jp

By Nancy Davies
Commentary from Oaxaca
January 15, 2007

On Tuesday, January 9, the Supreme Court of Mexico decided that the Oaxaca state legislature could not vote itself an extra year in office. Given this denial of “self-prorogation�, the “ordinary� elections for state legislators will be held the first Sunday in August of 2007. The newly elected legislators will take office on November 13, for a three year term.

Mexican elections are done in a double way; that is, there is a direct majority vote, plus there is a proportional vote, for which the political parties maintain a list of available people who are then assigned posts according to the number of votes their party gains. A legislator need not live in the area s/he represents. To that, add the fact that the majority of Oaxaca communities vote without any political parties (usos y costumbres), but somehow their non-affiliated representatives must be attributed to a party in order to take their seats.

Almost 13 Years After the Armed Uprising, Achievements of the Autonomous Governments Are Illustrated

By Hermann Bellinghausen
La Jornada
January 12, 2007

Oventic, Chiapas, MX. December 30, 2006: One day before the 13th anniversary of its armed uprising, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) welcomed followers from 30 countries, all adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, which Lt. Colonel Moisés, in name of the “Zezta Internazional,� called “an encounter of resistances and rebellions against global capitalism and neoliberalism, which has prepared for and planned the death and destruction of humanity and the natural environment.� Or, how to prepare ourselves and continue organizing to resist and combat the “common enemy� of humanity.

By Nancy Davies
“A Personal View�
January 11, 2007

So first I had to do errands. I walked past Santo Domingo. Surprise, surprise, all access is blocked with police and iron barricades. I spoke innocently with one policewoman (not helmeted, but wearing a bulletproof vest) and asked her why the barricade? For the march. No entry to the Santo Domingo area, despite church permission for the marchers. The policewoman asked me if I wanted to enter the street, and I replied, “No, thanks. It’s supposed to be intimidating to have so many police, and it is – it’s me they’re intimidating.� She replied, if you see many police, that means security. I responded, if I see many police, that means a high crime area. (I didn’t say police crime.) But isn’t it ugly?