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Zapatista Red Alert

Is EZLN Preparing New Turn?

Thursday 23 June 2005

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The commanding Clandestine Indigenous Revolutionary Committee has called a Chiapas-wide "Red Alert". In three communiques Subcommandante Marcos seems to indicate a major political-organisational turn by the EZLN is in the offing. The movement has taken important steps to ensure the security of key supporters, including moving the leadership of the autonomous municipalities into the selva, closing down the Zapatista Information Centre and also closing Radio Insurgente.

The statements indicate the Zapatistas have summoned their base community leaders and their soldiers to a "consulta", which will debate a "major new step". It is clear that the EZLN leaders think that whatever this step is, it could put some of their supporters at heightened risk from the the Mexican army and right-wing paramilitaries.

The EZLN leadership committee says "When this internal consulta is concluded, we shall inform national and international public opinion of the results."

Below are the three communiques of the EZLN leadership.


1. Zapatista Army of National Liberation declares GENERAL RED ALERT

Translated by irlandesa

Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

June 19, 2005

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:

Brothers and Sisters:

As of today, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation has declared, throughout all rebel territory, a GENERAL RED ALERT

Based on this, we are informing you:

First - That at this time the closure is being carried out of the Caracoles and the Good Government Offices which are located in the zapatista communities of Oventic, La Realidad, Morelia and Roberto Barrios, as well as all the headquarters of the authorities of the different Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities.

Second - That also being carried out is the evacuation of the members of the different Good Government Juntas and the autonomous authorities, in order to place them in shelter. Now, and for an indefinite time period, they will be carrying out their work in a clandestine and nomadic manner. Both the projects as well as the autonomous government will continue functioning, although under different circumstances than they have been up until now.

Staff at Radio Insurgente

Third - That basic community health services will continue functioning in the different Caracoles. Civilians will be in charge of these services, and the CCRI-CG of the EZLN is distancing them from any of our future actions, and we are demanding that they be treated as civilians and with respect for their life, liberty and goods by government forces.

Fourth - That there has been a call-up of all members of our EZLN who have been engaged in social work in the zapatista communities and those of our regular troops who have been in their barracks. In a similar fashion, all broadcasts by Radio Insurgente, “The Voice of Those Without Voice”, in FM and in short wave, have been suspended for an indefinite period of time.

Fifth - That, simultaneous with the publication of this communiqué, national and international civil societies who are working in peace camps and in community projects are being urged to leave rebel territory. Or, if they decide freely of their own volition, they remain on their own and at their own risk, gathered in the caracoles. In the case of minors, their departure is obligatory.

Sixth - That the EZLN announces the closing of the Zapatista Information Centre (CIZ), not without first thanking the civil societies who have participated in it, from the time of its creation until today. The CCRI-CG of the EZLN formally releases these persons from any responsibility for the future actions of the EZLN.

Seventh - That the EZLN releases from responsibility for any of our future actions all persons and civil, political, cultural, citizens and non-governmental organizations, solidarity committees and support groups who have been close to us since 1994. We thank all of those who have, sincerely and honestly, throughout these almost 12 years, supported the civil and peaceful struggle of the zapatista indigenous for the constitutional recognition of indigenous rights and culture.

Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!

From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos


2. Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

June 20, 2005

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:

Brothers and Sisters:

First - As has been made public, starting June 19, 2005, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation established the general Red Alert in rebel territory.

The reason for this general Red Alert is that the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the EZLN has called to consulta their insurgent troops, all their comandantes and comandantas, regional and local responsables and their support bases.

Inauguration of the autnomous municipality of Oventic, November 2003

This Red Alert is a precautionary defensive measure. As you will recall, in February of 1995, while the EZLN was carrying out an internal consulta, it was attacked by government forces. At that time the betrayal was carried out by Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (then the head of the federal executive and today employed by transnational companies) and Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (then the Secretary of Government and today employed by Salinas Pliego).

Second - During this internal consulta...

The EZLN leadership is recognizing the sacrifice, willingness and heroism of their support bases, responsables and activists, and of the insurgentes and insurgentas, for these almost 12 years of war and resistance. All the good that we have done and achieved has been by them. The zapatista leadership has been exclusively responsible for errors that have been committed.

The CCRI-CG of the EZLN is presenting its members with an assessment of the stage our organization is in and an analysis of the current national situation. They are also proposing to their support bases - who make up the supreme command of our movement - a new step in the struggle, a step which entails, among other things, risking the much or little which has been achieved and worsening the persecution and harassment of the zapatista communities.
Through this means, by speaking to its members, the EZLN is returning the word it gave on the first of January of 1994. All zapatistas are now morally free to continue with the EZLN, or not, in the next step which is being consulted upon, if it is approved by the majority.

Third - When this internal consulta is concluded, we shall inform national and international public opinion of the results.

Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!

From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos


3.Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

June 20, 2005

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:

Brothers and Sisters:

First and Only - We are informing you that, since the middle of 2002, the EZLN has been engaged in a process of reorganizing its political-military structure. This internal reorganization has now been completed.

We have the necessary conditions in place to survive an attack or enemy action that would do away with our current leadership or which would attempt to annihilate us completely.

The chains of command and the succession of responsibilities have been clearly established, as well as those actions and measures to be taken in the event of being attacked by government forces and their paramilitaries.

The CCRI-CG of the EZLN is letting it be known that conditions are in place to continue leading the zapatista struggle even if it were to lose - be it through jail, through death or through forced disappearance - some or all of its publicly known current leadership.

That is all.

Democracy! Liberty! Justice!

From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Mexico, in the sixth month of the year 2005.