(Report based on data gathered by four members of Christian Teams of Action for Peace (ECAP) and one member of International Service for Peace/Servicio Internacional Para la Paz).
On the night of December 15, the entire population of Union Progreso, except for one family, fled to the mountain. Terrorized by the presence of 50 state policemen and a dozen paramilitaries who were on their way, under the pretext of capturing the persons responsible for the death of an 11 year old child in an ambush which had occurred in a dirt road in Los Platanos on Sunday, December 13.
After several days in the mountain, the 152 men, women and children returned to Union Progreso, on Monday, December 21, accompanied by the press, personnel from the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center and a Mexican observer.
Since their return to the community, an unarmed night-time guard has been maintained around the community, monitoring vehicular traffic entering and leaving the road to Los Platanos.
The community remains fearful of the consequences of a possible invasion by police and/or paramilitary forces, based primarily on the trauma remaining from what happened last June 10, when "the armies" took away 7 members of the community, two of whom remain incarcerated, and the other five were returned dead, their bodies mutilated and decomposed. Guadalupe Gomez, PRI from Union Progreso, gave his version of the December 13 ambush in the Terraceria of Los Platanos, and he stated that he was completely confident that no one from the community had been involved in the ambush. He also stated that his son-in-law, who lives in Savinotic, saw what happened and gave descriptions of those who carried out the ambush. According to him, they were hooded and all wearing trouserss with blue shirts.
Union Progreso
Union Progreso was founded in 1986 in the "Cucalwitz" finca of the Pedrero family. The original residents, 17 members and their families, were tzotziles, bound to the finca. They received 100 hectares as "payment" for the work they had done building the finca. The other 350 hectares were purchased by a group of members from communities in the zone, all from Union Progreso, Alvaro Obregon, San Miguel, San Pedro, Savinotic and Vergel, who paid 170 million pesos to the Pedreros. They rebaptized the finca with the name "Kipaltik," which means "The strength of our unity" in Tzotzil. With the consultation of an international team which included Alain Retiere, Andres Aubry and Angelica Inda, the members of Kipaltik organized a livestock business, which made good profits, and which served as a training center for the entire zone. Union Progreso also operated in an entirely collective manner, based on cattle and coffee.
Currently there are 35 families in the community. To the 17 families of the original members of Union Progreso, there have been added the families of their children and other mestizo families from Comitan. The cacique of the Comitan families became involved in the community through his leadership position in the Credit Union, which had backed the formation of Kipaltik. These families live on Kipaltik lands adjacent to Union Progreso. The community's economy continues to be based on coffee culture, supplemented in many cases with a few heads of cattle.
Agricultural production is no longer managed collectively. According to some, when the collective building of the houses was finished, Guadalupe Gomez - PRI - threatened the people in order to have the community divided into individual fincas, using the argument that some people had taken advantage of others' work. Guadalupe himself stated that the division was owing to the Credit Union's insolvency, which forced them to sell parcels to individual families. He expressed his pride at having obtained 14 hectares when it was broken up, noting that some families could have bought much less land. His house is in very good shape, and he says that he will be cutting two tons of coffee this year.
The tzotzil families of Union Progreso, except for those who sold their shares, still own a truck jointly. One group of 5 families shares an electric coffee pulper, but, in general, each family works for itself. The families of Comitan do not appear to be as poor; they still have their houses in Comitan. The cacique has a two-ton truck for carrying his, and the others', coffee. Two years ago the members of Kipaltik began dividing up their lands and livestock. They were initially organized by community, but in many cases these groups have also been divided. The division began, again, due to the complaint that members were not contributing work in an equal manner.
The tzotzil amd mestizo community is primarily affiliated with the zapatistas. Only Guadalupe's family, along with his son, eight persons in all, are PRI's. Some members of the community believe Guadalupe is unpleasant and violent. This contrasts with his figure and demeanor, which seems calm and self-assured. He stated that he did not abandon his house on the 15th, "since I haven't done anything wrong, I have no reason to be afraid." Regarding the military and police incursion of June 10, 1998 against the Autonomous Municipality, some people say that he fled along with the other members of the community. The story also exists that Guadalupe strengthened his contacts with Public Security and the paramilitaries of Los Platanos beginning June 10.
The old plantation's church is in ruins; only the facade remains, and two of the three towers have collapsed. At this time there is a new church in the community, simply constructed, but solid. It would appear that all the residents are Catholics.
There is a primary school with some 30 students, and a secondary school with 20 students. The teachers come every week from Tuxtla Gutierrez. There is also a clinic with four or five shelves filled with medicines, which is visited once or twice a month by a health worker who runs the small pharmacy.
Union Progreso is located in the middle of a canada along the Baco River. In order to avoid Puerto Cate and its checkpoints, one must enter Union Progreso by way of the road which goes from San Antonio el Brillante north to the river, and continues on to Union Progreso. Many of the sections of the road are quite muddy. It takes the people from here two hours to walk to the village, but it generally takes those from outside twice that long. Since Brillante is 100 meters higher than Union Progreso, the return trip takes longer.
The only entrance to Union Progreso is a rough, rocky, dirt road, muddy in places, and with many barriers of fields and curves. Only high-suspension vehicles can use it, and it takes, thus, only a little less time than it does for those people walking the route. The dirt road begins on the main highway. At the entrance there is a metal bar some 30 meters in front of the official green sign which says "Cucalhuishi 3," alongside a rest stop for heavy trucks, where many oil filters littering the ground can be seen.
