Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Repression continues in Oaxaca
With the celebration of one of the biggest traditional parties not only in Mexico but in Latin America, the ‘Guelaguetza’, Ulises Ruiz has put his ruling capabilities clear. He doesn’t understand people’s culture and traditions and hence his idea of government is has more to do with one of administrating a business rather than preserving and promoting Oaxaca’s cultural legacy.
Guelaguetza is a zapotec word that means ‘sharing’. It is a time when people from all around Oaxaca come to the capital to share whatever little they have with their other fellows. It has so happened that since some time ago, some tourist agencies along with the government thought that it was a good idea to show that phenomena in order to attract more people and with it promote Oaxacas’ culture. So on the one hand, more people would get jobs and income, which is much needed, and on the other hand, cultural heritage would be known all around the world.
That seemed to be the deal. Apparently, now that assassin of Ulises Ruiz wants to show the world a culture that he doesn’t understand or more precisely a culture that he wants to kill, since culture belongs to people and Ulises is been killing Oaxacans. One person has died just this monay 16th of July and about 40 more were arrested.
People is very aware of the fact that their culture and traditions are not for sale and that the fact that before there was a unwritten agreement in which all, or nearly all benefited from does not mean that people has to give up their traditions for Ulises to show a Oaxaca that is in ‘peace and working’.
So what is the big problem now? For Ulises the problem is to legitimize himself by showing the rest of the country and the world that Oaxaca has moved on from last year uprisings. For the people the problem is that they want to celebrate what they have been celebrating for centuries, perhaps for more than thousand years, the guelaguetza. So it all comes to one single battle and battlefield: the guelaguetza, the commercial version by the government, and the popular version by the people. That wouldn’t be much of a problem as they could carry on doing them in different places. The problem is, the place: ‘el cerro del fortin’, ‘the small fort hill’ (my own translation) is the problem, and the battlefield.
Next is a list of people arrested in the battle for that hill, and two videos of one of the battles between the people and the police. (taken from http://www.oaxacaenpiedelucha.blogspot.com/)
Video 1
Video 2
List
1.- Roberto Carlos Avendaño Ruiz, 20 años
2.- Melquicedec Pérez Reyes, 19 años
3.- Joaquín Vicente Cruz, 62 años
4.- Juan Manuel Ríos Orozco, 16 años
5.- Eduardo García Hernández, 27 años
6.- Mario Enríquez Martínez, 50 años
7.- Eliel González Luna, 55 años
8.- Héctor Emanuel Cruz Gómez, 22 años
9.- Fernando Victoriano Benítez, 15 años
10.- Jorge Luis Esperón Cortés 36 años
11.- Jesús Aurelio Flores Flores, 32 años
12.- Eloy Antonio Santiago, 67 años
13.- Luciano Victoriano Benítez, 25 años
14.- Rodrigo Moreno Galindo, 17 años
15.- María Guadalupe Sibaja Ortiz, 20 años
16.- Silvia Gabriela Hernández Salinas, 24 años
17.- Belén Areli Hernández Juárez, 20 años
18.- Isabel Martínez Hernández, 19 años
19.- Mario Javier López Herrera, 19 años
20.- René Gómez Ruiz, 23 años
21.- Juan Diego García López, 22 años
22.- Olivo Martínez Sánchez 26 años
23.- Javier Abimael Luis García 15 años
24.- Carlos Hernández López, 17 años
25.- Eleazar Abel Núñez Peña, 26 años
26.- José Francisco García Martínez 20 años
27.- Eduardo Albino Piñón González
28.- Manuel Morales Guamatzi
29.- Francisco Javier Ruiz Pérez, 41 años
30.- Julio Alberto Ortiz López, 39 años
31.- Gonzalo González López, 21 años
32.- Ramiro Díaz García, 29 años
33.- Rodrigo Martínez Antonio, 15 años
34.- Raúl Genaro Hernández López, 49 años
35.- Leonardo Santiago Vásquez, 49 años
36.- Edgar Francisco Ortega Cruz, 21 años
37.- Jorge Luis Martínez, 49 años
38.- Emeterio Merino Cruz ,51 años
39.- Edilbeto Yescas Aguilar
40.- Pablo Pérez Hernández 22 años
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