From all over the country, communities grouped together in the Indigenous National Congress (CNI, its initials in Spanish) will travel to Caracol 1, “La Realidad”, in Chiapas to share experiences and reach agreements and resolutions with the support bases of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN ).
The gathering will be held in the name of “Compañero David Ruíz García” in homage to the young indigenous man from San Francisco Xochicuautla in the State of Mexico, who died during the return from the homage to José Luis Solís López, “Galeano”, the Zapatista killed in May by the organization CIOAC – Historical.
The gathering will take place after the senators and deputies have approved the secondary legislation of the Energy Reform, the Hydrocarbons Law Reform and prepared the Reform of the Countryside that various peoples have repeatedly accused of meaning “dispossession”.
Furthermore, conflicts have intensified over megaprojects such as the Independence Aqueduct with the Yaqui tribe, and the private Toluca-Naucalpan highway with the Xochicuautla themselves, where the machines of the construction firm Autovan already threaten the common lands of the community.
A year ago, when the Zapatistas were preparing the “Escuelita” for students from around the world, they announced that the indigenous peoples would not be invited.
The communiqué CLASSMATES IV OUR TEACHERS WILL NOT BE PRESENT clarified:
“They are and have been our teachers….Their very existence demonstrates that they should give classes in the great school that is the world, not receive them.”
A week later, the opening of the Tata Juan Chávez Alonso Seminar was announced, in memory of the indigenous Purepecha from the community of Nurío in Michoacan, who, in March 2001, addressed the Congress. Finally, the communiqué stated:
“In any case, we the Zapatistas still have much to learn from the Indian peoples. So they will come after, and we will go learn from them.”
The seminar was attended by Yaquis, Mayos, Náyeris, Wixárikas, Rarámuris, Odams, Nahuas, Purépechas, Nañus o Ñuhus, Mazahuas, Popolucas, Tzotziles, Choles, Tzeltales, Tojolabales, Zoques, Totonacos, Cocas, Mames, Binnizás, Chinantecos, Ikootes, Mazatecos, Chontales, Ñus Saavis, Chatinos, Triquis, Afromestizos, Mehpas, Nancue Ñomndaas, Ñhatos and Peninsular Mayas from the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Veracruz, Durango, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Morelos, the state of Mexico, Guerrero, Distrito Federal, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Yucatán and Campeche.
In this seminar they demanded the release of various political prisoners – like those of the Nahua of Tlanixco, who still remain in prison – and the cancellation of different megaprojects throughout the country. As agreed at the seminar, numerous regional forums of the Indigenous National Congress were held. Finally, after the murder of Galeano, the Zapatistas had to delay the called-for Sharing until the period from 4 to 8 August.
There follow four reports from our website which document the problems of peoples who will attend this call for Sharing.
Bachajón: http://www.masde131.com/?s=Bachaj% C3% B3n
Tepoztlan: http://www.masde131.com/?s=Tepoztlan
Xochicuautla: http://www.masde131.com/2014/03/sesion-regional-del-congreso-nacional-indigena-en-san-francisco-xochicuautla-edomex/
Originally published in Spanish at: http://www.masde131.com/2014/08/pueblos-indigenas-y-ezln-se-reuniran-para-compartir-experiencias/