Population of Oaxaca has been sufering from ungovernavility, paramilitary a wave of terror on behalf of the state and of a military like ocupation by federal police, during a conflict that has lasted up to seven months and has no end in sight. Supporters and members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, have been under constant attack. Humans right's are practically nonexistent in the state, and the hit keeps rising.

As the conflict grows older, it also has become more and more violent. Humans right's violations are a daything on Oaxaca streets. The popular movenet concentrated on the APPO at first suffered the attacks of the state police, PRI party members and supporters of Governor Ulíses Ruís Ortíz. He also puted together a paramilitary group known as the “Caravan of Death”, heavily armed with AK-47 and R-15 rifles, 9mm guns and other weapons wich in México are only for army use. Using pickup trucks and police vehicles they have been shooting at unarmed civillians.

Also APPO members and activists in general are under constant threat. From annonymous menaces to kidnaping are some of the risks they run everyday. Some get “lifted”, and then after a few days, they appear on a jail, tortured, beaten up, charged with false acusations poorly scheemed Others don't appear at all. At first in an internet site called “Oaxaca in Peace”, and later in an illegal radio station wich supports URO, calls have been made for attacking APPO leaders and other movement figures, giving their adresses and other personal data. Lately they invite people to burn down the house of the “La Doctora” one of the most known female voices of APPO's Radio Universidad.

The presence of the Federal Police instead of bringing peace and order to the state, like the government declared, has brought more tension and violence taking the crisis to a higher level. It hasn't stoped the paramilitary or put an end to the priístas provocations. On the contrary since the police removed APPO's barricades the attackers can move more easily. The federal police, acting like an ocupation army, seted up positions in strategic spots around the city and stablished camp in downtown. In a series of violent clashes the police have been repressing the movement, but failed to crush it. They're more than six thousand elements, with militar and air support, acompanied with ten riot tanks, fully equiped, heavily armed. Oaxaca is virtually under siege.

Yesterday repression made obvious the complicity between the paramilitary with police and government forces. Priístas provoqued the protestors. Then Federal Police attacked the pacific march with gas, shooting the cans at close range directly to the body. Then the riot eruptud, and at a moment there were clashes in fourteen diferent spots around downtown. There were many massive arrests, all of them very violent. Police also shooted against people. Many were reported wounded but couldn't be attended at hospitals because these were surrounded by police. Protesters were forced to look for shelter within the neighbouring houses. Again the paramilitary were seen on theire trucks. Police dressed as civilians, also heavily armed, ran through the streets shooting and taking away anyone, not just protesters but anyone. Oficialy, URO declared there were one hundred and sixty detained ones. The lists of dissapeared people grows longer. many are hidden in houses in small groups, afraid of getting out and be arrested or worst, “lifted up”.



The popular movement in Oaxaca has been resisting for a long time an increasing state of terror and violence. But a long term conflict usually weakens mobilizations. Shootings, kidnapings and illegal detentions have become common in the life of the state. Everyday there are reports of dissapeared people, or witnesses of a “lift up”. Also complaints of police harrasment or menaces. Barricades, and even medical outspots are attacked with fire everyday. The lists of disapeared ones are almost imposible to keep up to date. This constant attacks have been hitting hard on the movement and causing alarm and panic. It has been forced to withdraw. State and Federal goverments keep making declarations with no connection with reality, while they keep using represion and pouring fuel on the fire. Such a gathering of forces against one popular movement has had it's effect. At this moment, calls that people make to the station, Radio Universidad, are desperate, asking for help and support. The harrasment in the streets is constant. Police keeps attacking protesters and breaking into homes. Last reports indicate that federal forces are closing in on the University. The barricades ask for support. The APPO fears another big scale attemp to take over the university.

(Sorry for the bad english)