¡La Lucha Sigue! Part One

[bixaorellana]

("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.

[bixaorellana]

One of the driving forces of the movement was radio. At one time there were several stations, many of them run or partly run by amateurs, broadcasting news and editorials.

Here is the trailer for a documentary covering the movement & also the part radio played.
www.jillfreidberg.com/a-little-bit-of-so-much-truth-trailer.html

Two versions with English subtitles:

This one has great color and resolution, but does not go to complete full screen --
www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1034/A-Little-Bit-of-So-Much-Truth

This one plays well & goes to full screen, but is faded & the resolution isn't the greatest --
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6610061338091162776

This is the Spanish version, from Radio Plantón's website:
www.proyectoambulante.org/?p=10795

Note that the sites hosting the film are not committing piracy, as the credits at the end give permission to disseminate it as long as due credit is given to the makers of the film.

[Don Cuevas]

How safe is Oaxaca for visitors now? Although similar demonstrations take place in Morelia, Michoacán.

[bixaorellana]

Oh, it's totally safe here, except for the usual petty crime you'd expect in a town of this size.

Really, it was safe for visitors during 2006, although undeniably inconvenient then.

[Deleted]

Does the general public support the teachers? In France, for example, a lot of people consider teachers to be a pampered group "that doesn't work much." Unless, of course, you know a teacher.

[bjd]

Kerouac, I know quite a few teachers. Some work hard and are concerned about the kids they teach, others are a bunch of layabouts ready to strike at the drop of a hat.

[bixaorellana]

I really did answer Kerouac's query earlier, but it was during the time our host forum was down, so I couldn't get it to post. Fortunately I remembered to copy & paste my answer into a Word document, so here it is:

That's really an excellent question, Kerouac. I think there's some ambivalence. The teaching profession is generally respected. However, in this state, the teachers have gone on strike every year for thirty (30!) years. The public can be forgiven for its weariness with what is seen as grandstanding and for a general cynicism about the union's purity of motive, or at least that of its leaders.

Parents can become frustrated because teachers seem completely out of touch with economic reality, & present parents with long lists of supplies which often don't even get used. I realize there should be some fun in learning, but my observation is that there are way too many non-scholastic events, & things that require costumes or other monetary outlay. Many, many children don't go to school because their parents can't affort uniforms or inscription fees.

However, many of the demands of the union are for the children, particularly in rural areas -- school breakfasts, transportation, better buildings & resources, etc.

The main cynicism is that of union higher-ups gaining political favoritism, not for the good of the union, but for themselves and their families.

This is probably too long for anyone to care to read, but it is a look at what I've touched on above.
The google Translate version is pretty readable.

[lagatta]

Here's a bit more on the struggle of the Triqui people, if anyone is interested.

www.oem.com.mx/abcradio/notas/n3871573.htm