For many years now, the world has its sight set on Oaxaca, because of the constant human rights violations. The scene upon us here stems from the 2006 mobilisations where several murders took place, particularly that of the North American journalist Brad Will. This scenario has recently become aggravated through the deaths of Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola; of the Triqui leaders Timoteo Alejandro and Celiberta Castro; and before the polling day, of Nicolás García Ambrosio, municipal president of Santo Domingo de Moreolos, and of the unionist Ángel Pérez García.
With this, we can verify that the culture of violence is deeply rooted in the State of Oaxaca, and it expresses itself through the presence of paramilitary groups, hired gunmen at the service of politicians, and undercover cops. It is felt in the intimidation of transnational corporations that divide the population, as in the case of San José del Progreso and the Fortuna Silver Company; just to mention one of the many realities that make-up the structure of power that systematically abuses human rights.
Standing in front of the aforementioned we recognise the incredible richness of the cultural diversity of the people of Oaxaca; of their multiple organisational experiences and their great sense of communal belonging in the search of autonomy, dignity and popular power; they show great potential of generating alternatives and a life with dignity.
Of the interviews with academics, social movement activists, citizens and representatives of political parties (who gave us interviews), we confirmed a long history of systemic abuses to human rights in Oaxaca. So, the electoral moment presented itself as a great opportunity to change that context and realize democratic civil and social transformations in a peaceful way, without disturbing the institutional process.
We were surprised by the richness of popular organisations and strategies that we found, and it showed that the people really believed that it is possible to achieve change peacefully, through institutional channels. The people of Oaxaca went to the polls, facing a climate of fear manifested in different ways: through newspapers and pamphlets distributed on the eve and morning of the election. The high participation of the people in the polling day was manifest not only in their active voting, but also in their organising and training each other to observe the polling stations and the counting of the votes.
The most horizontal social movements, those independent of political parties, showed their availability in guaranteeing the legitimacy of the election and respecting the will of the people.
Preliminary results indicate that Oaxaca chose change away from an authoritarian regime and its criminal governmental practice. However, it is necessary to point out that a change of power does not, on its gown, guarantee change, as has been evidenced at the federal level. The next government has been called in to create the conditions for Oaxaca to become a state based on the rule of law, where justice prevails.
The people of Oaxaca, and more specifically, the International Commission of Communication and Observation of Human Rights (COICODH in its Spanish initials) will be vigilant so that the deaths of Brad Will, Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola; of the Triqui People Timoteo Alejandro and Celiberta Castro, and those of the municipal president Nicolás García Ambrosio, and unionist Miguel Ángel Pérez García of Santo Domingo de Morelos, do not remain unpunished.
Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca 6 July 2010
Translated by Yael Gerson Allen