A message from the Zapatista Indigenous Agrarian Movement and affiliated entities in solidarity with the Zapotec community of San Juan Lajarcia

The Zapotec community of San Juan Lajarcia denounced the kidnapping of the community members Ignacio Altamirano, Cayetano Bautista Sánchez and José Escudero Domínguez, perpetrated by an armed group.

(Para la versión en castellano-mexicano publicada por Radio Zapatista, aquí.)

URGENT ACTION.

To the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Rosario Piedra Ibarra, President of the National Human Rights Commission.

To Mr. Adán A. López. Secretary of the Interior.

Alejandro Murat, Governor of the State of Oaxaca.

Francisco Garcia, Secretary General of Government of the State of Oaxaca.

To the President of the Oaxaca Ombudsman's Office.

Arturo Peimbert, Attorney General of the State of Oaxaca.

Today, January 18, 2022, the Zapotec community of San Juan Lajarcia denounced the kidnapping of the community members Ignacio Altamirano, Cayetano Bautista Sánchez and José Escudero Domínguez, the first of them President of the Oversight Council of the community. This kidnapping was perpetrated by an armed group from the community of San Bartolo Yautepec.

“We demand the release of our 9 comuneros”, illustration by taller ahuehuete based on Radio Zapatista’s photographs.

For the past two years the community of San Juan Lajarcia has been requesting the governments of President López Obrador and the State of Oaxaca Murat Hinojosa to intervene directly regarding the presence of an armed group, which has been intimidating the peasants of the community; but despite this call, so far the government intervention has been inadequate.

It is important to point out that the conflict between the two communities has worsened since the appearance of a cement manufacturing company in the area.

We, the indigenous, campesino, human rights advocates, unions, women's, and grassroots urban worker organizations from 14 states of the country, request your immediate intervention to prevent a tragedy, and the continued violation of the rights of the Zapotec indigenous community of San Juan Lajarcia.

WE DEMAND THE PRESENTATION ALIVE OF THE KIDNAPPED COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

January 18, 2022.

Sincerely,

Zapatista Indigenous Agrarian Movement, Union of Indigenous Communities of the Northern Zone of the Isthmus, LAVIDA, EDUCA, Pobladores, National Union of Agricultural Workers-Oaxaca, Red Sun People's Current, CAMPO, Process of Articulation of the Sierra Santa Marta, Network of Indigenous and Community Radios of the Northern Zone of the Isthmus, Network of Indigenous and Community Radios, Network of Indigenous and Community Radios of the Northern Zone of the Isthmus, Red de Radios Indígenas y Comunitarias del Sureste Mexicano, Consejo Indigena del Uxpanapa, Cooperativa Tepeyolo "Corazón de la Montaña", Grupo de Trabajo "Fronteras, Regionalización y Globalización" de CLACSO and Seminario Permanente de Estudios Chicanos y de Fronteras. Grupo de Acción por los Derechos Humanos y la Justicia Social, Iniciativas para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Oaxaqueña, Resistencia Civil del Istmo Oaxaca-Veracruz. CNPA-MN, Coordinadora Nacional de Usuarias y Usuarios en Resistencia (CONUR), Coordinadora Socialista Revolucionaria (CSR), Centro para el Desarrollo Social y la Sustentabilidad, Nuiwari de Nayarit; Fuerza Social Choapense AC. Section 22 of the SNTE, Grupo Latinoamericano de Estudios Formación y Acción Feminista (Glefas).