We are asking for national and international solidarity. Please sign the urgent action at the end of the article originally published in Spanish: https://frayba.org.mx/nuevas-agresiones-armadas-de-la-orcao-a-la-comunidad-moises-gandhi/
Jan 21, 2021. Urgent Action Required: Guarantee the life and integrity of Support Bases and respect for Zapatista autonomy.
The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights, A.C. (Frayba), has received information from La Junta del Buen Gobierno (Good Government Council) of Patria Nueva, Caracol 10 “Floreciendo la semilla rebelde” (Blooming Rebellious Seed), based in the official municipality of Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico, where they report that since January 18, 2021, members of the Regional Organization of Coffee growers from Ocosingo (ORCAO) have attacked the Moises Gandhi community of the Lucio Cabañas Autonomous Municipality with gunfire.
On January 18, 2021, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., members of the ORCAO resumed the attacks with firearms against the houses of the Moisés Gandhi community. There were “about 170 rounds of large caliber fired and 80 rounds of small caliber.” On January 20, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. new assaults were recorded..
Today at approximately 12:30 a.m., 2:10 a.m. and 2:55 a.m., shots were once again recorded at houses in the community. The Good Government Council has reported that at least 20 ORCAO members from the communities of San Antonio, Cuxuljá, San Francisco and the 7 de febrero, in the municipality of Ocosingo, have participated in these attacks.
Since April 2019, the Moisés Gandhi community has been attacked by members of ORCAO, resulting in property destruction, and physical and verbal attacks. By March 2019, attacks with firearms began targeting the community. On August 22, 2020, looting and burning of the coffee warehouse located in the “Nuevo Amanecer del Arco Iris” (New Dawn of the Rainbow) commerce center at the Cuxulja crossroads. On November 8, 2020, members of ORCAO kidnapped Félix López Hernández, a Zapatista Support Base from the Moisés Gandhi community. He was released four days later.
The Frayba calls on the Mexican State to intervene immediately and cease the attacks against the Moisés Gandhi community of the autonomous municipality of Lucio Cabañas, since the life and integrity of the women, girls, boys and men of the Tseltal Maya People are at risk. The actions undertaken must respect the jurisdiction, autonomy and free self-determination of the Zapatista Good Government Councils.
Here is the original letter to the authorities https://frayba.org.mx/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/200121_accion_urgente_01_moisesgandhi.pdf
English translation Sexta Grietas del Norte. Originally published in Spanish in https://frayba.org.mx/nuevas-agresiones-armadas-de-la-orcao-a-la-comunidad-moises-gandhi/