PROPOSAL FOR THE COORDINATION OF EUROPEAN COLLECTIVES BY A CAMPAIGN OF SOLIDARITY TO THE ZAPATISTAS AND AGAINST REPRESSION IN CHIAPAS


NOTE: The proposal that follows has already been received by the majority of European solidarity groups. Until now, the groups that have signed the proposal (some from Latin America) and are discussing its realization are:

Platform of Solidarity to Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guatemala (Spain)
Commission Chiapas of CGT (Confederacion General de Trabajo) (Spain)
CEDOZ (Centro de Documentacion sobre el zapatismo) (Spain)
Red Libertaria - Apoyo Mutuo (Spain)
Red Latino Sin Fronteras (Sweden)
Open Assembly of Solidarity with the Zapatistas and Against repression in Chiapas (Greece)
Commission of Solidarity to the Zapatistas (Finland)
Commission of Solidarity with the Fight of Indigenous peoples of Chiapas (Paris-France)
Comuneros ln de Ecuador (Ecuador)
Network of Solidarity with the Zapatistas Vincente Lopez (Argentina)
Radio Nueva America (Sweden)
Autonomous Syndicate of Solidarity of Aragon (Spain)
Immigrants Network “Ernesto Guevara” (Spain)
SODEPAZ (Spain)
Global Caracol (Mexico)
Commission of Solidarity to the Zapatistas (Norway)
Commission of Solidarity to Chiapas (Costa Rica)

The proposal is under discussion in the groups of Commission of Solidarity of Barcelona, GruppeBASTA of Germany, YA BASTA-Italy and Commission of Solidarity MutVitz – Toulouse France

Contact:  loszapatistasnoestansolos@yahoo.es

Proposal

With the intension of creating a coordinated and mass reaction in Europe, we call at all individuals, organizations and collectives of solidarity, with the intention of starting and realizing a “Campaign of Solidarity to the rebelled communities” and against the repression that they are facing since 1994. This repression that has been intensified during the last months, is clearly aiming at imposing a constant war of “low intension” to the indigenous communities that are continuing to resist with dignity, claiming their rights, constructing autonomy, practicing direct democracy and devising in every instant the other way of making politics, the other way of governing and being governed, building here and now the new world.

Such a campaign would not leave out of its goals the demand for fulfillment of the San Andres accords, the release of all political prisoners, the respect of the rights of all the peoples of Mexico that are facing repression from police, military and paramilitary forces, with the full compliance of mass media.

One of the basic goals of this campaign is the organization of a CARAVAN OF SOLIDARITY that will run through the Zapatista communities that have been attacked, for 15 days in the summer of 2008.


Thoughts for a possible program of action
…open to the imagination and the strengths of the groups that will adhere…

In every country and city of Europe, according to the strengths of every collective or collectives, actions and events to be organized , while making an effort of coinciding (in at least some of the dates).

Possible actions and dates

• 16 February: Announcement of the campaign with interviews and actions of information. Notification of the goals and reasons of its existence and a call for participation.

• From the 22nd of February and onwards: Supporting the tour of CAPISE in every country with the organisation of events, interviews, meetings with groups… The European tour will last three months (CAPISE (Centre for Political Social and Economic Research), is an organisation directly connected with EZLN, that has been involved for many years with the problems concerning land in Chiapas and with paramilitary organisations, their political links and their tactics. They have created a meeting place in San Cristobal, called Tierra Adentro, in which are functioning the Zapatista women’s cooperatives, a café, meeting places for collectives etc. Also in Tierra Adentro, EZLN events take place and the initiation of the second phase of the Other Campaign with the presence of the MST and Via Campesina through video conference.

• 10th April: Date of assassination of Zapata. A good date for coordinated action in all of Europe. It could be a concert in every country or???.. It depends on the imagination and strengths of each group…

• In the beginning of May, two years from Atenco and Oaxaca… two or three days of action with protest outside the embassies of Mexico in every country.

• June: intensification of the campaign fro the caravan and informative actions.

• Beginning of July: caravan of solidarity that will travel from Europe and for 15 days to the rebelled Zapatista communities.

Contact:  loszapatistasnoestansolos@yahoo.es

More information in English and Spanish
 http://indymedia.nl/nl/2008/02/50148.shtml