Oaxaca Situation Intensifies -- Leftists Ejecting Government Officials from Offices (Translation)

El Universal ( Mexico City ) ^ | October 18, 2006 | Jorge Octavio Ochoa ( translated by self )

[StJacques]

APPO begins evacuating government offices

Brigades of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca are carrying out tours of [government] premises to remove personnel. Reporting marches in support of Governor Ulises Ruiz.

Jorge Octavio Ochoa / Correspondent
El Universal (Mexico City)
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
Wednesday 18 October 2006

1:30 p.m. -- Brigades of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) began tours of government offices around 1:00 p.m. to evacuate all personnel who work there.

The first point which they visited was the Secretary General of Government, on República road, and afterwards they moved to the Central Archive, located on Violeta and Naranjo streets, in the Reforma suburb.¹

Meanwhile, there are reports from varying parts of the state that [Oaxacans] are beginning to organize around 25 marches in an equal number of district councils, in support of Governor Ulises Ruiz.

It appears the marches are organized by members of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

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Translator's Note:

¹ These are offices of the government of the Mexican State of Oaxaca, not the federal government.

[StJacques]

It appears that things are starting to heat up in Oaxaca again. There are some interesting reports coming out of the state which, in my opinion, seem to indicate that the local population is starting to side against APPO and the striking teachers of the SNTE and, however distasteful the proposition may be, some of them are gravitating towards supporting PRI Governor Ulises Ruiz.

There is evidence that local communities and suburbs in the vicinity of Oaxaca City are organizing neighborhood watches and operating as vigilantes to protect themselves. It was reported that two criminals were detained by neighborhood organizations in two suburbs of Oaxaca City and the local residents made clear that they were not affiliated with APPO in any way. They did turn the two suspects over to an APPO brigade which showed up to collect them and take them to the city center, but the larger complaint of the locals as reported by El Universal was of the disappearance of government powers, leaving them abandoned. That is not a pro-APPO statement by any means.

The organizing of the 25 local marches in support of Ulises Ruiz, as reported above, may be what is really stirring things up right now. APPO and the SNTE have pretty much had everything their own way for the last couple of months at least, and it now appears that Oaxacans are beginning to stand up to them. This could be a possible motivation for APPO's decision to seize the local government offices. Since the Mexican federal government will not remove Ulises Ruiz and with the signs of a PRI resurgence appearing in the organizing of the marches, APPO may be moving to take matters into their own hands to forestall a reassertion of power by the PRI.

I wish I could project what is about to happen, but I will only say that this appears to be a much more serious development on the ground in Oaxaca in that APPO is now actively moving against the government and seizing its offices. I do not think this falls under the heading of "protest" any longer. This is an attack on the law itself. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

[StJacques]

A Mexican Left Watch ping for you all.

[Lowell]

Someone take notes! We may have to do this in Washington.

[redgolum]

Sounds like a mini revolt. Not that I haven't dreamed of kicking out some in the state capital..

[rovenstinez]

President Fox remains committed to a promise that he will deliver to his Calderon successor a peaceful country, with no part of the country boiling in turmoil. I wonder how he plans to do this without some intervention of force?

[Nathan Zachary]

Then I guess it's only a matter of time before the army is going to have to restore order.

This is how leftists think a democracy works, "If we don't get in via an election, we'll riot and take over the government, create a 3rd world hell hole, then blame everyone else for the stink and poverty we've created."

It's hard to imagine Mexico getting worse, especially since it has been getting a little better, but trust Socialists to make it so.

[Texan5]

Uh oh-I pray that nothing worse comes of this.

[Ben Mugged]

Mexican State of Oaxaca, not the federal government

Secession? Is the Mexican civil war starting?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

So what do the gubmint officials say after being evicted from their buildings:

Oaxa-ppened?

[needlenose_neely]

I bet Hugo Chavez has his hands in this.

[BlackElk]

Nothing wrong there in Oaxaca that summary mass executions by Mexican government machetes cannot cure, starting by taking the head of Obrador and displaying it on a pike.

Viva Cristo Rey!

[Ben Mugged]

Mexico better figure out how to develop a middle class quick or the pobrecitos are going to eliminate the upper class with extreme prejudice.

[BlackElk]

If Ugo has his hands in this, apply government machetes to remove them and then take his head. Then get a few patriots to make a comedy about Ugo and the "revolution." Call it "Oaxaca does UGO!!!"

Songbook:

"Don't Cry for Me, Fidelistas!"

"The Mexican Head Dance"

"El Cucaracha"

[struggle]

I actually translated a journal publication of a Japanese professor interviewing the pro leftist-indigenous groups in Oaxaca, etc. It was very interesting, and you could tell people were fed up with PRI and were really falling hook, line , and sinker for all the leftist garbage that the NGOs and so on were feeding them. PRI was also feeding them garbage as well - so it was either be screwed by liberals or by leftists.

It's sad there weren't any conservative groups thriving there.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

[fieldmarshaldj]

You soooo bad. ;-)

[Enterprise]

Bump!!

[Right Wing Assault]

How is 'Oaxaca' pronounced?

[BunnySlippers]

I'll bet they have killed off their highest source of revenue: Tourism.

I was there during a mob riot when one person was basically lynched. The rioters plastered every wall in the zocalo with graffiti. Overnight the town had every bit of graffiti painted by the time I went out for breakfast the following morning.

[RightWhale]

Is there something in the water in Oaxaca that causes revolutionary activity?