Declaration of the IWL-FI

Last 27 October, Preventive Federal Police initiated a ferocious repression in order to recover the Zócalo (centre) of the Oaxaca city, capital of a state of that same name in the south of Mexico, occupied by demonstrators ever since last May.

The conflict began when the teachers’ trade union (Section 22 of the CNTE) initiated a strike and their traditional yearly camping held in demand for better salaries and increase of budget for education and the Ulises Ruiz Ortiz administration tried to drive them out of the campsite violently using state police and armed bands. In response, thousands of workers, peasants, students and inhabitants of poorer neighbourhoods expressed their solidarity with the teachers and a massive popular uprising broke out and defeated the attempt at dislodgment.

This defeat left the Ulises administration in a deep crisis and practically paralysed. At the same time the APPO was formed (Asamblea Popular de Pueblos de Oaxaca) and it actually turned into a “parallel power” in the city and some other places in the state. Apart from the demands specific to each sector, the demand of “Out with Ulises” was posed very clearly.

Unable to act directly, Ulises constantly tried to mount provocation with bands of marginals, bullies or disguised policemen to force the federal government to send an armed intervention to Oaxaca. One of these provocations, the murder of the American journalist, Brad Will, shot by a sniper, was an excuse used by the federal government to begin an attack against the Oaxacan people.

Fox Quesada orders repression

For several months, the Vicente Fox Quesada of the PAN (Partido de Acción Nacional) has been hesitant about intervening and “nationalising” the conflict. First, because of the tough electoral battle between the presidential of his party, Felipe Calderón and the opponent Andrés López Obrador of the PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática). Then because of the reports of fraud that proclaimed Calderón a victor. But once the “triumph” of Calderón was legalised, Fox Quesada decided to live up to the demands pressed on by imperialism and the great Mexican bourgeoisie expressed in the request that by his successor to “solve” the Oaxaca topic before he took over.

And he did so in the traditional way in which Mexican bourgeoisie tackles the great struggles of the toiling masses: by means of a ferocious repression. Over four thousand members of well armed PFP and using tanks and helicopters initiated a military operation of recovering the Zócalo of Oaxaca. Thousands of Oaxacans resisted heroically during two days, but military inferiority finally forced them to withdraw. On October 30^th, three mobilisations were organised in order to try and recover the Zócalo. Until almost nighttime, the PFP was surrounded by contingents of the APPO and the teachers. Apart from this, resistance continues on other important sites in the city, with blockades, barricades and the radio of the Autonomous University Benito Juarez is still held by APPO. This means that all the power of the public force has not been enough to defeat the demonstrators.

The reports are still hazy as far as the figures of the repression but there is talk about several mortal casualties, dozens with bullet wounds, many arrested and also kidnapped and missing. APPO denounced that more than forty of their leaders have been arrested and taken to military premises.

Trying to hide this reality, with overwhelming cynism, Vicente Fox assured that “Oaxaca is back to normal and the activity of the federal police necessary to recover the capital of the state was carried out with a “white balance” and without weapons, implanting order and law” (La Jornada online, 30/10/06)

An antidemocratic regime

Just as the PRI used to do in the past, the PAN now ruling, appeals to electoral fraud and the most bloodthirsty repression to defend the interests of the great Mexican bourgeoisie and of the gringos. Let us remember the brutal repression against the Atenco population that took place a few months ago.

It is a paramount necessity of Mexican people to fight against the administration and this political regime. The Oaxaca insurrection has been the most advanced expression of this struggle. But it also became manifest in the numerous massive demonstrations against the fraud in spite of the inevitable capitulation of a bourgeois figure, López Obrador. The IWL-FI alls to go on with this struggle, beginning by repudiating the Oaxaca repression and demanding the punishment for all those responsible for it.

Keep up the struggle

Several demonstrations have already been held in Mexico City following this demand. It is necessary for them to become massive and to spread out to the entire country. Former candidate of the PRD, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, denounce the use of violence in the state of Oaxaca and it forced occupation by federal forces. He said, “the number of dead and missing reported unveils the political perversity attained by those who are prepared to exert repression to stay on in power” and he denounced the complicity between the PAN and the PRI and demanded Ulises Ruiz resignation.

But struggle against the regime cannot remain solely as statements and denunciations. López Obrador has an immense political influence and consequently the possibility and the bounden duty to call for a massive action against the crimes committed against Oaxaca. The millions who voted for him and the hundreds of thousands who moved against the fraud should demand that he should do so.

At the same time, the IWL-FI considers that it is absolutely necessary to carry out actions of all the political organisations and trade unions, as united as possible, not accomplice of the regime in order to press for such actions especially in the coordination of a call to national strike, for in Oaxaca, teacher of their 22 Section are being brutally attacked.

International solidarity 

At the same time, IWL-FI calls for the most ample international solidarity with the people of Oaxaca and in repudiation of the repression carried out by the Fox Quesada administration. In Buenos Aires and other cities of this continent, actions along this line have already started.

The PAN administration has once more unveiled their antidemocratic, repressive and bloodthirsty character.

Solidarity of the people of Oaxaca and the APPO!

Immediate freedom for the arrested Oaxacan fighters!

We want the kidnapped and the missing back alive!

Punishment for those responsible of the repression!

Ulises Out!

International Secretariat of the International Workers’ League – Fourth International

Sao Paulo, 30^th October 2006.