¡La Lucha Sigue! Part One
May 30, 2009 5:08:30 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 30, 2009 5:08:30 GMT
("The Struggle Continues!")
I went downtown today, forgetting that the teachers' strike was in full cry and that today was their day to blockade the ring road around Oaxaca. Luckily I had my camera with me and was able to capture some of the drama.
First, some background. If you prefer not to read the long article, the capsule version is that in June of 2006, the governor of the state of Oaxaca sent police to violently uproot the encampment of teachers in the main plaza of the city of Oaxaca. The teachers were encamped for their yearly strike, and the tents contained sleeping children there with their parents. Although it was the dead of night and the police beat people and burned the camp, with help the strikers fought back and repelled the police.
Almost immediately there was a grassroots movement organized against the governor and the corruption in the state -- the Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca) or APPO.
A crucial point was the outcry for the removal of the governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, or URO. This was not only because of the outrage against the teachers, but because he is widely considered to have stolen the election that put him into office, thus keeping the entrenched PRI in power.
An oddity of the Mexican constitution is that in order to remove a sitting governer, "ingovernability" must be proven. By declaring itself the governing body and taking over or blocking government offices, the APPO in fact proved that the governor was incapable of governing the state. No matter. Outgoing President Vicente Fox sent in the federal police and managed to crush the movement in November 2006.
Another blow to the popular movement was dealt by the teachers' union, which drew back at a crucial moment and declined to support the movement which had done so much to support them.
Even amidst the entrenched local cynicism about "lideres" (leaders) of movements and the deal-making that goes on with the powers that be, there is still popular support for the APPO. It remains to be seen how much is left for the teachers.
Please see part two for the photos taken today.
I went downtown today, forgetting that the teachers' strike was in full cry and that today was their day to blockade the ring road around Oaxaca. Luckily I had my camera with me and was able to capture some of the drama.
First, some background. If you prefer not to read the long article, the capsule version is that in June of 2006, the governor of the state of Oaxaca sent police to violently uproot the encampment of teachers in the main plaza of the city of Oaxaca. The teachers were encamped for their yearly strike, and the tents contained sleeping children there with their parents. Although it was the dead of night and the police beat people and burned the camp, with help the strikers fought back and repelled the police.
Almost immediately there was a grassroots movement organized against the governor and the corruption in the state -- the Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca) or APPO.
A crucial point was the outcry for the removal of the governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, or URO. This was not only because of the outrage against the teachers, but because he is widely considered to have stolen the election that put him into office, thus keeping the entrenched PRI in power.
An oddity of the Mexican constitution is that in order to remove a sitting governer, "ingovernability" must be proven. By declaring itself the governing body and taking over or blocking government offices, the APPO in fact proved that the governor was incapable of governing the state. No matter. Outgoing President Vicente Fox sent in the federal police and managed to crush the movement in November 2006.
Another blow to the popular movement was dealt by the teachers' union, which drew back at a crucial moment and declined to support the movement which had done so much to support them.
Even amidst the entrenched local cynicism about "lideres" (leaders) of movements and the deal-making that goes on with the powers that be, there is still popular support for the APPO. It remains to be seen how much is left for the teachers.
Please see part two for the photos taken today.