The Narco News Bulletin

Compañeros of Huitepec Continue to Be Harassed and Threatened by Government Authorities

The Good Government Council of Oventik asks Adherents to the Other Campaign for Solidarity and to Remain Attentive

By The Good Government Council
Central Heart of the Zapatistas in Front of the World

November 16, 2006
This report appears on the internet at http://www.narconews.com/Issue43/article2345.html

TOPIC: DENOUNCEMEMT

TO PUBLIC OPINION
TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS
TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETIES

The Good Government Council (JGB in its Spanish Initials), "Central Heart of the Zapatistas in Front of the World," with headquarters in Oventik, Caracol number 2, Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico.

With this denouncement we are making public knowledge of the following:

As the Good Government Council of this region, we publicly denounce that our comrades in the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) in the community of Huitepec Ocotal of Section 2, municipality of San Cristobal de Las Casas, continue to be harassed and threatened by government authorities.

On October 30th of this year, representatives of the Republic's Attorney General's Office (PGR) arrived in the community of Huitepec Ocotal in a white truck asking for Juan and Pedro, the names that our EZLN comrades gave when they were detained by municipal and sectoral police who were accompanied by the Attorney's office of Federal Environmental Protection on September 8th this year, after claiming a piece of land that belongs to them ancestrally.

On November 3rd, the same PGR truck returned, again asking for Juan and Pedro. On this occasion the PRI (Revolutionary Institutional Party) authorities in the community told them which houses belonged to the men.

On Monday November 6th, a lawyer from Fray Bartolome's Center for Human Rights investigated the matter by going to the PGR to find out what had happened. The PGR informed him that Juan and Pedro would have to present themselves on November 8th at 10:00 am to declare their legal processes before the second district judge with headquarters in CERESO El Amate in Cintalapa, Chiapas. For these reasons we now consider our friends in danger of being detained yet again.

In this public denouncement, September 27th 2006, this Good Government Council in the Highlands of Chiapas declares the innocence of our comrades that were detained on September 8th. Therefore there is no need to continue with any trial or dependence. In addition, the 15,000 pesos they paid as bail, in total 30,000 pesos, should be returned to these adherent comrades of the Sixth Declaration and the Other Campaign of San Cristobal de las Casas, matters that until now haven't been fulfilled. On the contrary, our comrades of the fore-mentioned community continue to be persecuted and threatened by government authorities.

We ask that our compañeros and compañeras, and everyone else in solidarity with and adherent to the Other Campaign of JOVEL (San Cristobal de las Casas), to remain attentive.

Translation by Chiapas Peace House