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geri

Oct 31, 2006, 4:37 PM

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Time for a new Oaxaca thread

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Some observations: 6 p.m. Tuesday.

No city buses running today but Mexicans with vans and pickup trucks are filling in. They paint their destination on their windshield. Gotta admire the Mexican ingenuity. Banks are closed and some ATMs don't have money. No garbage pick up. This all since the Feds arrived. Before that ALL services were functioning. Major stores are open and well-stocked. Without the buses, traffic is flowing better. I started to walk to the zocalo this afternoon, but there was a huge, angry-sounding confrontation at Llano Park, so I turned around. I'm Queen of Sissies (queen in the old-fashion sense of the word!!! :-) Turns out a Pro-URO march had just ended. It must have been met by APPO people. No helicopters about, however.

In fact, I didn't hear helicopters all day today, but they are buzzing around now. Some friends and I are going to walk down to El Panteon. Don't know if that's a good idea or not since it gets dark so early now.

A friend of mine who is in Chiapas says there are stirrings of support there for Oaxaca. Another friend, up in the mountain pueblos, says that APPO is soliciting support from the pueblitos. Sad time in Oaxaca for sure.

Oh, I also stopped by the ADO first class bus station. They told me buses are going to DF tonight. There seemed to be a lot of activity there. First Class buses to and from Oaxaca and Mexico City didn't run on Sunday.

Just a few observations from the front! If you have specific questions or want me to check out anything, just ask. I need something to do to keep my mind and body occupied!

geri

Oct 31, 2006, 7:49 PM

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Re: [geri] Time for a new Oaxaca thread

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Day of the Dead is alive and well in Oaxaca. I walked to El Panteon with friends tonight. It was a small mellow, happy crowd. People are setting up booths for tomorrow (of food and flowers, as usual, I think). There were a few beautiful sand sculptures, a band, pan y chocolat. Many barricades are down and others coming down in this part of town. As we passed a group of young Mexicans, I heard one say, "Hay gringos!" I turned and waved and they laughed. We are a novelty right now!

DoDi2

Nov 1, 2006, 8:43 AM

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Thanks for the report geri!

We called a friend who lives out near Ocotlan to see how they are there. She says that people haven't been able to go to work in the city since the PFP arrival. She said that everything is normal out around the Ocotlan area but her coworkers in Oaxaca City are staying home. Right now she says that everyone she knows are supporting the teachers and want Ruiz to leave regardless of how they may have felt before. They are fed up and she says Ruiz is gone whether or not he wants to admit it.

geri

Nov 1, 2006, 8:50 AM

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Re: [DoDi2] Time for a new Oaxaca thread

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My cleaning lady is here today. She says there are no city buses because the Feds are using them for transport. Makes sense. There are thousands of them who need to move around the city.

She lives on the other end from Ocotlan and says that colectivos are running. She has made it to my house EVERY Wed. during the past five months. She's a pretty amazing person. Such a worker. So intelligent. I'll tell you her political take in another post.

I think the Mexican people are more scared here than I am, 'cause I don't have a lot of inside information about the situation other than what I see. I also have no personal history of police abuse.

There were NO cohetes last night and usually for Day of the Dead, they go off all night in my neighborhood.

DoDi2

Nov 1, 2006, 10:30 AM

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Hi geri,

I've been listening to appo radio in the evenings and they were announcing that people should not use cohetes because of the danger of drawing fire from the police/PFP.

Also they have been describing the situation of disappearances, arrests (many are being held in the Tlacolula prison), etc. as reminiscent of the dirty war days. They are asking everyone to avoid confrontations. They are also reinforcing the barricades to prevent the free movement of police and federales into other neighborhoods, i.e. to protect the city from further incursions and attacks from the PFP and extralegal invasions of private homes that were occurring. They want people to bring more sandbags out to the barricades.

There's quite a bit of information put out via the radio station. Very interesting and informative, plus you get a lot of thier political position from the platicas that they give. They make a pretty good case that PRI-PAN are pushing very hard to 'vender el pais'. It was also interesting how happy they are that there are support actions now across the country and from about twenty other countries, although as one lady pointed out it took the death of an American journalist (Brad Will) to get the world's attention.

