CH'OLES DE TUMBALA

May 18, 1998 - A land concession was solicited to the Secretary of Land Reform (Secretaría de la Reforma Agraria) for the creation of a new population center. This request was published in the Official Newspaper of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación) with the date of November 12th of 1990, recognizing its submission.

January 15th and June 15th of 1992, the authorities, with unfounded reasons and without motivation, rejected the land concession, in the agrarian record.

In 1994, the state delegate of the Secretary of Land Reform in the state of Chiapas, Leyver Martinez Gonzales, emitted a contrary opinion to that of the 1992 rejection, in favor of the people requesting land. “ The creation of a new population center on the form of ejido on the 449 hectares of excess of land in the districts of Chuyipa and Cinco de Mayo, located in the municipality of Palenque, Chiapas should go be granted” This declaration was submitted to the General Direction of Land Tenancy in the Federal District, addressed to the Director of the NCPE (new centers of population in form of Ejidos) who received it with the date of August 31st and September 4, 1994. New technical work determined that the total land area that was going to be affected was of five hundred and thirty two hectares.

On January 23,1995, without competence, the responsible authorities, in a definite manner, resolved the issue and ruled against the land grant, denying the people their land request (similar to the ruling made on June 15th of 1992). Without any competent authority ruling that supports or motivates the legal path, it has been denied their right to regularize those five hundred and thirty two hectares.

January 9, 1999. The support bases formed by the compañeros and compañeras of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation took the land of Ch'oles de Tumbala, reclaiming the land. These bases came from different communities and they settled in the district called Carlos Salinas with a total area of five hundred and thirty two hectares. With daring and human integrity, coherence, autonomy and setting an example, today they are retaking the land that their ancestors have owned throughout history in the region North of Palenque, Chiapas. Facing the corruption and contradictions of the government, in view of the impossibility to alleviate the urgent and basic agrarian rights through the legal paths, they found themselves forced to fight against the violations to their social and cultural rights stated in the Constitution of 1917 in the articles 14, 16 and 27 as well as their collective human rights. These are their ancestral struggles.
The EZLN support bases, on the day they reclaimed the land, they created the documents in the name, Ch'oles de Tumbala, that today show the geographic location of the land and it is shown in the public records. This document was made by the town representative Gregorio Alvaro Cruz, who today is being held prisoner in the jail of Playas Catazaja, accused of looting, kidnapping, among other charges though his work is only making the necessary documentation of the land reclamation.
The land that is being taken, it is being held through peaceful means. It continues to be public and we claim this land is public property. The Good Government Council (La Junta de Buen Goobierno) condemns these aggressions suffered by our support bases belonging to the EZLN because these people's human rights have been extremely violated.
Currently, the government has presented new “old land owners” These people are Moyte Goyado, Rafael Cruz Sanchez and Filiberto…

August 3, 2006. In the settlement of Ch'ol de Tumbala, autonomous Zapatista municipal land in the municipality El Trabajo, at 10:30am, the federal judge from Playas de Catazaja threatened this EZLN base of support. He demanded that people in every house of this town gather their belongings and leave their houses in ten minutes, also asking them for property titles - all of this assuring that there was a federal order. At 11:30 am three cars transporting public officials, another three cars transporting municipal police and three big trucks transporting federal and municipal policemen, and a group of people in civilian dress - in all more than 260 persons participated in the eviction. Three persons were detained, later they were tortured and threatened. They were released after signing documents declaring their “voluntary” departure from their community.

In the first days of October, 2006, l@s compañer@s from EZLN support bases have returned to Choles de Tumbala in a peaceful manner, working in a dignified manner to make the world a better place, taking back their jobs, their land and their culture.
It is not only rumored an imminent eviction, but there are also rumors about the preparation work to make it happen, in conjunction with the constant flyovers by helicopters and airplanes and the secret meetings with the ranchers, the coordinating work of the paramilitary and the deployment of military units to the Palenque military base.

It is worrisome that the atmosphere of public terror that anticipates this repression., but we are prepared to detain these actions by peaceful and humane means. The men and women of integrity willing to stop this, the wrongdoings of the government, through peaceful actions. These actions are urgent in order to have a healthy and peaceful future. Are you with us?
We make a call to stop the repression, even though through legal means are being manipulated and trampled:

· We posses the truth and reason to reject and expose such abuses of power.
· The documentation and condemnation of the abuses by national and international observers
· Caravans of visitors, making press releases condemning the illegal actions of the government
· The public accusation and public meetings. These should be done in a peaceful manner but with the Zapatista determination.
· The radio, posters, graffiti, stencils, internet, flyers, signs, public assemblies, parties, stadiums, markets, schools, etc.

In light of this, we ask for your support, in whatever manner you can, in the following actions:

1. Write letters of protest from various parts of the world to the Mexican Government
2. The collection of humanitarian aid, food, medecine, construction materials, and letters of support for this recuperated land, to be passed through Enlace Civil.
3. Documentation and diffusion of human rights violations, and participation in the civil peace camp by human rights observers. To be consistent with a tourist visa, bring games and carry out recreational and cultural activities, and put on sporting events to share with the Mexican people.
4. Demonstrations, public meetings of protest, consultations, referendums, neighborhood meetings, parties and gatherings to spread the word, etc.
5. Diffusion through whatever medium available (radio, posters, graffiti, stencils, internet, flyers, and banners) how delicate it is to provoke violent actions against the people of Ch'oles de Tumbala.