during the Festival of Dignified Rage in Chiapas, Subcomandante Marcos told the crowd gathered there, "We don't know about you, but we Zapatistas from the EZLN, we know how important it is, in the middle of destruction and death, to hear some words of encouragement…. [W]ords from afar might not stop a bomb, but it's as if a crack were opened in the black room of death and a tiny ray of light slips in." So, said Marcos, even though global protests "won't turn into an armored shield so that a 5.56 mm or 9 mm caliber bullet with the letters 'IMI' or 'Israeli Military Industry' etched into the base of the cartridge won't hit the chest of a girl or boy, but perhaps our word can manage to join forces with others in Mexico and the world, and perhaps first it's heard as a murmur, then out loud, and then a scream that they hear in Gaza."
Marcos condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza as a "classic military war of conquest," with one exception: Israel's target is not an opposing military force; its targets are civilians. Speaking on behalf of the EZLN, he said, "According to the news photos, the 'strategic' points destroyed by the Israeli government's air force are houses, shacks, civilian buildings. We haven't seen a single bunker, nor a barracks, nor a military airport, nor cannons, amongst the rubble. So—and please excuse our ignorance—we think that either the planes' guns have bad aim, or in Gaza such 'strategic' military points don't exist."
Marcos lamented the deaths of "men, women, children, and the elderly" in the attacks and commented sarcastically, "surely the hail of bullets that fell on Gaza this morning were in order to protect the Israeli infantry's advance from those men, women, children, and elderly people."
Without specifically mentioning the word "genocide," Marco accused the Israeli government of that crime: "The assault will seek to annihilate that population. And whichever man, woman, child, or elderly person that manages to escape or hide from the predictably bloody assault will later be 'hunted' so that the cleansing is complete and the commanders in charge of the operation can report to their superiors: 'We've completed the mission.'"
Rather than getting caught up in arguments "about if it's "zionism" or "antisemitism," or if Hamas' bombs started it," the EZLN says, "Maybe our thinking is very simple, and we're lacking the nuances and annotations that are always so necessary in analyses, but to the Zapatistas it looks like there's a professional army murdering a defenseless population."
Faced with "the Israeli government's heavily trained and armed" military's "march of death and destruction," Marcos asked those gathered at the Festival of Dignified Rage, "Who from below and to the left can remain silent?"
As fellow insurgents and communities in resistance, the EZLN criticized the demonization of Palestinians and their struggle:
The Palestinian people will also resist and survive and continue struggling and will continue to have sympathy from below for their cause.
And perhaps a boy or girl from Gaza will survive, too. Perhaps they'll grow, and with them, their nerve, indignation, and rage. Perhaps they'll become soldiers or militiamen for one of the groups that struggle in Palestine. Perhaps they'll find themselves in combat with Israel. Perhaps they'll do it firing a gun. Perhaps sacrificing themselves with a belt of dynamite around their waists.
And then, from up there above, they will write about the Palestinians' violent nature and they'll make declarations condemning that violence and they'll get back to discussing if it's zionism or anti-semitism.
And no one will ask who planted that which is being harvested.
The Other Campaign Manifests its "Dignified Rage Against This Genocidal Attack"
The EZLN's call for solidarity with Palestine was precluded by a statement issued by the Zapatista-initiated Other Campaign condemning "biggest Israeli air attack in the past 40 years." Writing from the Festival of Dignified Rage in Mexico City (the Festival took place in two locations in Mexico), participants there wrote, "This crime represents a dangerous increase in the permanent holocaust that is committed against the Palestinian people with United States financing and the world's enabling, hypocritical, and disgraceful silence."
The statement continues:
As always, Israel presents itself as the victim that demands the right of self-defense against terrorism, and the corporate media promotes the lie that the slaughter was in response to the Hamas party's launching of Qassam missiles. In reality these missiles are symbolic and almost never cause Israeli victims. In fact, during the recent truce from June 19 to December 19, the Palestinians in Gaza didn't kill a single Israeli civilian, while Israel killed 49 Palestinians. The argument of self-defense against terrorism is also used to justify the merciless blockade which began in January 2006 immediately after Hamas won the legislative elections.
Their goal? Punish the Palestinians in Gaza for having elected a government that is unacceptable for Israel. Thanks to this effort to starve to death Gaza inhabitants, the hospitals don't have the necessary medicine, medical supplies, electricity, potable water, or food to care for the wounded.
The Other Campaign adherents criticize the global community's response—or lack thereof: "While the world leaders criticize Hamas' provocations, they limit themselves to criticizing Israel's 'disproportional use of force.'"
