I hope you’re following the events in Oaxaca–I think that especially for us tan cerca de la frontera (so near the border)what’s going down there and in the rest of Mexico is very important.
I am impressed by the capacity of only marginally armed, large popular groups to not only resist attacks but to sustain themselves and their hope for such a long time.
Could they be a model for us?
I have harped on nonviolent activism here enough but I must say that I am impressed that the large majority of the movement has remained nonviolent enough to inspire me — not purely nonviolent, but perhaps at least as nonviolent as the ANC — and to manage not to escalate their level of armed resistance, despite many
calls/opportunities/justifications to do so. As this article mentions, the police were confronted with a rapid and large mobilization.
Paz–Val Liveoak
The APPO Wins an Important Battle Against the PFP
Narconews
November 3, 2006
Please Distribute Widely
Dear Colleagues,
The situation in Oaxaca continues to change daily. The morning of November 2 brought with it yet another dramatic series of events as the Federal Preventive Police attempted to invade the Autonomous Benito Juarez University, only to be met and repelled by the largest and most firm popular mobilization since their arrival.
Narco News correspondent Greg Berger writes:
“After a six-hour siege on the Benito Juarez Autonomous University, which is the home Radio Universidad, voice of the APPO, the Federal Preventative Police was forced to retreat just moments ago.
“As helicopters, tanks, and scores of armed federal police approached the University campus, “la doctora,” the now famous host of radio APPO, urged the citizens of Oaxaca to rush to the scene to aid in the defense of the campus and particularly, of the radio station.”
Once again, the large volume of reports on the PFP attack and retreat make it difficult to send an alert for each report. We urge you to visit The Narco News Bulletin to read about all the latest events in Oaxaca, as well as other news from around Latin America.
From somewhere in a country called América,
David Briones
Webmaster
The Narco News Bulletin
