A-Infos (en)(ca) Report of the Civil Commission of Observation (Chiapas)

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The following is a report from a caravan to Amparo Agua Tinta that
returned last night.  Members of the community arrived in San Cristobal
on Thursday, April 30th, to file a denouncement that the soldiers were
near their community and bothering the women. Due to the invasion the
next day, the denouncement was not published.  

It is also important to note the presence of female Seguridad Publica
members.  The State of Chiapas has been broadcasting television ads since
the second week of January encouraging women to join up with the
Seguridad Publica.  This is a direct response to the effective defenses
of the women of various communities to repel entering sliders and defend
the men.

The authorities have said they will release all but 8 of the detainee
from Aguatinta at 4pm, today, Sunday.  The 8 remaining are:  Roberto
Lopez, Aureliano Lopez, Artemio Calvo, Ruben Salazar, Juan Alfaro,
Ernesto Lopez, Antonio Lopez, Joselino Hernandez.  The man most seriously
hurt was Jesus Aguilar.

Amparo Aguatinta
Chiapas, Mexico

Report of the Civil Commission of Observation
May 2, 1998

15 Mexican Nationals and 5 Internationals, including some members of
Pastors for Peace formed the Civil Commission of Observation.

The Commission, after passing the checkpoint at the crossroads to Las
Flores, arrived at the community of Aguatinta at 12:00pm.  We went to the
installations of the Autonomous Municipality and observed that they are
currently occupied by Seguridad Publica.  Seguridad Publica did not let
us pass, saying that they had orders that no one was to be allowed
through until the Commander arrived.  It is worth mentioning that this
entrance to the community is where most of the houses of the attacked
families are. 
 

After a long wait, we went to the other part of the town where there were
56 women and children, who amidst tears told us about their current
situation and the manner in which they were treated.  The women told us
that they became aware of the incursion at approximately 5 am, when the
men were leaving to go to their milpas (fields).  At that time, members
of Seguridad Publica and the Mexican Army began to arrive.  They detained
the men who they found in the road and those who had not yet left were
taken out of their homes.  Some Priista members of the community pointed
out the houses of the Zapatista sympathizers.  Among those who were
pointing out houses there were:  Elias Mendez, Abendamar Gomez, Agenor
Aguilar, Victor Velasco, and Neftali Mendez.  The aforementioned were
uniformed and some of them had hats and sunglasses on.  It was also
mentioned that houses of Priista families were painted blue and green,
four days earlier.  When the women went out to the defend the men, they
were beaten.  The detained men were rounded-up into the offices of the
Autonomous Council where they were beaten.  It is known that two of them
were beaten.  Members of Seguridad Publica and the Army sacked the
communities cooperative store, stole 20,000 pesos, and the typewriters.
When the women went to get close to the offices of the Council, they saw
two microbuses arrive with women members of Seguridad Publica with tear
gas grenades, so they retreated to the other end of the community.  The
women said that finally they carried off the detained men at
approximately 11:00 am and that during the entire operation there were
approximately 1,000 soldiers participating.

They told us that on May 1st, at around noon, there were military
fly-overs and in the night there had been shots fired into the air.  The
electric had also been cut.  We, the observers, saw the marks on the
faces, arms and legs on some of the women.

Now the women cannot go out to their milpas or cut firewood since the
Army and Seguridad Publica are inside the community and the women are
afraid of them.  In addition is the fact that  the Priistas are
threatening and taunting the women.   For these reasons, they are asking
for the creation of a civilian peace camp and frequent caravan visits
with food.

At approximately at 3pm on May 2nd, a commission of three representatives
of ACNUR (UN High Commission on Refugees) arrived in the community.  The
representatives declared before a meeting of the women, that it is not up
to their organization to tell the Mexican Government what to do.  They
denied the story that they had asked for the intervention by Seguridad
Publica and the Army.  They made it clear that this had been a media
version and was not the official version.  They also mentioned that the
six Guatemalan refugees who had been detained were freed yesterday.  

Finally, the women asked that their testimonies are made known and they
made the following demands:

Immediate liberation of the detainees
Immediate withdrawal of the Army and Seguridad Publica
Implementation of the San Andres Accords
Support for Human Rights Organizations

TESTIMONIES

Rubi:
The Seguridad Publica stuck a weapon in her stomach and she thought they
were going to kill her.

Jose Eli, 9 years-old:
The commander, the one who was directing the operation smacked him twice.
Jose Eli said his sisters were making tortillas and he told the Commander
that they weren't going to come out and so he was hit.

Martha Luz:
She was in her house with her brothers and sisters when they
(Army/Seguridad Publica) surrounded the house and entered, throwing
things on the floor.  One of the police arrived and came in and said he
was going to interrogate her.  Martha said "no" and so they beat her.
They pulled her by her hair and threw her around.  They searched the
house for about half and hour and asked where her father hid his weapon.
Seguridad Publica entered into the house of the comisariado Mario Leon.

They entered into four houses but not into all of them.  Women who were
beaten: Rebeca Leon, 21 years-old, was hit in the leg by a weapon; they
beat her when she went to defend her uncle.  Enriqueta Lopez, 48 year-old,
was beaten.

