>From mexpaz@uibero.uia.mx Tue Feb 21 17:30:27 1995
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 95 18:31:56 cst
From: list PAZ EN MEXICO <mexpaz@uibero.uia.mx>
** Written 11:30 AM Feb 21, 1995 by moonlight in
cdp:reg.mexico **
The document that follows includes a letter to
Parliaments and their representatives across the
globe. It also includes a list of 5 activities
people everywhere can carry out in solidarity. It
was produced by Mexican Federal Deputies.
We direct ourselves to the parliaments of the world
to ask them for their support in the task of
defending the human rights, democratic liberties
and construction of peace with justice and dignity
in Mexico.
The support is limited only by our own self-
determination and sovereignty. We Mexicans should
not look to the peoples of the world and even less
to other governments, for what we can not do for
ourselves: our national liberation.
As you know, the war in Chiapas involves the
civilian population. Campesinos and indigenous have
been tortured and assassinated. People have been
detained without proof; innocents have been jailed;
soldiers have raped young indigenous women, and
mothers have been threatened with the murder of
their children. The president, as the great
Inquisitor, accuses, judges, and condemns, as in a
dictatorship.
Access to the zone has been denied (that that there
was) to priests, international human rights
organizations, observers, and media. The Red Cross
was forced to leave, supposedly for lack of
adequate conditions to complete their human labor,
but in reality basically they were expelled at the
orders of the authorities.
The treaties of the Geneva Convention have been
violated systematically by the Mexican Army. We
have available a dossier of documentation that
proves each one of the crimes against humanity, and
the damage to world peace committed by President
Zedillo's regime. It is not legal to murder
civilians in any part of the world. The government
had agreed to a truce with the EZLN, which they
broke because the armed were "arming", and because
the rebels were "rebelling. It's hard to believe,
we know, but it's true. Abruptly Zedillo broke off
discussions of Peace because thousands and
thousands of poor Indians and campesinos had risen
up in arms; they had arms! The discussion of peace
is to be between belligerent armed forces. The
government betrayed the campesinos and the
indigenous, making them believe that it wanted
peace. But for example the government presented to
the press, as proof of subversion, issues of the
New York Times. The presumed "head" of the EZLN,
Javier Elorreaga, is no more than a TV producer and
a journalist. They didn't find weapons, and his
only crime was to be married to Maria Gloria
Benavides, who at one time supposedly belonged to
the FLN (National Liberation Forces), the supposed
predecessor, according to the government, of the
EZLN (denied by Ms. Benavides), and for which her
record was expunged.
The subversive material of the said woman, in
addition to the New York papers, were perfectly
legal books and videos. Also the supposed arsenal
was made up of knives and two pistols.
The Mexican government is looking for legal support
for a dirty war, promoting its commitment to
dialogue when in fact it closed the political
solution through peace dialogues with its betrayal
of the truce. The detainees have been held without
any attention to the law, and the confessions were
gained through torture, including death threats to
a two year old baby.
The sovereignty of Mexico is not up for discussion,
and all help has to subordinate itself and be
directed by national democratic political forces,
but peace and human rights are an issue for all
peoples of the world.
The parliaments of the world can do much for human
rights, democracy, liberty and peace. They can
contact us for more information or joint actions;
they can, with their countrymen, make demands at
the nearest Mexican consul or embassy for the
health of the prisoners of war, ask for their
freedom, humane treatment, and that they be
considered innocent until they are proven guilty.
A halt to the war can be demanded, an end to the
bombings, a halt to the persecution of Catholics
and ministers in the church. The economic crisis
in Mexico is structural and definitive. The 50
billion dollar loan which has been negotiated will
only enrich more the 24 billionaires and their
associates on Wall Street. Mexico will never be
able to pay back a debt of this size.
To maintain and support a criminal and corrupt
dictatorship which has been in power for more than
65 years, to foment a war and to make it a
condition of the loan is an error of President
Clinton which will put North American stability in
danger. Two military North American advisors have
been detected in the conflict zone.
Today the peace of the continent is in danger. A
new Vietnam is on the horizon. All of the
parliaments and our people can and should take
measures for the reestablishment of peace in
Chiapas, for the end to persecution and for the
release of the prisoners of war. We call to your
best sentiments, remember that your actions could
allow one indigenous girl to live, one campesino to
conserve the joy of his life: the smile of his
children.
Because the war has been carried out against
innocents, stop it: no money for weapons for
Mexico, no help in massacring the people, no blood
money.
Peace will flourish in liberty, justice and
democracy, and it has no borders.
Fellow parliamentarian, I ask you on behalf of
those without voice or without face of my country,
the poor campesinos and indigenous, read publicly
this letter in your parliament and take actions in
your country: detain the war and the violence.
Parliamentarian, I thank you for your support and
solidarity as well as that of your countrymen and
women, your artists and intellectuals, your
campesinos, workers, indigenous and minorities.
>From my heart through which flows my blood I thank
you for your honest and objective help.
