1. ATENCO UPDATE
2. LETTER FROM MARCOS TO ADHERENTS OF THE SIXTH DECLARATION
3. TEACHERS DEMAND INCREASED EDUCATION BUDGET
4. BORDER GOVERNORS AGREE TO NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
5. MSN PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS, Contact MSN@MexicoSolidarity.org

1. ATENCO UPDATE
The International Commission for Observation of Human Rights, made up
mainly of European human rights activists, spent the week interviewing
Atenco residents, government officials and human rights organizations, and
trying "unsuccessfully" to visit 27 political prisoners from Atenco
held in two prisons. The Commission's full report is expected in
September. Prison officials also denied visitation rights to family
members and conducted several court hearings in private, both clear
violation of Mexican law. The Special Investigator for Attention to Acts
of Violence Committed against Women (FEVIM) received seven formal
complaints this week from women who were raped or sexually molested by
police during the early May roundups in Atenco. Police officials and
Governor Enrique Pena continued to deny any grave misconduct on the part
of police, and sited the results of lie detector tests conducted in
private as “proof.�

Most of the 27 prisoners held in Santiaguito Prison entered the fourth
week of a hunger strike that has left many in a weakened state. Demands
include release of all Atenco prisoners, justice for those who suffered
rape, beatings and torture, and impeachment of Governor Enrique Pena. The
newly formed organization Women Without Fear – We Are All Atenco
organized a rotating hunger strike and 24-hour vigilance in front of the
prison. Actress Ofelia Medina led the first group of hunger strikers.

In a biting editorial in Friday’s La Jornada, Adolfo Gilly highlighted
the use of sexual violence to attack social movements as a new, and
particularly worrisome, state strategy: “With the police rapes of the
women of Atenco, the violence of the Mexican state surpassed a limit. Of
course, before, the state killed, committed massacres, tortured,
kidnapped, raped and disappeared people. But since Tlatelolco … even
with the assassinations and disappearances of the 70s and successive
years, they had not practiced mass rape of women prisoners as they did
recently in the case of San Salvador Atenco – a collective act of
barbarity that no uniformed officer would commit without orders from
commanders.�

The case of Arnulfo Pacheco Cervantes, arrested in his home in Atenco,
exemplifies the brutal police excesses. Arnuflo is paraplegic. When
police burst into his home early on May 4, his wife tried in vain to
explain his delicate medical condition. Police pushed her aside, beating
Pacheco, who is in his 60s, with batons, and breaking five of his ribs.
In prison he has received no medical attention and his life is at risk
because of internal hemorrhaging from the beatings. Pacheco is accused of
kidnapping and attacks against a public highway. As La Jornada reporter
Hermann Bellinghausen noted, “The most notable thing about Pacheco,
besides his advanced age, is that half of his body has been paralyzed for
a long time and he can barely talk. A person in his state would have
trouble crossing the street, much less ‘attack’ it.�

Last Sunday, more than 50,000 demonstrators organized by the Other
Campaign marched from the US Embassy to the Zocalo, marking the largest
demonstration to date in support of the Atenco prisoners. International
demonstrations increased this week as well, with actions in dozens of US
cities and countries around the world. The Mexico Solidarity Network
encourages supporters to be as public as possible in support of the Atenco
prisoners. Banner drops in public places will keep pressure on the
Mexican government to release political prisoners and prosecute officials
for rape and beatings. Please send photos of your actions to local media
and a copy to the Mexico Solidarity Network. Next week the Mexico
Solidarity Network will begin distributing a new video on Atenco produced
by Promedios, IndyMedia and the Seis de Julio video collective. For more
information, contact MSN@MexicoSolidarity.org.

2. LETTER FROM MARCOS TO ADHERENTS OF THE SIXTH DECLARATION

By Subcomandante Marcos
The Other Mexico

[translation by NarcoNews / The Other Journalism]

May 30, 2006

To all adherents of the Sixth and the Other:
Companeras and companeros:

As you may already know, in the Assembly of May 29th we presented a
proposal for an Action Plan. Because of the weather and that some friends
from various states had to get going, we explained it only briefly there.
We think it, therefore, a good idea to explain the proposal in a bit more
detail, and so we send along here these thoughts. Alright, then.

1. We, as the Sixth Commission of the EZLN, appreciate that the
mobilizations of May 19th (decentralized) and the march of May 28th (a
centralized concentration) show that the Other Campaign has evolved from
being just a proposal to becoming a national organization with its own
identity.

