Oaxaca Needs International Support!

September 30, 2006 - The below is from Nancy Davies, who is based in Oaxaca and writes frequently on the situation there for Narco News. While the threat of a mass attack has seemed to always be in the air, the situation in recent days has really escalated. Now an attack seems imminent.

APPEAL FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AID
The word I have now is that there are about 5,000 men wearing army uniforms who are not army, but police, culled from other states like Vercruz and Morelia, that is to say, this is a PRI operation, not the federal troops, altho I don't know how our source explains the "naval" helicopters (maybe not?). The "police" are heavily armed, and the attack is supposed to happen around 10:00 PM Oaxaca time. The attack, code name cicloncinco, was revealed by the same person who informed our friend that there would be a drive-by shooting last night, which came true.

Our friend says there are already a lot of PRD people gathered in the zocalo, thousands have gathered, apparently including some foreigners including univision and CNN.

Aid is asked for food, water, telephone lines. Only one radio station is still operating

Our friend told us to stay off the streets. Good friend. The one still operating radio station says, stay calm, not respond to acts of aggression which are provocations. Our friend says the city is "surrounded", not sure what that means.

Anybody who can email should do so, to any addresses you have, phone calls, faxes, etc. (cabascal@segob.gov.mx) the message is "no a la repression, si a la destitucion de Ulises Ruiz."

La Jornada has a live feed running on their site. Please disseminate news however you can.

There is still a chance that this is psychological warfare, very tiring. Doesn't look good right now.

Here is a list of Mexican consulates in the US and Canada:
http://elenemigocomun.net/128

Here are people to email or fax:

VICENTE FOX QUESADA
PRESIDENTE CONSTITUCIONAL DE M?XICO
FAX. + 55 52 77 23 76,
vicente.fox.quesada@presidencia.gob.mx

LIC. CARLOS ABASCAL CARRANZA
SECRETARIO DE GOBERNACI?N
FAX + 55 50 93 34 14,
cabascal@segob.gov.mx

DR. JOS? LUIS SOBERANES
PRESIDENTE DE LA COMISI?N NACIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
FAX + 55 56 81 71 99,
correo@cndh.gob.mx

DANIEL CABEZA DE VACA
PROCURADOR GENERAL DE LA REP?BLICA
FAX: +55 53460908,
ofproc@pgr.gob.mx

LIC. ULISES RUIZ ORT?Z
GOBERNADOR DEL ESTADO DE OAXACA
Fax: + 951 5020530,
gobernador@oaxaca.gob.mx
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http://elenemigocomun.net

Radio APPO: Radio en Linea
http://elenemigocomun.net/133

Oaxaca solidarity list
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/oaxaca

Please forward and re-post this URGENT alert from Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca Facing Imminent Attack
http://elenemigocomun.net/127
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Update on Oaxaca
I am a student from Portland, Oregon and have taken time off for some travelling. Currently I am in Oaxaca City and will be based here for a time.

First I would like to let everyone know that the expected military attack has not yet occurred. There is still time to stop this attack.

Second I want to confirm the presence of military aircraft. Yesterday, Saturday September 30th two government helicopters and one large military airplane circled low above the city. I was in the market adjacent to the zócalo when I heard two helicopters overhead. At first I thought that perhaps the government invasion had begun. I quickly left the market to asses the situation. Overhead were two large helicopters. I do not know enough about aircraft to identify the kind but I find it hard to believe that the helicopters and plane which I saw could be state owned, the aircraft seemed very advanced. The helicopters circled very low. As I was walking to meet a friend at 6:30pm I noticed a military airplane circling the city, again at a low altitude. The people here that I have spoken with believe that this military presence is a form of intimidation as well as a means of surveying the area. Again this morning (Sunday, October 1st) I saw another military helicopter circling the city. However, this time the aircraft was at a much higher elevation.

I cannot emphasize enough the oppressive feeling these flyovers have left on the city.

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In the streets people are re-enforcing the 2000 (or maybe more) barricades installed as popular defense tools.

take a look:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oaxacostyle