End the Paramilitary War on Zapatista and Indigenous Communities

Stop all megaprojects and extractive industries on Zapatista and Indigenous territories

Para leer la versión en español, haga clic aquí: Alto a la guerra paramilitar contra las comunidades indígenas y zapatistas

November 17, 2021

To the Government of Mexico

To the Government of the United States

The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN, Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) issued a grave warning that Chiapas is on the brink of civil war on September 19, 2021. All levels of the Mexican government, (Federal, State, and Municipal) with their backing of paramilitary armed groups, have fueled violent attacks, killing and wounding members of Zapatista and Indigenous communities,  burning and pillaging Indigenous community property, and forcing the displacement of thousands of women, children, and men.

We demand that the Mexican Federal Government and the Government of Chiapas end their complicity with the current aggressions against the Zapatistas and the indigenous communities and honor their international responsibility to guarantee, respect, and protect the life and security of the communities of Chiapas that are now under serious, violent attacks.  

Public law enforcement authorities, including local and federal police and National Guard, have colluded with or stood by as paramilitaries shoot into communities.

We demand an end to all complicity on the part of Mexican law enforcement and that those responsible for these violent crimes be detained, investigated and brought to justice. 

OUR DEMANDS

To the Mexican government:

• Stop the attacks on Zapatista and Indigenous communities in Chiapas;
• Protect and attend to the safe return of Indigenous communities who have been forcibly displaced by paramilitary attacks and violence;
• Disarm and disband the paramilitary groups, including ORCAO and others;
• Prosecute the ORCAO and other paramilitary leaders and members responsible for the killings and destruction of Zapatista and Indigenous communities;
• Stop violence against and end the detention of migrants passing through Mexico
• Stop the megaprojects and all extractive industries on Zapatista and Indigenous territories in Mexico; and
• Stop the “Maya” Train, the Transisthmus Corridor including the wind “farms” of Oaxaca and the Proyecto Integral Morelos (PIM).

To the U.S. government:

• End all military funding and assistance to the Mexican government including the Merida Initiative
• Stop violence, detention and deportation of migrants seeking asylum 
• Dismantle the Dakota and Line 3 pipelines and all pipelines that go through indigenous territories and communities and that threaten everyone’s water supply and all life.

We hold the Mexican and U.S. governments responsible for any further loss of life and the violent displacement of Indigenous peoples from their lands and territories and the capitalist destruction of the natural world. We are committed to acting for peace to prevent civil war from taking place in Chiapas and we raise our voices and forces in solidarity with the struggles of Zapatista and Indigenous peoples.

SIGNED (initial signatories)

Border Agricultural Workers Project

Chiapas Support Committee

Unión del Pueblo Fronterizo, El Paso

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Xochipilli Chicano/Latino Men’s Circle

Nicaragua Center for Community Action

Global Women’s Strike

Pueblo Y Salud, Inc.

La Red Binacional de Mujeres Que Luchan

Alcohol Justice

Mundo Gardens

Sexta Grietas del Norte

Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

Peace and Freedom Party, socialist, on the California ballot

Freedom Archives

Día de los muertos DC

Mexico – U.S. Solidarity Network

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland

Individual Signatories:

Caitlin Manning

Diana Bohn

Carolina Dutton

Kelly Archer

Sarah Brooks

Sharat G. Lin

Isabella Smith

Ahuilitzli Mejia

Cheik Ouedraogo

Kate Keller

Ricardo Gouveia

Jennifer Ferrigno

Michael Golart

Todd Davies

Rafael J González

Paul Costuros

Matthew de la Torre

Diane Cherry

Joseph Bender

Pablo Gonzalez

Cinaed De Canntun

Charlotte Maria Saenz

Jennifer Murphy

Ariana Thompson-Lastad

Theresa Ortega

Rachel West

Jane Welford

Clarissa Del Visco

Brenda Villanueva

Carol I Moeller Costa

Aurolyn Luykx

Fernando Arista

Jessye Grieve-Carlson

Tiffany Konyen

Muhammad Mustafa Raza Khan

Mayra Jimenez

Amanda Bloom

Graciela Monteagudo

Neil Birrell

Michael Bass

Emory Douglas

Targol Mesbah

Janice Luna Reynoso

Jessica Toni St Bruno

Peter Rosset

Jose Ruiz

Andrew Claycomb

John Vasquez

Elizama Rodas

Rodolfo Casillas

Adam Vurek

Sarena Khasawneh

Norma J F Harrison

David Keenan

Alptekin Aydogan

Ciarree Parker

Anthony Faramelli

Karen Hoffmann

Meredith Staples

Claude Marks

Andy Gillette

Nick DePascal

Glenn Kasabian

Norberto Valdez

Joanne Castronovo

Zineb Mouhyi

James Mulligan

Stefan Ali, Esq.

Julie Webb-Pullman

Kyle Todd

Gerardo Morante

Ariadna Mondragon

Adan Garcia

Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen

Astrid Diego

Amy Raynel Juan