On 20 July in the cultural center Tierradentro in San Cristóbal de Las Casas was held a press-conference regarding the present situation of those affected by the blockage of the Grijalva River in November 2007. The victims denounce that the government has not attended to their case fairly and that it has used their situation of vulnerability to implement its own agenda. Furthermore they denounce the repression of the social movement, referring to the arbitrary detention of several comrades during a protest on 4 July last.
The press-conference mentions that “there have passed more than three years of disaster that caused the the community of Juan de Grijalva to disappear entirely, and until now, beyond giving the state-government the perfect opportunity to launch the ambitious Rural Cities project, confrontations have been generated among the affected communities in place of resolving problems. Residents have been dispersed and the repression of social movements continues, as does the situation of prisoners […]. On 4 July 2010 in light of the social mobilizations carried out in the municipalities of Tecpatán and Frontera Comalapa, the authorities responded brutally, utilizing the repressive apparatus they have available. In these arbitrary preventions prevailed the excessive use of force, abuse of authority, and torture. The most representative cases of both operations is that of Messrs. Juan JIMÉNEZ LÓPEZ and Santos SALAS VÁZQUEZ. Vázquez was burned on both elbows with a lighter by his captors; no advance has been had in the investigation currently carried out by the Prosecutor on Crimes Related to Public Servants.”
For more information (in Spanish):
Invitación a rueda de prensa (LIMEDDH)
Audios de la rueda de prensa (Radio Zapatista)
Desplazados del tapón de Grijalva, víctimas de inseguridad alimentaria (La Jornada del Campo, 16 de julio)
Comunicado de prensa (19 de junio)
Para más información de SIPAZ: