Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 02:39:21 -0500
From: Aaron <aaron-AT-burn.ucsd.edu>
Subject: M-NEWS: EPR-Chiapas Comunicado/Communique 25 Dic./Dec.


[Camaradas y compa~er-AT-s hispanoparlantes: Pueden encontrar el comunicado
siguiente junto con dos otros, todos solamente en castellano, al URL
<gopher://mundo.eco.utexas.edu/0R1876852-1898082-/mailing/chiapas95.archive/1997
.12.22-31 (December)>. -- Aaron]

Comrades & Compas,

Below you will find the original Spanish, with a paragraph-by-paragraph
translation, of a major communique of the Ejercito Popular Revolucionario
(EPR) on the massacre in Chenalho, Chiapas. As is usual with translations,
it is not perfect, and it is less perfect because I am far less than a
native speaker of Spanish. Comments on the translation -- as well as
political discussion -- are welcome and should be sent to me directly (and
-- if of general interest -- to any discussion list through which you may
have received this).

The original Spanish versions of three EPR communiques, including the one
reproduced and translated here, can be found in the chiapas95 archive at
<gopher://mundo.eco.utexas.edu/0R1876852-1898082-/mailing/chiapas95.archive/1997
.12.22-31 (December)>. The URL for the archive as a whole is
<gopher://mundo.eco.utexas.edu/11/mailing/chiapas95.archive>.

 - Aaron <aaron-AT-burn.ucsd.edu>

P.S. The following translation is very slightly improved from the one that
can be found at the temporary address:
<GOPHER://mundo.eco.utexas.edu:70/0R1232622-1248167-/mailing/chiapas95.archive/c
urrent> and which will probably soon be moved to:
<GOPHER://mundo.eco.utexas.edu:70/0R1232622-1248167-/mailing/chiapas95.archive/1
998.01.01-07 (January)>.

-------------------
>Al Pueblo de Mexico:
>A los Pueblos del Mundo:

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:

>Nuestro corazon esta de luto. Plomo y sangre ti~en el horizonte, pero el
>dolor de rabia se inunda, una vez mas. Resuenan los tambores de guerra
>enemigos. Es la hora del terror para defender el modelo neoliberal. Es la
>guerra ya declarada del Estado mexicano contra el pueblo que dice
>representar.

Our heart is in mourning. Lead and blood color the horizon, but the pain of
rage floods once again. The enemy drums of war resound. It is the hour of
terror in defense of the neoliberal model. It is the war now declared of
the Mexican State against the people it claims to represent.

>La matanza de Chenalho es una accion de guerra sucia planeada y dirigida
>por el gobierno mexicano, es una accion terrorista que busca atemorizar a
>las masas para aislar al movimiento insurgente de sus bases.  Accion
>militar  valorada en sus consecuencias politicas, pensando que era un
>momento ideal, visperas de Navidad, para que hubiera menos respuesta
>politica.

The Chenalho massacre is an act of dirty war planned and directed by the
Mexican government; it is a terrorist act that seeks to frighten the masses
in order to isolate the insurgent movement from its bases. A military
action evaluated for its political consequences, thinking that it was an
ideal moment, just before Christmas, so that there would be less political
response.

>La matanza de Chenalho es la expresion de un nuevo nivel en la guerra
>contra el pueblo. Es una accion de guerra  para promover la violencia y a
>partir de ella continuar escalando  nuevos niveles de violencia represiva.

The Chenalho massacre is the expression of a new level in the war against
the people. It is an act of war to promote violence and from there to
continue escalating to new levels of repressive violence.

>El ejercito federal organiza, entrena, arma  y dirige a los grupos
>paramilitares y a los escuadrones de la muerte, como parte  de su
>concepcion de guerra de exterminio, de "limpieza necesaria" para lograr el
>control politico militar de las zonas donde amplios sectores de la
>poblacion han optado por la busqueda de una vida mejor, de justicia,
>igualdad y  democracia.

The federal army organizes, trains, arms and directs the paramilitary
groups and the death squads, as part of its conception of a war of
extermination, of "necessary cleaning" in order to achieve
political-military control of the zones where broad sectors of the
population have opted for the search for a better life, for justice,
equality and democracy.

>Despues de la matanza el ejercito federal esta tomando nuevas posiciones
>militares, supuestamente para auxiliar y proteger a la poblacion, aplicando
>el ingrediente contrainsurgente de la accion civica militar, buscando
>intensificar la presencia militar, desplegar nuevas unidades en el
>territorio chiapaneco, ejercer mayor control de la poblacion, tener una
>posicion mas ventajosa para atacar, acorralar y presionar al EZLN..

After the massacre the federal army is taking new military positions,
supposedly to aid and protect the population, applying the
counterinsurgency ingredient of civic-military action, seeking to intensify
the military presence, deploy new units in Chiapan territory, exercise
greater control of the population, and to have a more advantageous position
from which to attack, pen in and pressure the EZLN.

>A partir de la amenaza de guerra, de la escalada en la presion militar y
>del clima de terror creado por los paramilitares y el ejercito mexicano, el
>Estado mexicano busca una mejor correlacion de fuerzas en el dialogo con el
>EZLN. Por eso el llamado gubernamental a retomar inmediatamente el dialogo.

Through the threat of war, the escalation in military pressure and the
climate of terror created by the paramilitaries and the Mexican army, the
Mexican State seeks a better correlation of forces in the dialogue with the
EZLN. Therefore the government's call to resume immediately the dialogue.

>El gobierno financia y arma a los caciques con recursos presupuestales que
>deberian ser para obra publica de beneficio social. El poder caciquil, con
>todos sus resabios feudales y con los guardias blancas, pistoleros y
>paramilitares es el eslabon de control gubernamental en el campo mexicano.

The government finances and arms the caciques with budget resources that
ought to go for public works of social benefit. The cacique power, with all
its feudal aftertastes and with the white guards, hired gunmen and
paramilitaries, is the link of governmental control in the Mexican
countryside.

>El sistema premia a los caciques con cuotas de poder politico y economico y
>permitiendoles participar en el narcotrafico, negocio que subsiste y
>florece bajo el control oficial. Y despues el gobierno se dice ajeno a la
>masacre e indignado por el odio entre grupos e intenta hacer creer al
>pueblo mexicano que lo que sucede es una guerra entre etnias,
>interreligiosa o cuando mucho, una disputa por la tierra.

The system rewards the caciques with shares of political and economic power
and by permitting them to participate in drug trafficing, a business that
subsists and flourishes under official control.

>Hablar de las apariencias para ocultar las causas. Hablar de los ejecutores
>materiales, efectivamente indigenas pertenecientes a grupos paramilitares
>dirigidos por caciques locales, para ocultar que los asesinos intelectuales
>estan en el gobierno federal.

One speaks of appearances in order to hide the causes. One speaks of the
material executors -- in fact indigenous members of paramilitary groups led
by local caciques -- in order to hide the fact that the intellectual
authors of the murders are in the federal government.

>Los asesinos de Chenalho estan en Los Pinos, en Gobernacion, en la Sedena;
>los caciques y paramilitares chiapanecos que realizan el trabajo sucio del
>sistema son, a fin de cuentas, peones sacrificables.

The assassins of Chenalho are in Los Pinos [the Mexican "White House"], in
the Interior Ministry, in the Ministry of Defense. The Chiapan caciques and
paramilitaries that carry out the dirty work of the system are, ultimately,
sacrificable pawns.

>El Ejercito mexicano entrena a sus mandos medios y altos en
>contrainsurgencia, es comun que reciban cursos en la Escuela de las
>Americas (EU) y que tengan asesores militares argentinos, del Mossad y de
>los servicios secretos ingles y espa~ol.

The Mexican Army trains its middle and high commanders in
counterinsurgency. It is common that they attend courses at the School of
the Americas (U.S.) and that they military advisers from Argentina, the
Mossad and the English and Spanish secret services.

>Estas ense~anzas las aplican al organizar y dirigir a los grupos
>paramilitares y escuadrones de la muerte, para el ejercito es muy sencillo,
>es la aplicacion concreta de la teoria de la "limpieza necesaria" que
>incluye el aniquilamiento de comunidades y actos de barbarie contra la
>poblacion buscando aterrorizar y escarmentar a los simpatizantes de los
>movimientos insurgentes.

These teachings they apply to organizing the paramilitary groups and the
death squads. For the army it is very straightforward: it is the concrete
application of the theory of "necessary cleaning" that includes
annihilation of communities and acts of barbarism against the population,
seeking to terrorize and teach a lesson to the sympathizers of the
insurgent movements.

>Y luego se habla de transicion democratica. Si, hay libertad para
>conformarse con la hambruna, con el desempleo, con la delincuencia,
>insalubridad y falta de oportunidades para los ni~os y jovenes. Hay
>libertad para estar de acuerdo con el modelo neoliberal de subdesarrollo y
>explotacion economica. Hay libertad para manifestar la inconformidad pero
>sin amenazar la seguridad del sistema ni la continuidad del modelo
>neoliberal en nuestro pais.

And then one speaks of democratic transition. Yes, there is freedom to
adjust to extreme hunger, to unemployment, to delinquency, ill health and
lack of opportunities for the children and youth. There is freedom to agree
with the neoliberal model of underdevelopment and economic exploitation.
There is freedom to manifest disagreement but without threatening either
the security of the system or the continuation of the neoliberal model in
our country.

>La matanza ocurrio en una zona intensamente vigilada por el ejercito, a 200
>metros estaban policias de seguridad estatales y ademas ocurrio en una area
>donde las redes de inteligencia militar debieron enterarse de lo que desde
>el domingo, despues de la reunion de varios caciques, empezo a ser un
>rumor: que los paramilitares atacarian Chenalho.

The massacre occurred in a zone intensely watched by the army, with state
security police 200 meters away. Moreover, it happened in an area where the
networks of military intelligence should have learned of the rumor that
began on Sunday [the day before the massacre], after the meeting of several
caciques: that the paramilitaries would attack Chenalho.

