Zapatista Sixth Commission

July 31, 2021.

To the victims and the relatives of victims in Mexico:

To the organizations, groups, collectives and individuals that support the victims:

Here we present the first results of the Popular Consultation that have reached us:

1.- Until 1300 hours on July 31, 2021, the twelve Zapatista caracol centers and their respective Good Government Juntas have received the minutes of 756 towns, communities, places and ranches, from speakers of the Zoque Mayan languages, tojolabal, mame, tzeltal, tzotzil, cho´ol. They are from Zapatistas, CNI [Congreso Nacional Indígena, National Indigenous Congress] and supporters of political parties who gathered in community assemblies and who are “extemporaneous,” that is, they do not exist legally.

2.- The 756 communities of indigenous peoples declared “YES” in response to the question of whether or not they agree that everything should be done to support the fulfillment of the rights of the victims and their next of kin and of truth and justice.

3.- What we have noticed so far is that the INE [Instituto Nacional Electoral, National Electoral Institute] did not comply in many places with translating the question into the Mayan root languages. Nor did they explain what the consultation was about and, in several places, they only left the boxes strewn about, without explaining to the residents what they were for.

4.- The Zapatista peoples did the job of explaining the importance of participating in the Consultation and what was being asked. They did the same with members of parties and the CNI. And they did it in their mother tongue.

To our surprise, some communities who support political parties and where there are no Zapatistas, held and are holding assemblies, and they sent and are sending their results to the Good Government Juntas.

The political party supporters have also thanked the Good Government Juntas for the explanations and that they will go to polling stations tomorrow. And then they will tell us how many participated with their voter credentials.

The lack of representatives of the Mexican State and its institutions is being remedied by the extemporaneous ones, who translate in their native languages explaining the importance of the consultation and what is being asked.

Not only did no one from the INE come forward to explain. Neither did anyone from the ruling party step up—which is supposed to be the interested party in the Consultation because their overseer said so and didn’t even deign to try going to a community.

The only thing that the ruling party officials have done is to threaten the people saying that, if they do not “vote” in the Consultation, they are going to “cut off” their government support programs. This was the message they sent: if you don’t want to lose your paid support, go and vote “yes.”

In addition, the ruling party is lying because they tell them to just go and vote yes, because this is just about prosecuting former presidents.

Instead of explaining to people, they resort to threats and lying to them.

A minimum of self-love, respect and political work would have been enough.

And then they wonder why things are the way they are.

5.- Although we do not exist legally for the Mexican State, the thousands of indigenous families that are “extemporaneous” embrace in this way the thousands of families of the victims from the decisions made by the different levels of government all these years.

6.- Although we do not legally exist for the Mexican State, we ask you—victims, family members and organizations that support them—to accept this embrace from those who have been for centuries—Including current times—victims of “the decisions of the political actors” from all governments across the political spectrum.

When we have the full results, we will reach out to those who fight for truth and justice for the victims and their families.

With this action that we report to you now, the Zapatista peoples begin, on July 31, 2021, their participation in the National Campaign for Truth and Justice.

That’s all.

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

Subcomandante insurgente Galeano.

Zapatista Sixth Commission for the National Campaign for Truth and Justice.

Mexico, July 2021.

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This communique was published in Spanish by Enlace Zapatista on July 31, 2021 and translated into English by the Chiapas Support Committee.

Haz clic aquí para leer el comunicado en español.

Click here to read the original in Spanish.