Date: Domingo 04 de marzo de 2001
From: Ojo de Agua Comunicación <comin@laneta.apc.org>
Subject: Letter from Crisanto Manzano

Dear friends:

      Together with the rest of the members who are defending United Towns of the Rincón of the Sierra Juárez, we thank with all our hearts the unqualified help that organizations and people of all parts of the world have offered, uniting with our struggle for the good of the organization.

      Unfortunately, some of the people who hold important political posts in our region have a long history of abuse of authority, the robbing of land and even the assassination of one of our leaders.

      We have been subjected to an infinitude of calumnies and threats, caused by disinformation and manipulation by a group of people who complain, among many other things, that we are but a few people. However, United Towns of the Rincón has more than 4000 members in all four communities, and 1500 more in three other towns.

      The motives of the people who are attacking us are to gain power and money, and for many years they have made various attempts to destroy every kind of cooperative in the region, seeking to transform every collective benefit into personal profit. We know that a business is bribing these and other persons of our region in order to destroy and block every effort of organization that is attempted.

      In the last weeks the tension has grown. The State Judicial Police twice demolished the road blockade, violently beating a member of the community of San Isidro Reforma.

      In one of these operations, the police took the buses to Oaxaca City, supposedly in order to return them to us, but still we don't have our vehicles. The transportation cooperative, which never had large financial profits, is now suffering the greatest loses, since the buses haven't worked since August of last year.

      All of us who live in Tanetze and who are defending the organization are constantly surveilled and harassed. Also we are prohibited from buying provisions in the town. Many have given way under the pressure, and now are being forced to pay excessive fines and to sign blank pages to which the authorities attach documents they draw up without consent. These acts, among other things, they use against us.

      Sometimes they have tried to stop us or to damage the video camera with which we are recording these events. Now they have prohibited us from recording in our own village.

      Although we have still not confirmed it, it appears that there are arrest orders against various members, among them my son Julio César and me.

      However, in spite of the pressures, all the inhabitants of San Isidro Reforma, Santa María Yaviche, Santiago Yagallo and San Juan Yaeé, together with many people of Tanetze de Zaragoza, Juquila Vijanos and Santa María Lachichina, we are reflecting on the means that we must now take. Our pain, anger and sadness come from a situation so unjust, in which our only crime is to raise our voice to demand that the members of Pueblos Unidos del Rincón decide in a collective way the future of our own organization.

      We don't want the force of a small group headed by local caciques and entrepreneurs, advised by corrupt functionaries and deputies - who are not even members of our group - deciding for the rest of us.

      As for myself and my son, we have recorded this with video camera, with which we put in evidence the manipulation and abuse of authority to which we are being subjected. In spite of the threats we are continuing our recording in order to prepare a documentary about this problem, with the goal of informing the communities of the region, and all interested people.

      We figure that more than 1000 people and organizations have signed letters directed to the offices of the President of the Republic, the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of the State of Oaxaca, as well as to some Mexican embassies and consulates in foreign countries. The surprising response supporting us is very valuable in order that this situation be widely known.

      The unjust acts can be stopped when so many eyes and hearts are with us.

      We hope that these so-difficult moments will end soon and well, succeeding to re-establish the peace and harmony that for such a long time we have defended among our people.

      We will continue sending information, and we ask that you not leave us isolated.

      For myself, my family and all the members of Pueblos Unidos del Rincón, we express our most sincere appreciation.

Affectionately,
CRISANTO MANZANO AVELLA.