2. In particular, the May 19th mobilizations (and all those that took
place all over the country throughout the month of May) demonstrate that
the Other Campaign is not dependent on either the Sixth Commission or
Subcomandante Marcos. Those present for the National Assembly of Adherents
of May 29th [for those not present-the majority of adherents-and who have
access to alternative media, we recommend that you connect for example
with Radio Pacheco, Radio Sabotaje, Ke Huelga, Narco News, Indymedia,
among others, where surely they have the recordings of speeches and so
forth of the state delegates' reports] they were able to see that
important things were accomplished in states where the Sixth Commission
hasn't yet passed through (the whole northern part of the country). They
could also see that there were plenty of actions that demonstrated
ingenuity and creativity. That confirmed what we had pointed out when we
let everyone know that the Sixth Commission (and not the Other Campaign,
which is a coalition to which we belong) was staying in one place to push
for the freedom of the prisoners. With or without the Sixth Commission,
the Other Campaign marches on. We could spend a lot of energy reflecting
on whatever you like regarding the Sup's protagonism, devotee-ism,
messianism, or other -isms, but the reality is that without him and
without the EZLN, mobilizations will happen, and successfully, all over
the country.

3. With everything going against it, (a disinformation campaign in the
media, poor or non-existent organization, adverse public opinion, among
other things) members of the "Other" from different states of the Mexican
Republic and from the "Other" on the Other Side, organized in their own
way and on their own clock, in just one week created a national
mobilization with a common aim: freedom for the prisoners of Atenco. All
they had going for them was the conviction of a just cause and the
certainty of knowing themselves to be part of a national
movement-anti-capitalist and from the left. In localities, sub-regions,
regions, and states, adherents organized themselves and completed their
elemental duty, which we have as friends: to support each other, mutually.

4. The May 28th' march in Mexico City was a NATIONAL concentration, and
fundamentally, of the "Other." The majority of those present were, and
are, members of the "Other," committed and raising the flag. Without
set-up transportation, without any support outside the "Other," against
the grain of disinformation, at their own expense, delegates of adherents
from all 32 of this country's states and federal district came together to
one place and one time and with one mission: freedom for our imprisoned
friends.

5. All of this indicates (for the Zapatistas) that the "Other" has passed
through, by its acts, the organizing stage. Although there are still some
important projects ahead regarding defining its profile, the "Other"
already responds as a national organization (in all 32 states), with an
ethic (to not leave the fate of the imprisoned to chance), with high
morals (to super-impose our selves onto the terror that the governmental
action meant to impose in Atenco), and with our capacity to autonomously
and independently mobilize (through both decentralized and concentrated
demonstrations). We think there is a need to continue the discussion of
the six points and, at the same time, to go forward with the organization
of our activities (as our friends have demonstrated across the country).

6. The aggressive response by the political class overall and by the
mighty power of money against the "Other" confirms that we are headed in
the right direction. Up above, they see us as the enemy, and that means
that our fundamental characteristics are clearly defined: anti-capitalist,
from below, to the left, and non-electoral.

7. As the Sixth Commission of EZLN, we thought this was going to take some
time. The aggressive governmental action against the "Other" in Atenco
required us to choose between two options: to retreat or to respond in an
organized way. The "Other" chose to respond, organized, and this afforded
us a profile that otherwise would have taken more time to establish. We
aren't saying either way would have been better or worse, we're only
pointing out that this is how it happened. Without leaders or heads, the
"Other"
responded as a single body all across the national territory.

8. As the Sixth Commission of EZLN, we salute all members of the "Other"
in Mexico and on the Other Side, and we express to you the honor and pride
we have to be your compa~eros.

9. As the Sixth Commission of EZLN, we see that international support in
the fight for freedom and justice for the prisoners of Atenco is very
important. According to what we have been told by our friends in the
Intergalactic Commission, at least 124 actions in 52 cities in 24
countries of the world have taken place. On just the 28th of May, there
were demonstrations in cities such as Rome, Berlin, Toronto, Vancouver,
Havana, Buenos Aires, Mar de Plata, San Francisco, and in other places
that they will tell us of later. As the Sixth Commission of EZLN, we
salute the solidarity actions all over the world that are being made to
happen by men, women, children, and elders of different cultures, colors,
tongues, and ways of life, and we invite the whole "Other" to learn about
these actions in the Zezta Internacional section of our web page.

Based on this evaluation, we are proposing to the entire "Other" in Mexico
and to the "Other" on the Other Side the following plan of action:

1. To maintain the goal of freeing the prisoners and start to move forward
in the organization and building of the "Other" in localities (cities),
sub-regions (counties), regions (provinces), states, sectors, and zones;
and in this way, to go forward in the construction of the "Other
Alternative" for the organization of those below and to the left.