Saludos!

geri

Nov 1, 2006, 2:20 PM

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Re: [DoDi2] Time for a new Oaxaca thread

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I've listened to that to station also. The only problem is, it's so one-sided. I'm certainly in sympathy with the wide economic gap between socio-economic classes here. I'm just not sure that APPO, IF it comes into power, won't be just as corrupt as previous power holders. It's sooooo complicated. I'm sure there are people in prison unjustly, probably even murdered. Always has been, in my memory. I also feel certain that APPO lies about the amount of violence and injustice in order to gather support.

I enjoy your "take" on it. You are surely better informed than some people I know here. My cleaning lady told me this morning that APPO really wants to challenge the presidential election and to make Obrador president. That's pretty much accepted by most Mexicans I talk to, but I was surprised that Nila verbalized it. She is hard working and doesn't have much hope for anything changing, no matter how this ends. She just goes about her business. Her class of people aren't being addressed, I think. She works 18 jobs each week and is way too busy to join marches.

Unfortunately, I don't think this protest, even if successful, will help the really poor people. But maybe it will increase the power of the middle class??? It's really a middle class issue. I'm definining middle class a la Oaxaca...those who teach, sell crafts for export, have lower income jobs, etc. The people against the protest are, of course, entrenched politicos, hoteliers, restauranteurs and other tourist business people.

I don't think the really poor in pueblos far from Oaxaca City are going to benefit. I don't even think most of them are involved at the moment.

DoDi2

Nov 1, 2006, 2:54 PM

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Hi again :-) geri,

My friends are pretty much the same. I'm actually a lot more interested in the politics than they are... they are preoccupied with work and making a living. But that's why there is a lot of exasperation with Ruiz' overreactions to the teachers strike and now especially since they sent in the PFP. At least before the buses were (mainly) running and thier livelyhoods weren't being affected.

It's not so much that they support the teachers, many are very critical of the teachers union for a lot of reasons not having to do with the present conflict. But they do agree that Ruiz should go and they blame him for the mess.

Meanwhile I find the whole thing very fascinating and often moving... although I don't have any illusions that whoever replaces Ruiz won't be corrupt. However they might not be as tightly organized to wield such total control as the Oaxacan PRI cacique historically held.

About APPO and AMLO... it was interesting yesterday to read in one paper how AMLO held a 'mitin' and gave a speech yesterday right before the APPO leader's march to the capital. AMLO announced his total support and intention to organize actions in DF to mirror the Oaxaca strikers and then AMLO tried to join the APPO leaders at the head of thier parade to the government buildings. The APPO leaders politely refused to let him join them at the head of the march and explained that movement was an independent coalition and the wanted to keep the leadership free of political candidates seeking office, although he or any other politician was welcome to support them.

Stay safe geri!

P.S.

Here's that article:
López Obrador wades in on Oaxaca conflict, slams Ruiz

http://www.mexiconews.com.mx/miami/21440.html

And part of what it said:
"But Tuesday´s commingling was not without some tension. Many APPO members and supporters left before López Obrador spoke in order to begin a march down Reforma Ave. to the presidential residence of Los Pinos. López Obrador had asked to help lead the march, but was turned down by APPO leaders.
Much of the APPO membership is suspicious of party-affiliated politicians, and the FAP is the continuation of the electoral coalition that consisted of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), the Labor Party and the Convergence Party.
Though López Obrador himself was greeted warmly with cries of "president, president," an earlier speech by PRD co-founder and FAP leader Porfirio Muñoz Ledo was frequently interrupted. Several times a vocal segment of the crowd broke into a variation of a common rhyming chant that roughly translates as, "The people, united, will advance without parties."

(This post was edited by DoDi2 on Nov 1, 2006, 2:59 PM)

arbon

Nov 1, 2006, 5:24 PM

Post #8 of 8 (5333 views)

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Re: [geri] Time for a new Oaxaca thread

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"Unfortunately, I don't think this protest, even if successful, will help the really poor people. But maybe it will increase the power of the middle class??? It's really a middle class issue. I'm defining middle class a la Oaxaca...those who teach, sell crafts for export, have lower income jobs, etc. The people against the protest are, of course, entrenched politicos, hoteliers, restaurateurs and other tourist business people.

I don't think the really poor in pueblos far from Oaxaca City are going to benefit. I don't even think most of them are involved at the moment."

geri, I feel you have that correct, after the revolution and the land redistribution, it did not benefit the poorest.

In all revolts such as this, change only comes to those that are willing to fight for it.

And the extra cost will not be born by the wealthiest.
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(This post was edited by arbon on Nov 1, 2006, 5:29 PM)