OIDHO
(Indian Organizations for Human Rights in Oaxaca)

Report to the Second Extraordinary Assembly of
The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO)
June 15-16, 2007

Comrade delegates and counselors, visiting friends:

The Indian Organizations for Human Rights in Oaxaca (OIDHO), an indigenous-peasant social organization struggling for the rights of Indian peoples for more than 15 years and an integral part of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) since its formation, wishes to expound its point of view about certain aspects of our struggle that are of concern to us, but not without first mentioning that our report does not represent the opinions of only a few people or the “line” of some “leaders, but rather is a collective work expressing the feelings of our rank-and-file (base) assemblies.

Unity and Principles of APPO

To begin with, and by way of reply, we wish to strongly reject the anti-democratic attacks that we have been the object of in the previous assembly of APPO, when the “block” made up of the FPR (Frente Popular Revolucionario), FALP (Frente Amplio de Lucha Popular), NIOax (Nueva Izquierda de Oaxaca), sympathizers of CODEMO (Coordinadora Democrático del Magisterio de Oaxaca) and others had the baseness to include in the convening protocol of said assembly a defamatory document against our organization and all the organizations that are part of COMPA (Coordinación Oaxaca Magonista Popular Antineoliberal), a defamation against members of the barricades, VOCAL (Voces Oaxaqueños Construyendos Autonomía y Libertad) and other groups, including the political prisoner and APPO counselor, David Venegas. This document contains the totally unfounded accusation that we are those who seek to divide APPO. The [presentation of] the aforementioned document prevented the functioning of workshops and profoundly damaged the unity of this assembly.

Comrades, this is the old tactic of accusing all those who do not share one’s ideas, a tactic that we repudiate, as we do all attempts to impose a certain position within APPO by making declarations to the press, in the name of APPO, but behind our backs.

Because of this, we reject and will reject strongly all those attempts to turn APPO into a platform for the political ambitions of a few “leaders”—those who speak a lot about class struggle and give lectures about “unity,” but who, through a vicious process full of irregularities, offer themselves the possibility of presenting themselves as candidates, no doubt by agreeing to make use of APPO [in their electoral campaigns].

We have had enough of their poisoning the minds of the rank and file of APPO and of their continuing to act as if they were the proprietors of such an important assembly. Who do they think we are? Vandals, like the government says? A few radicals, as they have calumnied us, accusing us of being responsible for provocations like that of November 25, 2006, in spite of our fulfilling our promise to keep our contingent away from such a provocation? Do they think we are only a few dissidents? Then look at this movement made up of thousands of dissidents: we march; we build barricades; block buildings and roads; we seize and operate radio stations; we organize the base assemblies of our peoples; we defend our struggle everywhere, risking our lives, families, and our livelihoods.

We are indignant at this campaign of lynching, with its false accusations backed by equally false signatures, as we are indignant also at the jeers and insults that these comrades hurl at our delegates and rank and file, contemptuously calling them “hippie pawns.” [the Spanish phrase is “huarachudos acarreados,” a slang expression that is difficult to translate: “huarachudo” comes form “huarache” as in the sandals, and colloquially means “hippie”; “acarreados” literally means “those transported on carts” and refers to the practice of the PRI and other parties in Mexico of transporting supporters to the polls to vote for party lists—it implies that they are passive instruments of the party bosses]

We will never allow ourselves to be used and mistreated in the name of a unity that does not respect our autonomy!

For this reason, we are here, ready to fight alongside all those who honor the principles that this assembly elaborated at its founding congress.

Therefore, we have made a list of some of the basic principles of APPO in order to assert their importance:

Given that it involves, as its name states, the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, we cannot conceive how the delegates of these very peoples can be insulted in their assembly and the assembly of COMO (Coordinadora de Mujeres Oaxaqueñas), which was born out of the struggles of the women of APPO.

APPO is a plural space where different currents of struggle converge, giving itself the task of constructing and consolidating its unity. For this reason, we reject the attempt to marginalize currents that think differently, because this begins to destroy this unity. But we are completely convinced that we must denounce betrayals and murky negotiations, and we have done so, because we cannot remain silent before errors of such magnitude, which put at risk the movement in its totality.

APPO was founded as a response to the massive repression of the despotic Oaxacan regime against social organizations and the communities of Oaxaca. This murderous regime not only has not disappeared, it has now gained a strong ally in the spurious federal government [Calderon]. In view of this situation, we are not in a position where we can risk our unity in exchange for a few candidate slots on an electoral list; and because, as the Oaxacan people, we don’t want it to be too late when we learn that unity is the only way that we have to pursue the battle for a decent life.

Neither should it be forgotten that, within APPO, consensus is one of the agreed priniciples that guarantee that decisions are made in an inclusive and horizontal way. Consensus is what assures that the words and decisions brought by the delegates—who, in many cases, have traveled difficult roads with scarce resources, in order to represent peoples and organizations both local and regional—are heard and validated. Consensus is indispensable in order to guarantee a discussion in depth of different subjects and so that, for the sake of unity, all positions are respected without any discrimination. And the argument that in many indigenous communities “they vote by majority and not by consensus” only shows the intention to diminish traditional and democratic forms of consensus in Oaxaca. For this reason, we see it as absolutely necessary to restore and reclaim these forms. It is not justifiable to argue that through such an effort “we seriously delay the making of decisions and this impedes progress.” We will not allow such authoritarian attitudes to prevail. And the comments about consensus affect us so, because we know that there exists a block within APPO that seeks to make this horizontal and inclusive principle disappear.

It is also a principle of APPO to respect the autonomy of organizations and peoples. In this spirit, we inform you that:

OIDHO emphasizes its opposition to the idea of APPO participating in elections, since our organization arose precisely as a project responding to the incapacity and ineffectiveness of political parties, and since, contrary to what they say, none of these parties has represented a solution to the problems of our indigenous and peasant peoples. For this reason, during more than fifteen years of struggle, our bases (rank and file) have decisively rejected any form of electoral participation. To participate would violate the basic principles of our organization. We do not pretend to assume a radicalized position, as some would have you believe, nor are we the only ones who think this way. It is something we share with hundreds of municipalities in Oaxaca that govern themselves on the basis of usos y costumbres (custom and practice), with all the communities that fight to create popular town councils and autonomous municipalities, and with the majority of the rank and file (bases) of APPO. We have said it until we are worn out that we respect the minority positions of those who believe in electoral processes, but we demand that they do not participate in these in the name of APPO and that their candidates no longer serve as APPO counselors because there is no consensus [concerning this].

[Not translated: Contains details about two OIDHO members who went on a speaking tour of Europe, defending them against charges that they raised money for personal uses.]

In spite of what was said earlier, we continue to believe that as APPO we have a great task ahead, but we urgently need unity to accomplish this. We also believe that what unites us is greater than that which divides us. We all know the situation in this state and the regime that makes us suffer. We all know that our state is governed by a vile boss (cacique) who annuls all constitutional rights. Testifying to this are all the comrades who have been killed for political reasons, those who have suffered all kinds of trouble, our imprisoned comrades and those who are under threat of arrest; for all of them, and for ourselves, we cannot—we must not—back down. It is no doubt difficult to maintain unity, a situation that many times has made us think that it would be better to work uniquely with those with whom we share ideological affinities, as many collectives have done. However, we continue to be convinced that it would be a grave error to take this path, above all because we believe that the enemy is not in our midst, and that the enemy is very strong. And the best weapon with which to confront it is unity.

The struggle for the constitutional rights of the Oaxacan people is a principle of APPO, and we think that this requires that we remain united.

It is evident that the federal government will continue its aggressive neo-liberal policies. Policies that for Oaxacans mean the strengthening of relations between Calderon and the dictator Ulises, ties that have already led to the military-police invasion of our capital, the militarization of our state and the imposition of the Plan Puebla Panama in our regions. The federal regime, although it tries to deny it, is not different from the Oaxacan regime. The reform of the ISSTE [pension plan for public employees] and the threats made by the Secretary of Labor to the teachers of the CNTE—that any worker who protests the pension reform will lose his or her job—clearly show us that we are confronted by an authoritarian regime that does not respect any of the rights of the Mexican people. We must remember that is a principle of APPO to wage a peaceful but determined campaign against neo-liberalism, against exploitation and the selling of our state and country, sufficient reasons that urgently compel us, in spite of our differences, to unite. Whatever discrepancies exist among the leadership elements, the currents and the organizations must supersede them. We must give priority to the search for a decent life for our children, our grandchildren, our peoples, our cultures, our regions, so that what we Oaxacans love most survives.

We want to recall a signifcant act of unification, that which occurred on June 14, 2006, when the Oaxacan teachers and the organizations that then made up the Promotora-Oaxaca suffered one of the worst acts of repression on the part of state authorities in history. However, in spite of the hostile atmosphere maintained by the government, one of the greatest successes of our struggle was the unification of the teachers with the people, which was translated into the formation of APPO. The unity between the teachers and people was consolidated as one of the fundamental principles of APPO, and it must be maintained and strengthened from here onward.

For all these reasons, we make an appeal to the entire rank and file (bases) of APPO to:

Reject the series of defamations that have been made against us, which are no more than a campaign orchestrated on the part of the leaders of the teachers’ union and the FPR in revenge for the accusations of corruption and opportunism—accusations that are solidly based—that we have made against them.

Reject the witch hunt against those who are not partisans of the electoral way and who do not accept that adherents of APPO should utilize this movement to negotiate their own economic and political agendas with the Oaxacan state.

Reject the attempts to convert APPO into an organization with vertical leadership and a single ideological line.

Strengthen and increase the unity of APPO instead of dividing it.

Discuss openly and democratcally all the existing positions and differences in APPO and to not demonize anyone.

On the basis of consensus, agree on a plan of action for the next few months.

Comrades,
We conclude by saying fraternally that OIDHO doesn’t divide anyone, least of all APPO. On the contrary, during many years, we have put a great part of our force at the service of alliances to increase and unify the social struggles in Oaxaca. This can be confirmed by the majority of organizations and the teachers of Oaxaca, except those who falsely accuse us. We do not seek to expel anyone from APPO, but neither will we allow our struggle to be attacked and for us to be placed in the position of the accused, as if we were on trial, when those who violate the principles of this assembly are not us.

Our political position is Magonist, because we do not want to be saddled with leaders, because we reject any post in putrefied institutions, and because we believe firmly in the free organization of peoples. We are adherents of the Other Campaign, because we have thought from the beginnings of our organization that it is possible to make politics in a different way.

We share this hope with thousands of Oaxacans who have participated in this movement and who have believed in APPO as a plural and horizontal organization, and whom we do not want to see defrauded.

For an end to the repression and misery of indigenous peoples!
Victory belongs not to the most powerful but to the best organized!

Freedom for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience!
Long live the struggle of the peoples of Oaxaca!
Out with URO (Ulises Ruiz Ortiz) and Calderon!
No to neo-liberal reforms!

14 June, 2007