>Esta matanza es una accion contrainsurgente que forma parte de la misma
>estrategia militar terrorista que se ha manifestado en la matanza de Aguas
>Blancas, en el accionar de los escuadrones de la muerte en la colonia
>Buenos Aires, D.F. y en Ocotan, Jalisco, en la guerra de exterminio, tan
>silenciosa como cruel que se libra en los Loxicha, Oaxaca, el secuestro y
>desaparicion de luchadores sociales e insurgentes. Y claro, entonces como
>ahora, para preservar la imagen del Estado de Derecho se encarcelo a unos
>cuantos pistoleros y caciques mientras el gobierno federal se lavaba las
>manos.

This massacre is an act of counterinsurgency that forms part of the sme
military-terrorist strategy that was manifested in the massacre of Aguas
Blancas, in the actions of the death squads in the Buenos Aires
neighborhood of the Mexico City and in Ocotan, Jalisco, in the war of
extermination, as silent as cruel, that is waged in los Loxicha, Oaxaca,
the kidnapping and disappearance of social fighters and insurgents. And
clearly, then as now, in order to preserve the image of the State of Law a
few gunmen and caciques were jailed while the federal government washed its
hands.

>La sangre de Chenalho, el dolor de los ni~os huerfanos y de los mutilados
>nos recuerda que en nuestro pais no hay Estado de Derecho, que la soberania
>nacional ha sido usurpada por un gobierno de facto que defiende los enormes
>intereses de un grupo de oligarcas aliados al gran capital extranjero.

The blood of Chenalho, the pain of the orphaned children and of the
mutilated reminds us that in our country there isn't a State of Law, that
the national sovereignty has been usurped by a de facto government that
defends the vast interests of a group of oligarchs allied to big foreign
capital.

>El ensa~amiento contra la poblacion civil tanto de Chenalho como de otras
>partes del pais donde se utilizan la mutilacion, el descuartizamiento  y la
>violacion tumultuaria como metodos para aterrorizar a las masas e intentar
>aislar a los movimientos insurgentes nos recuerda que el gobierno ya esta
>en guerra contra el pueblo. Y nos recuerda tambien que es la hora de la
>organizacion, de la autodefensa popular, de la organizacion y acumulacion
>activa de las fuerzas revolucionarias y democraticas que transformaran este
>sistema en uno que responda  a los intereses de nuestro pueblo y que por
>tanto sea realmente democratico. Solo entonces se restituira el Estado de
>Derecho.

The barbarity against the civilian population of Chenalho as of other parts
of the country where are utilized mutilation, cutting up, and gang rape as
means to terrorize the masses and try to isolate the insurgent movements
reminds us that the government is already at war against the people. And it
reminds us also that it is the time for organization, for popular
self-defense, for the organization and active accumulation of the
revolutionary and democratic forces that will transform this system into
one that responds to the interests of our people and that therefore is
really democratic. Only then will the State of Law be restored.

>El Comite Central del PDPR y la comandancia general del EPR decretaron a
>partir del dia 23 un estado de alerta general. y desde nuestras trincheras,
>con el fusil en alto, expresamos nuestro dolor y nuestra solidadaridad a
>los hermanos indigenas chiapanecos, al mismo tiempo les decimos, !No estan
>solos!. !Ya llegara la hora de los de abajo, la hora de los sin tierra, la
>hora de los que nada tienen, la hora de la justicia, de la democracia, de
>la libertad, tan reclamada, tan esperada, tan buscada!

The Central Committee of the PDPR and the general command of the EPR
decreed from the 23rd a state of general alert. And from our trenches, with
rifles raised, we express our pain and our solidarity to our Chiapan
indigenous brothers and sisters. At the same time we tell them: You are not
alone! Soon will come the hour of those on the bottom, the hour of those
without land, the hour of those who have nothing, the hour of justice, of
democracy, of freedom, so demanded, so hoped for, so sought!

>!POR LA VIA DEMOCRATICA REVOLUCIONARIA,TODO EL PUEBLO AL PODER!
>!POR LA REPUBLICA DEMOCRATICA, EL PUEBLO UNIDO TRIUNFARA!
>!CON LA LUCHA POPULAR, EL EPR TRIUNFARA!

BY THE REVOLUTIONARY-DEMOCRATIC PATH, THE WHOLE PEOPLE TO POWER!
THROUGH THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL WIN!
WITH THE POPULAR STRUGGLE, THE EPR WILL WIN!

>PARTIDO DEMOCRATICO POPULAR REVOLUCIONARIO - PDPR
>COMANDANCIA MILITAR DE ZONA DEL EJERCITO POPULAR REVOLUCIONARIO - EPR

REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLES' DEMOCRATIC PARTY - PDPR
REGIONAL MILITARY COMMAND OF THE POPULAR REVOLUTIONARY ARMY - EPR

>Estado de Chiapas, 25 de diciembre de 1997.

State of Chiapas, 25 December 1997

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