The Festival participants "call upon the international community to resist the military offensive and exercise continual pressure on the Israeli government in order to stop the crimes against the Palestinian people."
Solidarity in Oaxaca
When federal police invaded Oaxaca City on November 25, 2006, Mexicans compared Oaxacans' plight to that of Palestinians: their land was under siege and later occupied by invading government forces; the invaders wanted to force an undemocratic system of governance on them (that is, the status quo); human rights had been thrown out the window long ago; and the people's resistance wouldn't "be drowned, not even in a pool of blood."
Two years later, those same Oaxacans are standing with their Palestinian compañeros. Nancy Davies wrote in Narco News that various collectives and organizations that are members of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO)—the coalition that drove out the corrupt state government and held Oaxaca City and many other cities and villages around the state for six months in 2006—organized a protest at the US Consulate in Oaxaca City on January 3. Police doused the protestors with tear gas. The protest, which demanded an "end to the genocide against the Palestinian people," resulted in 19 arrests, including David Venegas, who is an APPO advisor and one of its more famous political prisoners. His legal case related to the 2006 uprising is still pending; he is out on bail for those charges.
Section 22, the democratic teachers union whose strike sparked the uprising, negotiated the prisoners' release. Upon release, those arrested complained that they were beaten while in custody and that police had stolen their belongings.
Of sowing and harvests: Subcomandante Marcos' speech on Gaza
Two days ago, the same day we discussed violence, the ineffable Condoleezza Rice, a US official, declared that what was happening in Gaza was the Palestinians' fault, due to their violent nature.
The underground rivers that crisscross the world can change their geography, but they sing the same song.
And the one we hear now is one of war and pain.
Not far from here, in a place called Gaza, in Palestine, in the Middle East, right here next to us, the Israeli government's heavily trained and armed military continues its march of death and destruction.
The steps it has taken are those of a classic military war of conquest: first an intense mass bombing in order to destroy "strategic" military points (that's how the military manuals put it) and to "soften" the resistance's reinforcements; next a fierce control over information: everything that is heard and seen "in the outside world," that is, outside the theater of operations, must be selected with military criteria; now intense artillery fire against the enemy infantry to protect the advance of troop to new positions; then there will be a siege to weaken the enemy garrison; then the assault that conquers the position and annihilates the enemy, then the "cleaning out" of the probable "nests of resistance."
The military manual of modern war, with a few variations and additions, is being followed step-by-step by the invading military forces.
We don't know a lot about this, and there are surely specialists in the so-called "conflict in the Middle East," but from this corner we have something to say:
According to the news photos, the "strategic" points destroyed by the Israeli government's air force are houses, shacks, civilian buildings. We haven't seen a single bunker, nor a barracks, nor a military airport, nor cannons, amongst the rubble. So--and please excuse our ignorance--we think that either the planes' guns have bad aim, or in Gaza such "strategic" military points don't exist.
We have never had the honor of visiting Palestine, but we suppose that people, men, women, children, and the elderly--not soldiers--lived in those houses, shacks, and buildings.
We also haven't seen the resistance's reinforcements, just rubble.
We have seen, however, the futile efforts of the information siege, and the world governments trying to decide between ignoring or applauding the invasion, and the UN, which has been useless for quite some time, sending out tepid press releases.
But wait. It just occurred to us that perhaps to the Israeli government those men, women, children, and elderly people are enemy soldiers, and as such, the shacks, houses, and buildings that they inhabited are barracks that need to be destroyed.
So surely the hail of bullets that fell on Gaza this morning were in order to protect the Israeli infantry's advance from those men, women, children, and elderly people.
And the enemy garrison that they want to weaken with the siege that is spread out all over Gaza is the Palestinian population that lives there. And the assault will seek to annihilate that population. And whichever man, woman, child, or elderly person that manages to escape or hide from the predictably bloody assault will later be "hunted" so that the cleansing is complete and the commanders in charge of the operation can report to their superiors: "We've completed the mission."
Again, pardon our ignorance, maybe what we're saying is beside the point. And instead of condemning the ongoing crime, being the indigenous and warriors that we are, we should be discussing and taking a position in the discussion about if it's "zionism" or "antisemitism," or if Hamas' bombs started it.
Maybe our thinking is very simple, and we're lacking the nuances and annotations that are always so necessary in analyses, but to the Zapatistas it looks like there's a professional army murdering a defenseless population.
Who from below and to the left can remain silent?
Is it useful to say something? Do our cries stop even one bomb? Does our word save the life of even one Palestinian?
