Elio Henríquez, Correspondent
San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Chiapas

For three days, members of the Regional Organization of Ocosingo Coffee Growers (ORCAO) attacked three autonomous Zapatista communities located in the Moisés Gandhi region, municipality of Lucio Cabañas, with shots from firearms and burning plots of land, the All Rights for All National Network of Civil Human Rights Organisms denounced. [1]

As of Thursday, it said, there had been more than 800 detonations with heavy and low-caliber weapons, with no injuries reported.

It pointed out that starting on June 19, at approximately 2 pm, the armed group fired from San Felipe and San Antonio las Flores, and at least 67 high-caliber and 13 low-caliber bullets were documented, in addition to the burning of plots of land where support base families of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) work.

The denunciation explained that, on June 21, the ORCAO attacks began at 12:50 pm, and at 6:50 pm, they counted at least 716 bullets of different calibers. Simultaneously, they attacked the communities of Emiliano Zapata, and San Isidro, as well as Moisés Gandhi.

In the latter they set fire to the parcel of land attached to the autonomous secondary school that is located 50 meters from the houses of the Zapatista families.

Yesterday, the Network said, 25 detonations of various calibers were calculated, according to information from the New Dawn in Resistance and Rebellion for Life and Humanity Good Government Junta of Caracol 10, based in Patria Nueva, in the official municipality of Ocosingo.

The human rights organism demanded that the Mexican State guarantee the life, security and physical and psychological integrity of the support base families of the Moisés Gandhi region, that responsibilities be investigated and determined for the criminal act of attempted murder and armed attacks perpetrated against inhabitants of the Zapatista communities.

It also demanded that comprehensive and quality medical care continue for Jorge López Sántiz, a Zapatista support base wounded by a bullet on May 22 in Moisés Gandhi, in order to safeguard his life and physical integrity. He had four days of hospitalization and 10 days of intensive care; However, he still has an infection that was not noticed by medical staff and an open wound.

The consequences are serious, because the functioning of his intestine was affected. The recovery process is slow, as complications from surgery need specialized care for proper healing, as well as management with antibiotic and analgesic medications, he said.

In the urgent action released last night, the National Network called for an immediate stop to armed attacks against the Zapatista support bases.

[1] It’s important to remember that these latest attacks began less than 2 weeks after the Global Day of Action to Stop the Attacks against the Zapatista Communities.

Originally Published in Spanish by La Jornada, Friday, June 23, 2023, https://www.jornada.com.mx/2023/06/23/estados/030n1est and Re-Published with English interpretation by the Chiapas Support Committee