Article by Simon Walker
Mudslides and flooding provoked by Hurricane Stan completely destroyed the tiny Zapatista community of Che Guevara earlier this month and buried a woman alive when a landslide overwhelmed one resident’s home.
“We were unable to get her out. She was very ill and could not walk, and the water and earth came, and she was buried there in her room” related José, a community member. She is the only confirmed Zapatista fatality in the wake of the devastating storm, but some of the autonomous communities affected by Stan remain inaccessible.
The 48 Zapatistas left homeless by the tragedy have been given shelte in a small adobe house in Belesario Domínguez, a community along the border with Guatemala in the Sierra region of Chiapas.
According to compañero Roberto, the community received unexpected help while fleeing the storm, “First we went to the kitchen (for shelter), then we went higher up, along the ridge of the hill, and there we defended ourselves for about 10 minutes. And then… we arrived to a place where we were received by a man who is a PRIsta, who treated us very well and gave us food and clothing.”
In general, however, tensions between Zapatistas and PRIstas have intensified in the wake of the storm. The Zapatista refugees initially sought refuge in the church at Belesario Domínguez, but were forced to leave when the PRIstas seeking shelter there complained that hurricane relief was not being sent to the community because of the Zapatista presence. Compañera Guadalupe responded “But the truth is that nothing is arriving for anyone, they just wanted to kick us out.”
The Zapatistas then left the parish and crowded into the house they are currently in, which was offered by a relative of the refugees. Food and medicine sent by the good governing council has begun to arrive, but it’s not sufficient to meet refugee needs.
The buildings and houses of Che Guevara are buried up to their roofs in mud. As in the rest of the region, swollen rivers and torrential rains swept away livestock, crops, trees, bridges, roads and people. Many farmers lost entire fields of coffee plants along with the equipment and facilities necessary to process the little crop that remains in some areas.
Chiapas state authorities estimate they will need at least 15 billion pesos to reconstruct more than 200 bridges, 5,000 kilometers of highways, and 50,000 houses – of which 21,000 are completely destroyed – as well as tending to severely damaged agricultural lands and forest areas. President Vicente Fox has only authorized 8.5 billion pesos for relief and reconstruction efforts in Mexico’s southernmost state.
In a commuinqué dated October 17, Subcomandante Marcos lamented the effects Stan will have on the poor of Chiapas, and the Mexican government’s corrupt and ineffective relief efforts:
“Owing to this catastrophe, the very poorest have been left with nothing, and, in addition to the burden of pain at having lost what little they had, they must now put up with the inability of bad leaders to provide humanitarian aid, politicians using the media to plunder their misfortune and the one (President Vicente Fox) who turns the disaster zones into an election bulletin.”
Marcos noted that many honest non-governmental organizations, social and political organizations, community groups and individuals are working to meet the needs of those affected by Stan. He also requested that those who have subscribed to the “Other Campaign” and others in solidarity with the Zapatistas help to direct and provide aid to refugees, especially in terms of transportation of food and supplies.
Efforts currently underway to gather and send humanitarian aid to Zapatista communities have recently been antagonized by municipal and state police forces. In response, The Good Governing Council of La Realidad recently issued a public denouncement of police intimidation at an aid warehouse in Comitán.
At 1:30 pm on November 6, two officers of the Municipal Police of Comitán arrived at a warehouse where aid for Zapatista support bases was being gathered. They began questioning those working, inquiring as to who were the members of the Good Governing Council, and what the supplies were for. The officers left the warehouse threatening to arrest the workers.
Some minutes later, patrol car P.S. 314 of the Sectoral Police arrived at the warehouse with five officers, one of whom was armed. The asked the workers if they had received permission from the Municipal President of Comitán, Jorge Constantino Kanter, to perform the work at the space.
Considering this to be an attempt at intimidation and obstructing humanitarian aid destined for Zapatista communities, the Good Governing Council of La Realidad “energetically denounce” Pablo Salazar’s state government, as well as Constantino Kanter and the Municipal Government of Comitán.
Sources: La Jornada http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/10/23/040n1est.php
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/11/03/005n1soc.php
Chiapas Indymedia http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.php3?article_id=115600
Zapatista National Liberation Front
http://www.fzln.org.mx/displayarticle1655.html