We think that yes, it is useful. Maybe we don't stop a bomb and our word won't turn into an armored shield so that that 5.56 mm or 9 mm caliber bullet with the letters "IMI" or "Israeli Military Industry" etched into the base of the cartridge won't hit the chest of a girl or boy, but perhaps our word can manage to join forces with others in Mexico and the world and perhaps first it's heard as a murmur, then out loud, and then a scream that they hear in Gaza.
We don't know about you, but we Zapatistas from the EZLN, we know how important it is, in the middle of destruction and death, to hear some words of encouragement.
I don't know how to explain it, but it turns out that yes, words from afar might not stop a bomb, but it's as if a crack were opened in the black room of death and a tiny ray of light slips in.
As for everything else, what will happen will happen. The Israeli government will declare that it dealt a severe blow to terrorism, it will hide the magnitude of the massacre from its people, the large weapons manufacturers will have obtained economic support to face the crisis, and "the global public opinion," that malleable entity that is always in fashion, will turn away.
But that's not all. The Palestinian people will also resist and survive and continue struggling and will continue to have sympathy from below for their cause.
And perhaps a boy or girl from Gaza will survive, too. Perhaps they'll grow, and with them, their nerve, indignation, and rage. Perhaps they'll become soldiers or militiamen for one of the groups that struggle in Palestine. Perhaps they'll find themselves in combat with Israel. Perhaps they'll do it firing a gun. Perhaps sacrificing themselves with a belt of dynamite around their waists.
And then, from up there above, they will write about the Palestinians' violent nature and they'll make declarations condemning that violence and they'll get back to discussing if it's zionism or anti-semitism.
And no one will ask who planted that which is being harvested.
For the men, women, children, and elderly of the Zapatista National Liberation Army,
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
Mexico, January 4, 2009.
--
Kristin Bricker
mywordismyweapon.blogspot.com
Rebel Imports - fair trade artesanry and textiles from Zapatista cooperatives
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Narco News: Reporting on Democracy and the Drug War from Latin America
http://www.narconews.com
Está con nosotros hoy, de nuestro lado, como lo ha estado desde hace 15 años, el compañero Don Pablo González Casanova.
De su capacidad intelectual, de la brillantez de sus análisis, de su posición del lado de los que luchan no vamos a hablar. Cualquiera que tenga un poco de memoria o la busque en el pasado, lo sabe. Lo sabemos nosotros.
Audios de la mesa Otro mundo, otra política, en su mayoría conformados por miembros de organizaciones campesinas, y por el CNI de México.
4 de enero de 2008.- En la segunda intervención del día, el Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional en voz del Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos ha condenado la masacre contra niños, niñas, mujeres, hombres, ancianos y ancianas en Palestina.
El Subcomandante Marcos ha señalado que en las tomas de video y foto oficiales del gobierno israelí lo que se vé atacado son casas habitación y edificios civiles. No se ven ahí bunkers o instalaciones militares atacadas, por que no existen.
Entre el 2 y el 5 de enero se realiza en el CIDECI,Universidad de la Tierra en San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, una serie de mesas redondas, que forman parte del Festival Mundial de la Digna Rabia, donde el EZLN ha realizado una serie de intervenciones.
Leer intervención completa del Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
Escuchar las palabras del Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
Según las fotos de las agencias noticiosas, los puntos “neurálgicos” destruidos por la aviación del gobierno de Israel son casas habitación, chozas, edificios civiles. No hemos visto ningún bunker, ni cuartel o aeropuerto militar, o batería de cañones, entre lo destruido. Entonces nosotros, disculpen nuestra ignorancia, pensamos que o los artilleros de los aviones tienen mala puntería o en Gaza no existen tales puntos militares “neurálgicos”.
No tenemos el honor de conocer Palestina, pero nosotros suponemos que en esas casas, chozas y edificios habitaba gente, hombres, mujeres, niños y ancianos, y no soldados.
Tampoco hemos visto fortificaciones de resistencia, sólo escombros.
Hemos visto, sí, el hasta ahora vano esfuerzo de cerco informativo y a los distintos gobiernos del mundo dudando entre hacerse patos o aplaudir la invasión, y una ONU, ya inútil desde hace tiempo, sacando tibios boletines de prensa.
Pero esperen. Se nos ha ocurrido ahora que tal vez para el gobierno de Israel esos hombres, mujeres, niños y ancianos son soldados enemigos y, como tales, las chozas, casas y edificios donde habitan son cuarteles que hay que destruir.
Entonces seguramente los fuegos de artillería que esta madrugada caían sobre Gaza eran para proteger de esos hombres, mujeres, niños y ancianos el avance de la infantería del ejército de Israel.
