Saturday, August 26, 2017.
Community of Candelaria El Alto municipality of Venustiano Carranza Chiapas, Mexico
Adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, EZLN.
Public complaint.
To the CNI National Indigenous Congress
To the Councils of Good Government
To the National and International Sixth
To Human Rights Defenders
To the independent media
To the People of Mexico and the World
By this means we denounce what is happening in our community of Candelaria El Alto:
On June 28th of this year, sympathizers of our organization notified us that they had seen six subjects, heavily armed with high power weapons, very close to where we protect our lands. These lands we have been defending for several years, an area identified as “el Desengaño” (“The Disillusionment”). With these possible rumors we are keeping a record and investigating.
On July 26th of this year at 1:30 in the afternoon, our compañeros who guard the land of the community, noticed two subjects wearing ski masks to cover their faces about 300 meters away. The subjects were armed and when they realized that our compañeros had seen them, they immediately fled. Minutes later one of our compañeros arrived to where they were located and saw letters written on the ground saying CAUTION. This word “Caution” for us is disturbing because of the rumors mentioned above. We believe that they are planning to repress us, or intend to kill one of our compañeros.
We are reporting that in the early morning of Tuesday, August 22nd, at 1:30 am, six people arrived to our community, two people aboard a motorcycle and four more in a car. They and stayed around ten minutes. For us these people were suspicious and then they left.
Yesterday, August 24th, at 5 pm, two people approached the place where we guard the community, their names are Jose Luis de la Cruz Gonzales and Vicente Ramírez aka “el poli” (the cop). They came to cut wood so they could sell it as firewood. They have come two other times and both times were told to leave the area. We researched and confirmed that he (Ramirez) is a worker for a local landowner (cacique).
Because these people, Jose Luis de la Cruz Gonzales and Vicente Ramirez, insist on coming to where we are protecting our community, we believe that we are being watched or that it is an observation strategy against us, to fall in provocation.
Given this situation we believe the state lacks the will to solve this problem and we hold the authorities responsible for any aggressions that we may suffer.
Therefore we ask the National and the International Sixth to be attentive to what is happening and we will be sharing any updates.
SINCERELY
Organized Community Candelaria El Alto.
Adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle
EZLN Initiative.
Translated from the original here: http://kehuelga.net/spip.php?article5297