They ask for:
The immediate withdrawal of the army and police.
Food Aid -- They do not have food because they have not yet planted and
now have even less since they are there without their husbands.
The presence of national and international observers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


AMPARO AGUATINTA
Comisión Civil de Observación
2 de mayo de 1998


La Comisión Civil de Observación: formada por 15 nacionales y 5
internacionales, entre los cuales algunos son miembros de Pastores por la
Paz. Dicha comisión después de pasar por el retén del desvío a las Flores
llegó a la comunidad de Aguatinta a las12:00a.m.. Nos dirigimos a las
instalaciones del Municipio Autónomo y pudimos observar que se encuentran
ocupadas por elementos de Seguridad Pública, los cuales nos negaron el
paso argumentando que tenían órdenes de no dejar pasar a nadie hasta que
llegara el comandante, cabe mencionar que en esta entrada de la comunidad
se encuentran muchas de las casas de las familias agredidas. 
Después de una larga espera nos dirigimos a la otra parte del  poblado en
donde se encontraban 56 mujeres, niñas y niños que con llantos nos
contaron la situación en la que se encontraban y la manera en la que
fueron tratadas.

Las mujeres narraron que se dieron cuenta del operativo aproximadamente a
las 5:00 a.m.,  cuando los hombres salían a sus milpas, comenzaron a
llegar miembros de Seguridad Publica y del Ejercito Mexicano, detuvieron
a los hombres que se encontraban en el camino y los que aun no habían
salido fueron sacados de sus casa, las cuales fueron señaladas por
algunos miembros de las comunidad con afiliación priísta, entre los que
señalaban las casas se encuentran; Elias Mendez, Abendamar Gómez, Agenor
Aguilar , Víctor  Velazco y Neftali Méndez, los antes mencionados iban
uniformados y algunos con sombrero y lentes. Se menciono también que las
casas de las familias priístas fueron pintadas cuatro días antes de azul
y verde. Cuando las mujeres salieron en defensa de los hombres fueron
golpeadas, concentraron a los detenidos en las instalaciones del Consejo
Autónomo donde fueron golpeados, se sabe de dos heridos. Los miembros de
Seguridad Publica y el Ejercito saquearon la tienda cooperativa de la
comunidad, se llevaron 20 000 pesos, se llevaron las máquinas de
escribir. Cuando las mujeres se iban a acercar a las instalaciones del
consejo vieron llegar 2 microbuses con mujeres miembros de Seguridad
Pública con bombas de gases lacrimógenos a lo cual ellas se retiraron y
se fueron al otro extremo de la comunidad.
Las mujeres dijeron que finalmente se llevaron a los hombres detenidos
aproximadamente a las 11:00 a.m.. Que en todo el operativo participaron
participaron  aproximadamente 1000 elementos.
Nos mencionaron que el día 1 pasaron sobre vuelos de aviones militares al
medio día, que en la noche ha habido disparos al aire y les cortaron la
luz eléctrica.
Pudimos observar los golpes en algunas de ellas en la cara brazos y
piernas.
Ahora las mujeres no pueden ir a su milpa ni a cortar leña ya que el
Ejército y Seguridad Publica se encuentran en su comunidad y tienen miedo
de ellos, además de que los priístas las amenazan y se burlan de ellas,
por lo cual piden permanencia de campamento con ellas y la visita de
caravanas frecuentes con alimentos.
Aproximadamente a las 15;00 hrs.  el día de hoy llego a la comunidad, una
comisión de tres representantes de ACNUR, los cuales declararon ante la
asamblea de las mujeres que a esta organización no le compete decir al
gobierno mexicano lo que tiene que hacer, por lo cual desmienten la
versión de que ellos pidieron la intervención de Seguridad Publica y el
Ejercito, aclararon que esta ha sido una versión de los medios
informativos y no una versión oficial, además mencionaron que los 6
refugiados guatemaltecos que habían sido detenidos fueron puestos en
libertad el día de ayer.

Finalmente las mujeres pidieron que se dieran a conocer sus testimonios e
hicieron las siguientes demandas:
· Que se liberen a todos los detenidos
· Que se vaya el Ejercito y Seguridad Publica de su comunidad
· Que se cumplan los acuerdos de San Andrés.
· Apoyo de las instancias de Derechos Humanos.


TESTIMONIOS
RUBI
Seguridad pública le puso el arma en el estómago y penso que lo iban a matar

José Elí de 9 años
Un comandante, el que iba dirigiendo  le dio dos cachetadas, dijo que sus hermanas estaban torteando, el dijo que no iban a pasar y por eso le pego.

Martha Luz
Estaba en su casa con sus hermanos cuando rodearon la casa  y entraron,
tiraran las cosas y entraron, llego uno de los policías le dijo que la
iba a interrogar y dijo Martha que no y por eso la golpearon, la jalaron
del pelo y la aventaron, estuvieron como media hora registrando,
preguntaban que dónde escondía las armas sus papá.
Seguridad pública entro a la casa del comisariado Mario León.

Entraron a 4 casas no a todas.
Mujeres que fueron golpeadas: Rebeca León de 21 años fue golpeada en la pierna con el arma, la golpearon cuando defendía a sus tío. 
Enriqueta López de 48 años fue golpeada cuando 


PIDEN:
Que salga la seguridad pública
Que se retire el ejército
No tienen alimento, ya que todavía no han sembrado, y ahora menos que se quedaron sin sus maridos.
Que haya ayuda alimenticia
Que haya la presencia de campamentistas





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