Photo: @radiopozol

On October 7th, Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez, Marichuy, registered as an independent candidate for the Presidency of the Republic in her role as spokeswoman for the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) and the Indigenous Council of Government (IGC). She announced that her campaign will be done with collective support, so she will not receive money from the National Electoral Institute (INE)

According to Milenio newspaper, the National Indigenous Council stated that “after the countless racist and classist acts, we have managed to fulfill all the requirements that the electoral law and the INE structure, built by the members of the institutional parties, impose to prevent that a person from below, a woman and indigenous, can aspire to the independent candidacy to the Presidency.”

La Jornada newspaper reported that she advanced some of the contents of her proposal explaining: “As a woman, as a mother, as a worker, I also tell you that we must fight against machismo.” She called for “organizing those pains and rages” of the population. “For them, the people below do not exist and we have to organize ourselves, to end this capitalist, patriarchal and racist system.”

It is worth remembering that in May 2017, the indigenous peoples of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) formed an Indigenous Council of Government (IGC) and elected Marychuy in San Cristobal de Las Casas as spokesperson, stating at that time that she would be their independent candidate for the presidency of Mexico, with the support of the EZLN.

For more information in Spanish:

‘Marichuy’ se inscribe como aspirante independiente a la Presidencia. (La Jornada, 7 de octubre de 2017)

Marychuy llega a su registro ante el INE arropada por EZLN. (La Razón, 8 de octubre de 2017)

Indígenas eligen a su vocera y aspirante presidencial para 2018, ¿quién es y quién la respalda?. (Animal Político, 29 de mayo de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Nacional / Chiapas: El CNI conforma su Concejo Indígena de Gobierno y elige a su vocera. (SIPAZ, 31 de mayo de 2017)

Nacional: “La ofensiva de arriba, ante el movimiento de abajo”, comunicado del CNI anuncia agudización de la represión. (SIPAZ, 17 de junio de 2017)

Chiapas : Allanamiento y robo de información a integrante de Semilla Digna, parte del CNI. (SIPAZ, 6 de agosto de 2017)