CPTnet
December 20, 2001
CHIAPAS UPDATE: November 11-December 10, 2001
November 11
Chenalho County
The team visited the municipalities of Yashgemel and
Colonia
Puebla, in preparation for an upcoming delegation.
People in
Puebla were dealing with rumours of a potential
Zapatista attack
on their community on October 29 or 30, and the
accusation of
witchcraft against one of their pastors. (See
forthcoming
release, “Sorcery and Politics.”)
November 12
Chenalho
The team stopped in the Autonomous Community of Polho
to
set up a visit for the delegation. They were not able
to set up a
visit at the Majomut military base. In the evening the
team had a
meeting with the Mesa (the governing bodyof the
Abejas) in
Acteal, regarding the creation of a non-violent
response
team and the upcoming delegation.
November 13
Chenalho
Team members arrived in Tzajalchen, and had a rugged
hike to
the milpa (cornfield) of an Abejas member. In the
evening, the
team met with two Abejas regarding the idea of setting
up a
non-violent response team, which community members
thought
was a good idea
November 14
Chenalho
The team traveled from Tzajalchen to Nuevo Yibiljoj,
stopping
in at Majomut to visit the military there to get an
answer
regarding the request for a delegation visit.
Although the
military assured the team that the base was solely a
social labour camp (which the Mexican military says
provides
social services to the local residents) residents know
that this is
the primary military base of the municipality, with a
large
number of troops and vehicles.
November 15
Chenalho
The team traveled to X’oyep, and on the way stopped in
at the
base in Majomut. They again received no response
regarding
the request for a meeting with the delegation. In
X’oyep, the
team visited with an original community member (i.e.,
someone
who lived there before there was a refugee camp) , who
has had
close connections with the team. While helping to
clean yucca,
the team discussed preparations for the delegation and
the idea
of the non-violent response team.
November 18-19
San Cristobal de las Casas (SCLC)
The team worked on last minute plans for the SCLC
component
of the delegation, along with the orgnaization
Cloudforest
Initiatives. On the 19th, in the afternoon, the team
was visited
by John Worrell and Linda Ammons, who have
worked in Palestine and and were part of a CPT Hebron
delegation several years ago.
November 20
San Cristobal (SCLC)
Angie Freeman and Cliff Kindy had a visit from Alicia
Gomez
(SERPAJ), who shared that six people who had been
instrumental in perpetrating the Acteal massacre,were
released
from prison on November 17. Four of the six returned
to the
village of Los Chorros.
November 21
San Cristobal/Los Chorros
Kindy, along with John Worrell and Linda Ammons, left
early
for Los Chorros to check on the current situation, and
determine
if the delegation should shift plans to go there. From
the visit,
they learned that the ex-prisoners were afraid to
leave their
houses, and that the whole community was scared.
November 22
Acteal
The team and delegation attended the monthly memorial
service
in Acteal. The team had a positive meeting with Mesa
members,
who encouraged the team to visit other non-violent
groups in
other parts of Chiapas.
November 23
Polho
The team and delegation had a meeting with coffee
cooperative,
Maya Vinic, where they heard about the the problem of
low
coffee prices and plans of the cooperative. On the
way to Polho,
they stopped in at the Majomut Military Base for an
unscheduled
visit and conversation. The military did not want to
meet with
the group but acknowledged the earlier attempts to set
up a
meeting.
November 24
Polho/Puebla/Yashgemel
The delegation heard from a community member in Polho
about
the history and philosophy of the autonomous community
before
the team accompanied delegation members to Puebla and
Yashgemel. The delegation started planning an action
that
would involve buying coffee at a fair price and taking
it to
Nestle to be sold.
November 25
Puebla/Yashgemel
Kindy, along with delegation member Randy Meyer,
traveled
overland to Los Chorros to talk about the possible
action and
potential for a visit with the ex-prisoners, making
sure to talk
with both Abejas groups there. The delegation and
team learned
of the economic hardship and food shortage the
returned
communities are facing.
November 27
Los Chorros
The team and delegation work through details of the
action.
By night, the first of the coffee started coming for
the action and
prayer (See December 3 release, “Paying the Price of
Justice.”)
November 28
SCLC
The team, delegation, and coffee made their way back
to SCLC.
Freeman and Kindy had an evaluatory check-in, and made
the
decision to start the process of closing the project
in Chiapas
(See December 10 release, “A light on the future and
an
invitation to pray.”)
November 29
SCLC
The team began preparations to close the CPT Chiapas
project,
as the delegation prepared for the action at Nestle.
November 30
Chiapa de Corzo/SCLC
The team, delegation and coffee traveled to the Chiapa
de Corzo
(near Tuxtla) to request that Nestle buy coffee at a
fair price.
(See December 7 release, “From Los Chorros to
Nestle.”) The
delegation left to return to their home countires.
The action was
not covered by television because ex-Beatle George
Harrison’s
death dominated the news.
December 1-2
SCLC
The team started visits to NGOs and partners to let
them know
of the decision to close, and were met with
understanding and
support. The Nestle action was covered in ‘Expreso
Chiapas’.
December 3
Acteal
The team traveled to Acteal to meet with the Mesa
regarding the
project closing. The Mesa was conducting elections
when the
team arrived.
December 4
Los Chorros
The team shared stories and pictures from the Nestle
action with
both groups of the Abejas. Plans to meet with the
released
prisoners fell through.
December 6
Acteal
The team accompanied MCC country representative, Sara
King,
and four others people to Acteal for the day. The
team received
a letter of introduction from the Abejas for upcoming
meetings
with other non-violent groups in Chiapas.
December 7
Bachajon/Palenque
Team traveled first to Bachajon (near Ocosingo) to
meet with
members of Jyomblej, an indigenous, non-violent group
and
made connections for future visits.
December 8
Palenque/Ocosingo
Team found the office of the Xi’nich (The Ants),
another
non-violent group, and learned of another, the ORCAO
in
Ocosingo, which they also visited.
December 9-10
SCLC
Freeman and Kindy work on the final steps of closing
the project
for an interim period of three months