Caravana contra la Represión en México

We Invite All

 

 

 

The adherent organizations of this caravan would like to invite all institutions of learning, clubs, collectives, political, social, and religious organizations without party affiliations in the United States to host a speaking tour with representatives of major social movements and the struggle against repression in México.

From October 18 through November 18, a group of representatives of 7 social movements will be touring several USA cities taking that denunciation and promoting solidarity. The speaking tour is composed by representatives of: Ayotzinapa students; assembly of parents of the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa; National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE); San Quintin farm workers; May our Daughters Return Home (Nuestras HIjas de Regreso a Casa) from Juarez City denouncing femicide; victims of attack to the people of Nochixtlan, Oaxaca; and Xochicuautla, an Otomi community fighting mega-projects/landgraving against indigenous communities.


The Demands of the Tour:

1.  The return of the 43 missing students of the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College. The confirmed perpetrators of this forced disappearance include federal military forces, more specifically, the 27th Infantry Battalion of Iguala, Guerrero.

2.  The immediate release from prison of Gonzalo Molina and Arturo Campos, political prisoners from the CRAC-PC; the immediate liberty of political prisoners of the CNTE; of Simitrio Sarabia, their sons and all political prisoners in México.

3.  Immediate and full compliance of all demands of the participating organizations of the speaking tour.

4.  Cancellation of the Merida Initiative. The Merida Initiative is an agreement between the governments of Central America, Mexico, and the United States. This initiative has helped create war zone conditions in Mexico, where everyday people and their chosen leaders are victims. The Merida Initiative has perpetuated social, economic and political chaos that has allowed for the attacks on social justice leaders and severely eroded civil rights.

5.  The closure of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, more commonly known as the School Of The Americas. This institution has bred some of the most murderous military leaders in Latin America. Currently, the Mexican government sends security elites and soldiers to train at this institution. These soldiers are then used in operatives to subdue social protest. In the past several years, over 500 School of the Americas trained individuals have deserted in order to join drug cartels.  One of the most merciless cartels, Los Zetas, was formed almost exclusively with former military people, some of them being trained at this institution.


Objectives of the caravan:

1.  Condemn the repressive character of the Mexican government, which has, via its military and political apparatus, systematically oppressed student and teacher organizations, workers’ collectives, community forces, environmental activists, and the free, independent press. This repression is manifested in a systematic degradation of Mexican societal fabric, evidenced by thousands of missing persons, more than 150,000 killed, entire communities displaced, the increase of feminicide and hundreds of political prisoners.

2.  Expose the violations of political prisoners’ rights, including their illegal and arbitrary detentions, the constant absence of a judicial process, and the violation of their most fundamental human rights.

3.  Explain the organizing experiences that are based on community traditions and customs. Understand that when communities have attempted to exercise their rights, the government has reacted by repressing them, especially imprisoning and killing their leaders. More specifically, this speaking tour is attempting to explain the causes and history of the community police; the working class neighborhood organizations; the farmworker struggles and Mexican independent unions; and the struggle of communities in defense of their water, land and natural resources. Additionally, we will facilitate a conversation around the history of education in México which explains the tenacity of teachers and students, especially from teachers´ schools (normales) – as in the cases of the Ayotzinapa and Michoacán.

4.  Demand recognition of feminicide in Mexico as a crime against humanity.  Demand creation of real policies of protection for women and punishment of criminals and public authorities responsible for ignoring or wrongly applying the law.

5.  Inspire a campaign of solidarity with social movements in Mexico and especially with families of the political prisoners and of those individuals who are missing, kidnapped or assassinated because of their participation in social movements. The vast majority of these families have suffered painful and traumatic life changes, not only because loved ones are in prison or disappeared, but because they have lost the family’s economic provider.

6.  Spread the word regarding the exploitation of farmworkers in San Quintin.  What is happening in San Quintin is just an example of the abuse that agricultural workers suffer in other parts of the country.

7.  Propose forms of resistance and struggle that constructively channel popular sentiment regarding repressive governments and develop tactics to better train our communities for any future actions. Some of these forms of resistance include the autonomization of communities, decolonization of public education, the creation of general assemblies, the struggle for a new constitution, among others.

8.  To raise money to help the families of political prisoners, as well as the organizations represented in the speaking tour.


If you would like the speaking tour to visit your community, organization, institution of learning or place of work, we ask for the following:

1.  Contribute financially towards the expense of visas and passports. This help is needed as soon as possible, because tour participants are already organized.

2.  Cover the financial cost of the tour while it is visiting your space, which will include travel,food and lodging.

3.  Resolve all potential conflicts through dialogue, and if a decision is not made, then respect the decision made by the people responsible for this tour.

4.  Promise and guarantee, as a sponsor organization, that there will be no mention in favor of political parties from either Mexico or the United States.


Other Financial Situations:

1.  A finance committee, made up of the sponsoring organizations, will be formed.  It will be their responsibility to administer the money raised and implement those agreements made by the sponsoring organizations and by the members of the tour.

2.  To cover expenses of the tour from beginning to end, it is necessary that all people and groups involvedcontribute to its financing.  Specifically, all hosting organizations should contribute at least $500.

3.  When money is collected during the tour, it will be turned over to the person who has been assigned this responsibility by the sponsoring organizations.

4.  Each time that money is collected, the assigned person, along with a Mexican member of the tour, will count it, record it, and issue a receipt.

5.   The funds collected will be used for expenses of the tour members and their guides in the United States.  The rest will be equally divided amongst the Mexican participating organizations and may include also other Mexican organizations if that is the agreement of the Mexican delegation and the U.S. sponsoring organizations.