MEXICO - Humanitarian Convoy Braves Risk of Attack - Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY, Jun 7 (IPS) - Despite the threat of armed attack, a second humanitarian convoy is attempting to break through a paramilitary blockade of the Triqui indigenous village of San Juan Copala in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.
Two people were killed in late April when an international humanitarian convoy attempted to take basic provisions to the village.
Made up of dozens of human rights activists and observers, journalists and several legislators, the so-called "Peace Caravan" is trying to take food, water and other basic supplies to the 786 people in the village, which declared itself "autonomous" in January 2007.
The convoy, which set out Monday from Mexico City, expects to arrive there on Tuesday.
"We hope the convoy will help change the situation in San Juan Copala," Jorge Albino, a spokesman for the autonomous village, located 600 km south of the Mexican capital, told IPS by phone.
The group, accompanied by observers from the National Human Rights Commission, a state body, is escorted by the Oaxaca state police. ]…] Mexican and international human rights organisations, as well as seven members of the European Parliament and two members of the German parliament, have urged the authorities to provide the convoy with protection, to avoid another attack and to allow the vehicles to reach the village.
Representatives of San Juan Copala have also asked the federal and state governments for protection.
"Rather than being dismantled, paramilitary groups in Mexico continue functioning as a permanent preventive counterinsurgency mechanism," José Sierra, an expert on military affairs, wrote in the current issue of the Mexico City magazine Contralínea. Human rights groups are on the alert to any incident that might occur.]…] At the same time, splits within the Triqui community have long been common in this region, although they have grown worse since the 1970s, when the indigenous communities created "El Club", a group that later became the Triqui Movement of Unification and Struggle. That group later divided, giving rise to MULTI, which controls the autonomous San Juan Copala municipality.
Made up of dozens of human rights activists and observers, journalists and several legislators, the so-called "Peace Caravan" is trying to take food, water and other basic supplies to the 786 people in the village, which declared itself "autonomous" in January 2007.
The convoy, which set out Monday from Mexico City, expects to arrive there on Tuesday.
"We hope the convoy will help change the situation in San Juan Copala," Jorge Albino, a spokesman for the autonomous village, located 600 km south of the Mexican capital, told IPS by phone.
The group, accompanied by observers from the National Human Rights Commission, a state body, is escorted by the Oaxaca state police. ]…] Mexican and international human rights organisations, as well as seven members of the European Parliament and two members of the German parliament, have urged the authorities to provide the convoy with protection, to avoid another attack and to allow the vehicles to reach the village.
Representatives of San Juan Copala have also asked the federal and state governments for protection.
"Rather than being dismantled, paramilitary groups in Mexico continue functioning as a permanent preventive counterinsurgency mechanism," José Sierra, an expert on military affairs, wrote in the current issue of the Mexico City magazine Contralínea. Human rights groups are on the alert to any incident that might occur.]…] At the same time, splits within the Triqui community have long been common in this region, although they have grown worse since the 1970s, when the indigenous communities created "El Club", a group that later became the Triqui Movement of Unification and Struggle. That group later divided, giving rise to MULTI, which controls the autonomous San Juan Copala municipality.
Mexique – Un convoi humanitaire affronte le risque d’une attaque - http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51744
Emilio Godoy
Emilio Godoy
Mexico – 7 juin 2010 – IPS – Bravant les menaces d’une riposte armée, un deuxième convoi humanitaire essaiera de forcer le blocage paramilitaire du village Triquis San Juan Copala dans l’Etat de Oaxaca du sud du Mexique.
Deux personnes ont été tuées au mois d’avril au cours d’une tentative d’envoi de ravitaillement de base par un groupe d’aide humanitaire internationale vers le village.
Composée d’une douzaine d’activistes de protection des droits de l’homme, de journalistes, d’observateurs et de quelques juristes, la bien nommée « Caravane de la Paix » tente d’apporter de la nourriture, de l’eau et autres fournitures de base aux 786 villageois qui ont proclamé leur ‘indépendance’ en juin 2007.
Le convoi parti lundi de la ville de Mexico devrait atteindre le village mardi. « Nous espérons que le convoi contribue à améliorer la situation des villageois à San Juan Copala » disait Jorge Albino à IPS au téléphone, porte-parole du village indépendant situé à 600 km au sud de la capitale.
Le groupe, accompagné par des observateurs de la Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme, une organisation gouvernementale, est escorté par la police de Oaxaca. ]…] Les organisations de protection des droits de l’homme internationales et mexicaines ainsi que sept membres du Parlement Européen et deux membres du Parlement Allemand ont exhorté les autorités d’assurer la sécurité du convoi pour éviter une autre attaque et pour permettre aux véhicules d’atteindre le village. Les représentants du village ont eux aussi demandé la protection des autorités fédérales et gouvernementales.
« Plutôt que d’être démantelés, les groupe paramilitaires au Mexique sont maintenus dans leur fonctionnement afin de contrer les insurrections, » écrit Jose Sierra, expert des affaires militaires, dans le magazine actuel de la ville de Mexico, Contralinea. Les groupes de protection des Droits de l’Homme restent alertés pour qu’aucun incident n’ait lieu.
]…] « Paradoxalement et en même temps, des scissions au sein de la communauté Triquis sont fréquentes dans cette région et empirent depuis les années 1970 au cours desquelles les communautés indigènes ont fondé ‘El Club’, un groupe qui deviendra plus tard le Mouvement de Triquis pour l’Unification dans la Résistance. Ce groupe se scindait encore pour permettre l’émergence du MULTI qui contrôle la municipalité autonome de San Juan Copala.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire