Zapatistas speak on “Red Alert”

Bill Weinberg

The EZLN has issued a new communique clarifying somewhat the “red alert” announced two days ago. This English translation from the website of the Zapatista Front, civil counterpart of the armed organization, states that the alert is a “precautionary measure” taken as the Zapatista Army holds a “consulta”, or consultation meeting with its base communities. The communique remains cryptic on what new strategies are being considered in the consulta.

Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee – General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

Mexico.

June 20, 2005

To the People of Mexico:

To the Peoples of the World:

Brothers and Sisters:

First – As has been made public, starting June 19, 2005, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation established the general Red Alert in rebel territory.

The reason for this general Red Alert is that the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee – General Command of the EZLN has called to consulta their insurgent troops, all their comandantes and comandantas, regional and local responsables and their support bases.

This Red Alert is a precautionary defensive measure. As you will recall, in February of 1995, while the EZLN was carrying out an internal consulta, it was attacked by government forces. At that time the betrayal was carried out by Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (then the head of the federal executive and today employed by transnational companies) and Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (then the Secretary of Government and today employed by Salinas Pliego).

Second – During this internal consulta…

– The EZLN leadership is recognizing the sacrifice, willingness and heroism of their support bases, responsables and activists, and of the insurgentes and insurgentas, for these almost 12 years of war and resistance. All the good that we have done and achieved has been by them. The zapatista leadership has been exclusively responsible for errors that have been committed.

– The CCRI-CG of the EZLN is presenting its members with an assessment of the stage our organization is in and an analysis of the current national situation. They are also proposing to their support bases – who make up the supreme command of our movement – a new step in the struggle, a step which entails, among other things, risking the much or little which has been achieved and worsening the persecution and harassment of the zapatista communities.

– Through this means, by speaking to its members, the EZLN is returning the word it gave on the first of January of 1994. All zapatistas are now morally free to continue with the EZLN, or not, in the next step which is being consulted upon, if it is approved by the majority.

Third – When this internal consulta is concluded, we shall inform national and international public opinion of the results.

Democracy!

Liberty!

Justice!

From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee – General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Mexico, in the sixth month of the year 2005.

  1. A second communique
    This one also from the Zapatista Front website, and slightly more ominous in tone.

    Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

    Mexico.

    June 20, 2005

    To the People of Mexico:

    To the Peoples of the World:

    Brothers and Sisters:

    First and Only – We are informing you that, since the middle of 2002, the EZLN has been engaged in a process of reorganizing its political-military structure. This internal reorganization has now been completed.

    We have the necessary conditions in place to survive an attack or enemy action that would do away with our current leadership or which would attempt to annihilate us completely.

    The chains of command and the succession of responsibilities have been clearly established, as well as those actions and measures to be taken in the event of being attacked by government forces and their paramilitaries.

    The CCRI-CG of the EZLN is letting it be known that conditions are in place to continue leading the zapatista struggle even if it were to lose – be it through jail, through death or through forced disappearance – some or all of its publicly known current leadership.

    That is all.

    Democracy!
    Liberty!
    Justice!

    From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

    By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee – General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

    Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

    Mexico, in the sixth month of the year 2005.