Triqui Peoples in Oaxaca Take Over

[sodenoue]

On January 21, 2007, in San Juan Oaxaca Mexico, the Triqui indigenous peoples with help from the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxca, declared their auto nomy from the state government. Their announcement came after community leaders deliberated for two months among themselves to elect a president, a vice president, a mayor, a secretary, and six people who make up the Council of Elders. The new president of this autonomous governing body, Jose Ramirez Flores, a 32 year old farmer, has recieved a number of death threats, along with others who took part in the assembly to elect leaders. One man, Roberto Garcia Flores, was assinated on his way to the assembly.

Their reasons for forming their own government are simple: deception, oppression, and neglect practiced by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the party that has been in power in that region for almost 60 years. The rules for the new governing body are simple: govern according to Triqui principles, listen to the people, remain incorruptible, and strive for peace.

Sounds reasonable, right?

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/news/2007/02/24428.php

[BayCityProgressive]

1. The people's assembly

should be allowed to set up their own government and rule by the peoples wishe

[Nederland]

2. Interesting

I wonder if they intend to be truly independent or if they expect to get money from national or state level governments. The tax revenues in an area like this can't be very large. I wonder what they mean by this:

Their objective, as stated by President Ramirez, "is to achieve that our people, countrymen, brother Triquis, may continue struggling for our liberty and thus demand that the state authorities recognize our autonomous government and award us the economic sources that belong to us.”

[PLF]

3. it means they don't want the govt. coming in and taking their resources

[sodenoue]

4. the area has a lot of

natural gas and oil, I think.

Felipe Calderon was supported by halliburton de mexico with attack ads against Manuel Lopez Obrador in the last election which the Mexicans think was fraudulent (the ones I have talked to, the official mantra is that it was not fraudulent, just like ours.)

[Cleita]

5. God forbid they should tax the people who up until now

have kept them poor with a corrupt system that keeps most of the wealth in the hands of a small elite.