MARCH 15, 2021
TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO
TO THE NETWORKS OF RESISTANCE AND REBELLION
TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SIXTH
TO THE MEDIA.
TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS.
TO THE ORGANIZATIONS IN DEFENSE OF THE TERRITORY AND MOTHER EARTH.
We issue a warning against the imminent reactivation of violence in San Antonio Bulujib directed at CNI compañeros1 and compañeras who are threatened with dispossession and forced displacement due to the government’s inability to resume and renew the dialogue process that began in March of last year.
The situation of violence and harassment suffered by our compañeros and compañeras from the CNI of the San Antonio Bulujib community, Chilon, has been ongoing. Since February 23, 2020 they have been victims of a series of human rights violations that started when they participated in the activities called WE ARE ALL SAMIR, by placing a sign demanding justice for the murder of our compañero Samir Flores. They were just making use of their right to free expression and demonstration.
These repressive actions are part of a counterinsurgency strategy deployed in the region against the CNI and the EZLN, because of our opposition to the big capitalists’ megaprojects of death.
We denounce the systematic violation of the human rights by the community authorities. In addition to the excessive use of force, injuries, kidnapping, imprisonment of men, women and children, harassment and attempted rape, they threaten to evict and take away lands belonging to families that are members of the CNI if they do not pay an arbitrarily determined fine. The fine is based on a document that was signed under pressure, after one of our compañeros was beaten and imprisoned, which we therefore consider illegal and invalid, and outside the dialogue process started in March last year.
We hold the three levels of government responsible for the physical, psychological and material integrity of our CNI compañeras y compañeros. In particular we denounce the mayor of Chilon, Carlos Ildefonso Jimenez Trujillo, for instigating and protecting the ejido authorities, the governor Rutilio Escandón and the president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for their omission in this case.
We demand the resumption of community dialogue, in search of a peaceful solution, and non-violence for our peoples.
We call for solidarity and support towards our compañeras and compañeros from the CNI of San Antonio Bulujib, and to be attentive to their situation in the face of the imminent aggression they may suffer as a result of a decision taken by the ejido assembly this coming March 20.
Sincerely
For the Integral Reconstitution of Our Peoples
Never again a Mexico Without Us
National Indigenous Congress
Indigenous Governing Council
1Compañero (male) and compañera (female) and compañeroa (gender non-binary) have no exact translation in English. They lie somewhere between “comrade” and “companion.” In a political context, the term generally refers to someone who belongs to a particular organization or movement. For the CNI, CIG, and EZLN, “compa” is often used for short and refers to someone in the movement.
English translation by Sexta Grietas del Norte. Original Spanish: ALTO A LA VIOLENCIA PARAMILITAR EN SAN ANTONIO BULUJIB, CHILON, CHIAPAS