Y la guarnición enemiga a la que quieren debilitar con el cerco y sitio que se está tendiendo en torno a Gaza no es otra cosa que la población palestina que ahí vive. Y que el asalto buscará aniquilar a esa población. Y que cualquier hombre, mujer, niño o anciano que logre escapar, escondiéndose, del asalto previsiblemente sangriento, será luego “cazado” para que la limpieza se complete y el mando militar al mando de la operación pueda reportar a sus superiores “hemos completado la misión”.
Textos y audios de la tercer mesa del 4 de enero de 2009.
Segunda mesa del 4 de enero de 2009.
Cuarto viento, primer mesa del 4 de enero de 2009.
Palabras de Pier Luigi Sullo.
Palabras de Jaime Pastor.
Palabras de Arondati Roy.
Entrega de Sergio Rodríguez Lascano.
Palabras del Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos. Leer aquí
SIETE VIENTOS EN LOS CALENDARIOS Y GEOGRAFÍAS DE ABAJO.
Tercer Viento: un digno y rabioso color de la tierra.
Buenas noches. Vamos a tratar de ser breves, porque la jornada ya de por [...]
La tercera jornada comenzó a mediodía con la moderación del comandante David y la participación de Gustavo Esteva, Joxe Iriarte, Jean Robert, Luis Villoro (a quien las niñas Lupita y Toñita entregaron un cuadro) y el TCI Moisés, que dio a conocer el cuarto viento de los calendarios y geografías de los de abajo: una digna rabia organizada.
La tarde comenzó con la mesa sobre la brutalidad sexual del poder y la Otra Sexualidad. En ella, la comandanta Hortensia dio a conocer el quinto de los siete vientos de los calendarios y geografías de los de abajo: una digna y femenina rabia.
Finalizó la jornada con la última mesa del día moderada por don Eduardo, quien leyó el texto de Walter Mignolo que no llegó, Carlos Aguirre Rojas, Michael Hardt, Sylvia Marcos (quien también recibió el presente del EZLN) y la lectura a cargo del SCI Marcos del sexto viento de los calendarios y geografías de los de abajo: una otra digna rabia.
Audios de la Mesa del 3 de enero de 2009 de las 16:00 horas.
Segundo Viento: un digno y rabioso empeño.
Texto leído por el SCI Marcos en la mesa de 3 de enero.
Las participaciones de la segunda mesa del Festival Mundial de la Digna Rabia en Cideci-SCLC, las modera la comandanta Everilda. Dan su palabra Raúl Zibechi, Oscar Olivera, Mònica Baltodano y Adolfo Gilly. Frente a él protestaron por su apoyo al desalojo del Auditorio Che Guevara en la UNAM y fueron contraprotestados por él.
Tal y como hicieron la víspera, las niñas Lupita y Toñita entregaron un cuadro en nombre del EZLN a Mònica Baltodano. Finalizó la mesa con la intervención del SI Marcos y el segundo viento: un digno y rabioso empeño.
La tarde comenzó con la mesa de la Otra Comunicación.
A continuación, moderados por la Capitana Insurgente Elena, dieron su palabra Pier Luigi Sullo, Jaime Pastor y Sergio Rodríguez. Se dio lectura también al texto de Arhundati Roy.
Finaliza la segunda jornada con el tercero de los siete vientos en los calendarios y geografías de los de abajo: el digno y rabioso color de la tierra. Acompañaron al SI Marcos las niñas Lupita y Toñita con un cuento propio cada quien.
La primera jornada del Festival Mundial de la Digna Rabia en el CIDECI-SCLC, contó en la mañana con la participación de compañeros y compañeras de UNOPII, UNIOS, de la CGT, de Ya Basta y de Justicia para el Barrio (NY). Dieron su palabra acompañados por parte de la comandancia del CCRI-CG, del SI Marcos y de las niñas Lupita y Toñita. La presentación y moderación de la mesa corrió a cargo del TCI Moisés.
En la tarde se dio continuidad a la mesa y dieron su palabras los y las compañeras del MTD Solano, del Comité de Solidaridad con los pueblos de Chiapas en lucha, de la Confederación Campesina de Perú y de la Revista Alana de Grecia. Después de esta última intervención en que se dio cuenta de la reciente revuelta popular en el país tras el asesinato del joven Alexis, el EZLN, de la mano de Lupita y Toñita, hizo entrega de un cuadro de Beatriz Aurora para los jóvenes rebeldes griegos. Para ellos fueron las primeras palabras del SI Marcos, en el primero de los siete vientos en los calendarios y geografías de los de abajo, la digna juventud rabiosa.
Leer crónica del 2 de enero del 2008 desde el CIDECI
Audios y textos de la mesa del día 2 de enero de 2009, del Primer Festival de la Digna Rabia
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