2. To deepen the cultural front, the artistic front, and the
communications front in the fight for those imprisoned.

3. To create a National Commission of Liaison, provisional and with a
single marked and defined assignment. One or two people of every "Other"
work organizing unity (for example like the sub-regions that organized
themselves for the visit of the Sixth Commission) to create a REGIONAL
proposal, and also in the sectors as follows local logic and dynamic.

By "work organizing unity," we understand it as a unity that through its
acts has come together for a purpose like the visit of the Sixth
Commission, or for the actions of May 19th, or to attend a march; or in
other words, that moment in which organizations, groups, collectives, and
individuals come together and agree to make an organized action happen.
What we mean are coordinations or commissions by city, county, state, or
sector. What we propose is that in every state, province, county, city, it
be decided with which part of the "other" it is in their best interest to
stay in direct communication with, by coordination and actions of mutual
support.

For example, perhaps the "Others" in Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche
might decide to communicate and coordinate as a Peninsular Region since
they have similar kinds of issues. Other examples: Regarding the "Other"
in Morelos, should they coordinate with the southerly states, the easterly
states, or the central states? Regarding the Huasteca Potosina Sub-region,
is it in their best interest to get together with San Luis Potosi on the
state level or with the other Huastecas? Should the Huicholes coordinate
with the Jalisco "Other" or with the Durango "Other" or with the Nayarit
"Other" or align themselves only when it is convenient (in time), in
support of themselves and each "Other" group from all of the states in
which their territory stretches? We already saw on the tour, for example,
that in a certain part of Veracruz it made more sense to get together with
a certain part of Hidalgo than with the "Other" of Veracruz. In the end,
what we want to say is that the "Other" has no reason to subject itself to
geographical limits imposed from above, but instead for each to follow
their own historical orientation and organize that-a-way.

What we propose is that every "Other" work organizing unity discuss and
propose with whom it would be in their best interest to create a Region,
in which to learn, share, coordinate, and make agreements. If this is
allright by everybody, then everybody would analyze, discuss, and come to
an agreement where it would be best, and they'd send one or two
commissioned people to get together with everybody else in this
"Provisional Commission of National Networking."

The Provisional Commission of National Networking would then make a
national proposal of "regionalizing" according to the proposals of each
group. So, all the commissioned people would get together and make the
proposal of a new "Other" map and send it out all over to see what
everyone thinks. And after that the Commission of National Networking will
disappear, complying with its Provisional existence. This way, in sum, an
"Other" geography would be made, one from below and to the left.

4. To reaffirm the anti-capitalist and leftward character of the "Other."
The freedom of the imprisoned is right now the highest flag that the
"Other" is flying, but the "Other" is not a solidarity committee with
political prisoners but instead a national movement against the system
that strips us bare, exploits us, looks down on us, and holds us down.

5. To bust into the calendar of those up above with civil and peaceful
organization and demonstration. If those up above intend to pretend that
nothing is going on and have their "holiday" without freeing our friends,
we will put ourselves on their calendar and schedule our demand for that
freedom there.

6. To put a definition forward in opposition to the electoral process:
the alternative isn't to vote for one or the other or to not vote at all;
the alternative is to organize or not, below and to the left. This is to
say that we are not within in the electoral logic, but instead we are in
that of the construction of a movement that truly opposes the capitalist
system.

For the above reasons, it is proposed:

- Local decentralized demonstrations with defined purpose and action.
- Art, culture, and communication for the causes of freedom and justice of
those who fight for social causes.
It is proposed that June 11th be the day that everyone in their own
places, in their own ways, does that.

3. TEACHERS DEMAND INCREASED EDUCATION BUDGET
Teachers affiliated with two teachers unions, the CNTE and Section 22 of
the SNTE, moved into their second week of strikes that has closed
highways, downtown areas and the Oaxaca airport. When teachers from
Section 22, a group opposed to the more conservative branch of the SNTE
lead by Elba Esther Gordillo, closed the Oaxaca City airport form about
twelve hours on Thursday, the PRI faction of the state assembly called for
President Fox to send in the Federal Preventative Police (PFP). Still
smarting from massive human rights abuses committed by the PFP in Atenco
last month, Fox hesitated, claiming logistical problems in mobilizing the
force. On Friday, more than 80,000 demonstrators, including teachers,
students and parents, virtually shut down the center of Oaxaca in the
largest demonstration in the city’s history. Later on Friday, Oaxaca
Governor Ulises Ruiz threatened to dock teacher pay and send in security
forces if the strike didn’t end by Monday.

