“A Voice Cries Out for Justice; May all of Humanity Hear Itself in our Cry”: Elisa

Members of the Morelia, La Garrrucha, and Roberto Barrios caracoles present the work-table topics on Indigenous autonomy: health, education, women, collective work and self governance

By Juan Trujillo, Special to The Narco News Bulletin

July 29, 2007

Morelia, Chiapas, July 21, 2007. The second Encuentro of Zapatista communities and the communities of the world continues on its course in this caracol called “The Whirlwind of our Words” in the Tzojchoj and Tojolabal ethnic region. The activities organized by Zapatista support bases, local and municipal authorities were formally inaugurated last Sunday, before more than two-thousand people, with an opening welcome from Elisa, member of the autonomous municipality Ernesto Che Guevara, Ofelia, member of the Good Government Council (JBG) of this caracol, and Comandante Zebedeo of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Afternoon fell in this corner of the Chiapaneco geography; the cool came down from the two mountains cloaking this rebel space, while militiapersons descended the left hand side of the mountain giving way to members of the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee General Command of the EZLN; through the commentary and bustle of the participants the night listened, as Lieutenant Colonel Moises, Comandante Zebedeo, and Subcomandante Marcos made themselves present for the welcoming. Rain and a slight chill intermittently refreshed the visitors from more than 80 countries: hundreds of collectives and social organizations, sympathizers, members of the Other Campaign and adherents of the Sixth Declaration of the Lancandon Jungle (La Sexta).

In one of the chairs, this columnist exchanged words with Oligario, a support base who, since 1987, has actively participated in the movement along with his wife Monica and his family originally from Altimirano. “It is really important for the Sexta and the Other Campaign that people from all over the world,” he explains.

In the pavilion, soldiers, comandantes, and support bases appeared behind Mexican and Zapatista flags. Compañera Elisa, a support base, gave the formal welcome declaring, “these are the rebel territories and with a blazing and rebellious heart we welcome you, you who are here with us, as we walk, writing the history that we deserve.”

Before of an attentive audience, Elisa recognized “the rebellious and conscious individuals” and went on to say, “A voice is crying out for justice, from every place where there is struggle… may all humanity hear itself in our cry.”

For her part Ofelia, member of the Good Government Council, commented with notable emotion, that “the most important thing is to unite our struggles and thoughts against the capitalist system that continues to steal our labor. Our voice and our struggle is one that as we walk we learn and as we walk we teach… so that we can recuperate what the system has stolen from us.” Finally, she asked all the participants for “concentration, respect and discipline in the activities of the Encuentro.”

In the name of the EZLN, Comandante Zebedeo said that the 2, 335 attendees in this caracol come from: “Without nation,” Argentina, Australia, Austria, Basque Country, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, England, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Luxemburg, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The collectives and identities that come together reflect the ample spectrum represented in the multicolor cloth that Comandante Ramona gave to the Other Campaign in September of 2005: Zapatistas, Anarchists, Communists, punks, Libertarians, homosexuals, lesbians, transgender, nationalist organizations from the Basque country and Cataluña, the world organization Via Campesina, other organizations from Latin America, as well as indigenous Venezuelans.

With these words and with a multicolored and popular folk dance the Encuentro activities in this Tzetzal and Tojolabal Zapatista caracol were inaugurated.

Originally published in Spanish July 25
Translation: Tessa Landreau-Grasmuck