We propose to the parliaments five steps for the
peace:
First: Read this complete document in your
parliament or your house of representatives and
discuss it and make declarations with regard to it
and then promote it constantly with the commissions
of human rights and other appropriate agencies.
Second: As means of formalizing, giving legality
and facilitating peace, grant the status of
belligerent forces to the EZLN and get it legal
recognition in your country. Ask for the
withdrawal of the troops, a neutral zone, and the
halt to the persecution and harassment by the
government of the National Commission of
Intermediation (CONAI) and Bishop Samuel Ruiz. Call
for the parties to respect the Geneva Convention
and all other international laws regarding war.
Third: Do not allow the sale of weapons or
equipment for war to Mexico. Veto loans while the
war continues. Say no to money for repression and
poverty in Mexico. No to the interference that
means war, death, and the loss of sovereignty. Yes
to aid for peace and national liberation. Impede
the interference of the Department of State, of the
Pentagon, the CIA and the US military intelligence.
Fourth: Protest before the Mexican government and
its representatives, asking concretely for a
ceasefire, for the recognition of the EZLN as a
belligerent force. For a treaty under the Geneva
Convention, for freedom for the political prisoners
of war, to demand that the freedom of information
and transit be restored in the conflict zone.
Fifth: We invite you to visit Mexico and that
jointly, respectful of our sovereignty and with our
coordination and with the most freedom possible on
our part, an international commission of
parliamentarians backed by jurists and doctors, to
support us and we will visit the war theater and
the prisoners of that war. Peace has no borders.
To your representatives, to your people, we propose
the following:
First Step:
5 letters for peace: Justice and Freedom in Mexico
and Chiapas.
-One to the president or prime minister of
your country
-One to President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de
Leon Constitutional President of the United
States of Mexico
Los Pinos, Official Residence
Av. Molino del Rey #246, Col. San Miguel
Chapultepec, Mexico, D.F.
Mexico C.P. 11850
-One to the United Nations so that they
recognize the EZLN as a belligerent force
Boutros Ghali
United Nations
New York, New York 10017
USA
Telephone: 212-963-1234
-One to the Secretary of State of Mexico (he is responsible for
the jails)
Lic. Esteban Moctezuma Barragan
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli #99, Col. Centro
Mexico, D.F.
Mexico, C.P. 06600
-One to the Federal Deputies' Commission who
have signed this letter:
Av. Xola 181, 3er. piso
Col. Alamos, Mexico D.F.
Mexico 03400
Second Step: Postcards
Let the indigenous and campesinos of Chiapas know that they are
not alone. Put your thoughts on a postcard and send them to the
Mexican newspapers.
El Financiero
Lago Bolsena 176 Col. Anihuac-Pensil
Mexico D.F.
Mexico C.P. 11590
La Jornada
Balderas N 68, Centro
Mexico, D.F.
Mexico, C.P. 06050
Third Step:
Hundreds of thousands of calls for freedom: Call the embassy or
The Mexican diplomatic representative nearest to you. Give your
name and telephone number. Ask for peace in Mexico and freedom
for the prisoners of war. Call every day. Send faxes also. All the
citizens of the world have the right to information about peace,
exercise it. Call even though it's long distance.
President of the Mexican Republic:
Telephones:
515-82-546 515-98-27 522-53-38 515-37-17
Secretary of State:
Highest office: 535-56-86
General Director of State: 592-44-98 592-43-98
Fourth Step:
The first World Action on Internet for Peace, Justice and Freedom
in Mexico.
Retransmit, sponsor forums, chains, panels, conferences,
conversations, translations, reports. This is the greatest action of
peace, democracy and justice taking place in cyberspace.
Fifth Step: Adopt a prisoner of war.
The prisoners are men, women and young people, campesinos,
indigenous, workers and intellectuals with names and faces. Adopt
one: commit yourself to that person and his/her freedom and life,
his/her integrity. The campesinos and indigenous, the Mexican
women and children are not alone: you are with them, have others
join you and form a committee. The prisoners count, struggle
to free them.
For peace with justice and dignity,
Federal Deputy Carlota Botey
Federal Deputy Edgard Sanchez
Responsible persons for this publication
Federal Deputy Edgar Sanchez Ramirez
Av. Xola 181 3er Piso
Col. Alamos, Mexico D.F.
Mexico 03400
590-09-69
590-20-21
Internet: antigua@servidor.unam.mx
Federal Deputy Carlota Botey
Same Address
Note: This letter is sent to parliaments all over
the world and in turn it is being copied for the
people, as well as for human rights defense
organizations across the world
P.S. Human rights activists and ONGs, Solidarity
Committees: Reproduce this, translate it, print it,
copy it, and distribute this petition for help
P.S. Cyberspace: retransmit to whatever global
discussion forum that there is regarding the theme,
also email it to friends, acquaintances, or mailing
lists, in whatever network. SOS STOP THE WAR
P.S. Reporters: Publish this and all of the truth.
Don't allow Mexico to repress the mass media