4. BORDER GOVERNORS AGREE TO NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
Governors from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas agreed to
mobilize National Guard troops this week to bolster border security.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ended a 17-day standoff with the
Bush administration and agreed to send 1,000 National Guard troops for
border duty. Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM), a presidential hopeful in
the 2008 elections, agreed to deploy Guard troops despite his frequently
expressed opposition to the plan. The US$1.9 billion Bush plan calls for
deployment of 6,000 troops to assist mainly with fence building and
administrative duties, with Guardsmen gradually replaced by newly hired
Border Patrol agents by 2008. While the Bush administration has agreed to
foot the bill, paving the way for Governors to sign the agreements,
Congress has yet to approve the measure, known as Operation Jump Start.
House minority leader Phil Lopes (D-NM) was skeptical of the plan:
“Unless you've got people shoulder to shoulder, I don't know that
there's evidence that numbers (of troops or border agents) are going to
have any significant impact. There doesn't seem to be any relationship
between the number of guys and gals patrolling the border in Humvees and
the number of folks crossing the border.�

La Reforma reported this week that polleros (human traffickers) doubled
the cost of undocumented border crossings from about US$2,500 to US$5,000.
In the face of border militarization on the US side, many experts predict
increased corruption among officials on both sides of the border and the
emergence of more sophisticated mafias.

Meanwhile, President Bush spoke on Thursday before the United States
Chamber of Commerce calling for Congress to pass immigration reform that
includes increased militarization of the border, a guest worker program,
identity cards for immigrants, and a limited amnesty for some of the 12
million undocumented workers living in the US. Most immigrant rights
organizations oppose the plan. Stepped up militarization would increase
deaths along the border, the guest worker program would create a second
class group of workers without full labor rights, and the limited amnesty
program leaves more than half of undocumented workers without a clear path
to normalization of their immigrant status. Immigrant identity cards may
be a backdoor way to introduce a national identity card for all US
residents, a long-term goal of the Bush administration. In addition, the
Bush proposal addresses none of the root causes of undocumented
immigration, including unpayable international debt, NAFTA and IMF
structural adjustment programs that leave many of Mexico’s economic
policies in the hands of the US Treasury Department.

5. MSN PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS, Contact MSN@MexicoSolidarity.org

May 28 - July 8: Summer Study Abroad Program. Earn 8 credits studying
Mexican social movements in the context of the July presidential election.

September 10 – December 16: Fall Study Abroad Program. Earn 16 credits
studying Mexican social movements in Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Chihuahua City and
Ciudad Juarez.

Sept 24 – Oct 7: Speaking tour – The Femicides of Juarez and
Chihuahua, and border issues.
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois

Oct 1-14: Speaking tour - Immigrant rights, featuring a representative
from Mexicanos Sin Fronteras
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina

Oct 8-21: Speaking tour - Immigrant rights, featuring a day laborer from
Chicago
Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana

Oct 15-28: Speaking tour – The Femicides of Juarez and Chihuahua, and
border issues.
California

Oct 22 – Nov 4: Speaking tour - Immigrant Rights, featuring an
Ex-Bracero from the Asamblea Nacional de Braceros.
Ohio, Michigan

Oct 29 – Nov 11: Speaking tour – Building autonomy in Zapatista
communities, with a discussion of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva
Lacandona in the context of organizing in the US, featuring a speaker to
be named from Chiapas.
California

Nov 5-18: Speaking tour – Building autonomy in Zapatista communities,
with a discussion of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona in the
context of organizing in the US, featuring a speaker to be named from
Chiapas.
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Nov 26 – Dec 9: Speaking tour – Building autonomy in Zapatista
communities, with a discussion of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva
Lacandona in the context of organizing in the US,featuring a speaker to be
named from Chiapas.
New England

Dec 3-15: Speaking tour – Building autonomy in Zapatista communities,
with a discussion of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona in the
context of organizing in the US, featuring a speaker to be named from
Chiapas.
Washington, Oregon, Vancouver, Idaho, and other parts of Northwest

Alternative Economy Internships - Develop markets for artisanry produced
by women's cooperatives in Chiapas and make public presentations on the
struggle for justice and dignity in Zapatista communities. Interns are
currently active in Fort Collins, OR; Spokane, WA; Alexandria, VA; Grand
Haven, MI; Chico, CA; Sacramento, CA; Stonington, ME; Lancaster, PA; St
Paul, MN; Louisville, KY; San Francisco, CA; Turner, OR; Athens, GA;
Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Guelph, Canada; Davis, CA; Tempe, AZ; and
Madison, WI.