A much better route to take turns off the dirt road about one kilometer outside Union Progreso. Passing by pastures, fields and, finally, coffee plantations, prior to reaching Union Tzotzil, a village on the main route, located 7 to 8 kilometers from Cate. This road is rather steep in places, but at least when it rains, it is neither rock strewn nor muddy. In fact, it is a rather pleasant road. It is also much more direct than the other options. However, a guide is recommended: not just because it takes some turns where it would be easy to get lost, but also because some of the fields belong to local PRI's.
The last entrance to Union Progreso is from Los Platanos. This route passes just 800 meters from Union Progreso. The people in the community say that it is faster for Public Security police to enter Union Progreso through the dirt road. It seems that this is what happened last December 15.
It should be noted that these last three routes described all end up at points beyond Puerto Cate. This is a problem for foreign visitors, unless they go through Puerto Cate before 8 in the morning. This is the hour when, according to the people of Union Progreso, the INM and the ENM [immigration services] generally set up their checkponts. It would appear that the checkpoints end at 5 in the afternoon.
There is radio communication between Union Progreso, Brillante and Union Tzotzil, which facilitates ones' reception when traveling between these communities.
Alvaro Obregon
One hour after the December 13 ambush, 11 police officers from Public Security arrived in Alvaro Obregon, saying they were on the trail of the attackers, in contrast with official zapatista statements. The people in the community did not state that the police were responsible for the ambush, but they did state, clearly and repeatedly, that the residents of Alvaro Obregon had nothing to do with the attack.
There was much tension in the community on December 23, due to the rumors circulated by the PRI's of Alvaro Obregon, who were saying that Public Security would be invading on December 23 or 24.
Alvaro Obregon is much larger than Union Progreso. It has some 1000 residents. It was organized as an ejido approximately 45 years ago. The residents are divided among three political parties: 1) Support bases, who are in the majority and who include the Commissioner; 2) The PRI's, and 3) the Labor Party (PT), allied with government PRI's. There are no clear figures, but, on speaking with the support bases, they give the impression that the ratio is more or less 60-20-20. The effects of the division can be seen in relation to the construction of the library that the government is building for the primary school, despite the objections of the pro-zapatista majority. This project has caused tensions, since those affiliated with the PT and the PRI have contributed their labor, and due to the fact that the community has three agents, and it would seem that none of them can exert authority in order to resolve conflicts between the different groups. The closest secondary school is in Bochil and in Oventic. Some of the youngsters in the community are participating in the training program for secondary teachers in Oventic.
The town is also divided along religious lines. On one side is the Adventist church, with some 200 parishioners, including children, who are all, or almost all, PRI's. Their religious practices are observed every night. It is interesting that the Catholics with whom we spoke described the Adventists as apolitical in their religion, but no less tied to governmnt policies because of that. On the other side is the Catholic Church, in which the support bases, and some members of the PT, participate. There are a dozen catechists and ten pre-deacons and ministers in Alvaro Obregon.
The support bases in Alvaro Obregon are more tightly organized than in Union Progreso. For example, they have developed a plan whereby, in case of a police-military incursion, their members will gather in the church in order to prevent the Security forces or paramilitaries from mistreating their families.
The community's clinic is not completed. It does not have furniture or medicines.
The main entrance is a dirt road which is in good shape. This road connects with the Puerto Cate road and El Bosque. The Alvaro Obregon route passes to the north, climbing a 1500 meter hill, passing by others 2.5 kilometers on the other side, reaching a bridge which crosses a river at the bottom of the valley. The first houses in Alvaro Obregon are some 100 meters past the river. The community extends to the middle of the slope of a hill, the peak of which forms the border with the municipality of Jitotol.
Alvaro Obregon is on higher ground than Union Progreso, and is thus colder in the mornings. Because of the cold in Alvaro Obregon, the coffee harvest is not ready until mid-January, a few weeks later than in Union Progreso. Temperatures in Alvaro Obregon are between 10 and 20 [C] in the shade.
In Union Progreso, as well as in Alvaro Obregon, military and public security overflights were observed above the communities. Planes are generally heard after nightfall, close to 9 or 10, and sometimes at dawn. There are frequent overflights by white and blue Public Security helicopters, repeatedly, above the communities. A green helicopter is also observed, as well as another smaller one, dark in color.
According to statements gathered, the largest number of overflights were recorded on December 22, 1998: up to 20. A blue and yellow twin-motor transport plane circled above the community and returned five times during the day.
On December 24, only three planes were noted, which remained some distance away and which could not be seen due to the clouds. There was only one flight over Alvaro Obregon on Christmas Day: a blue and yellow plane was observed. On the 26th, the blue and yellow plane was observed 6 times.
According to rumors from Alvaro Obregon residents, the Army will be setting up three new camps, with a total of 6000 soldiers, in the Alvaro Obregon area.
This rumor underlines the anxiety that a new Acteal is going to take place in Los Altos of Chiapas.
Originally published in Spanish by Enlace Civil A.C. <enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org> ___________________________ Translated by irlandesa ENLACE CIVIL A.C. Email: enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org CONSULT OUR WEB PAGE, WITH NEW INFORMATION EVERY 15 DAYS: http://www.enlacecivil.org.mx http://laneta.apc.org/enlacecivil