On April 2nd, the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) launched the Call for the Constituent Assembly of the Indigenous Government Council for Mexico. In the second stage of the Fifth CNI, held from December 29th-31st, 2016 and January 1st, 2017, they had agreed to “CALL the authorities, representatives, delegates and councilors appointed by the peoples, nations, tribes, neighborhoods, communities and indigenous organizations that participate in the CNI to the celebration of the: CONSTITUTIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENT COUNCIL FOR MEXICO.” They announced that this assembly will be held from May 26th-28th at the Indigenous Center for Integral Training (CIDECI-UNITIERRA) in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

In addition, on April 4th, 38 people from the Purepecha indigenous community of Arantepacua, Michoacan, were arrested “by members of the Michoacan police in the midst of the land dispute between communities in the municipalities of Uruapan and Nahuatzen.” To push for the release of the 38 community members arrested, the town demonstrated the following day blocking the Arantepacua-Nahuatzin road. Another group traveled to the city of Morelia to learn about the legal status of the detainees. “The reaction of the government of Silvano Aureoles was to send a convoy of more than 70 units with elements of the Special Operations Group of the Michoacan Police to Arantepacua community where, with teargas and firearms, they began the persecution of the population, including women and children. They ransacked homes and as reported by the community spokesman, from the events (…) there are four villagers dead, ten injured.”

In response, the CNI and the EZLN denounced the repression against the Purepecha community and the “betrayal” of the Michoacan government to “not allow dialogue to solve a long-standing agrarian conflict” in a joint communiqué. The CNI and EZLN stated that “bad governments think that spreading terror in the indigenous territories of Michoacan and much of the national geography is how they are going to silence the people and their word, but that will not happen, the word that the indigenous peoples today shout collectively is born precisely of the indignation, being fed up and the decision to not allow themselves to be killed, dispossessed, divided or bought.” In addition they said that, “your pain for the murder of your compañeros is ours. We fight because we have the certainty that the punishment of the guilty will arise from the dignity, resistance and rebellion of our peoples.”

Meanwhile, from April 12th-15th the seminar of critical reflection “THE WALLS OF CAPITAL, THE CRACKS OF THE LEFT.” will be held at CIDECI-UNITIERRA. Registration is from Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 at 10:00 am at the same venue.

For more information in Spanish:

Convocatoria a la Asamblea Constitutiva del Concejo Indígena de Gobierno para México (Enlace Zapatista, 2 de abril de 2017)

Comunicado conjunto del CNI y el EZLN denunciando la represión contra la comunidad Purépecha de Arantepacua, Michoacán. (Congreso Nacional Indígena, 6 de abril de 2017)

Comunicado conjunto del CNI y el EZLN denunciando la represión contra la comunidad Purépecha de Arantepacua, Michoacán. (Enlace Zapatista, 6 de abril de 2017)

La comunidad indígena de Arantepacua víctima de la violencia del gobierno de Michoacán (Desinformémonos, 6 de abril de 2017)

“El mal gobierno de Silvano Aureoles los traicionó e impidió el diálogo con los comuneros”: CNI y EZLN (Desinformémonos, 7 de abril de 2017)

“No nos confundan, no pretendemos competir con los partidos políticos porque no somos sus palabras mentirosas y perversas”: Congreso Nacional Indígena (Desinformémonos, 11 de abril de 2017)

LOS MUROS ARRIBA, LAS GRIETAS ABAJO (Y A LA IZQUIERDA). (Enlace Zapatista, 14 de febrero de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas/Nacional : Candidata presidencial “no es decisión de una persona” (Subcomandante Moíses) (15 de noviembre de 2016)

Chiapas / Nacional : CNI y EZLN realizarán consulta para nombrar a una candidata indígena hacia las elecciones presidenciales de 2018 (15 de octubre de 2016)