Oaxaca’s APPO Forms Permanent Government, Announces Escalation of Resistance 3,000 Delegates Meet in the Midst of State Repression and Reorganize for the Struggle Ahead

By Nancy Davies Commentary from Oaxaca November 14, 2006 Three thousand Oaxaqueños responded to the first call of the Asamblea Popular de Pueblos de Oaxaca (Popular Assembly of the Peoples’ of Oaxaca, or APPO) on Friday, November 10, to forge a new constitution for Oaxaca.

Three thousand Oaxaqueños responded to the first call of the Asamblea

Popular de Pueblos de Oaxaca (Popular Assembly of the Peoples’ of Oaxaca,

or APPO) on Friday, November 10, to forge a new constitution for Oaxaca.

The APPO sprang into life in the two days following the attempted eviction

of striking teachers from their zocalo encampment on June 14, 2006. It has

guided the social movement in Oaxaca since then, and now self-dissolves in

favor of a permanent structure of government which includes an executive

and legislative branch. The provisional directorship dissolved on formally

initiating the work of the constitutive congress.

The new organ is the State Council of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples

of Oaxaca (CEAPPO, in its Spanish initials). It consists of 260

representatives of all the seven regions of Oaxaca. Forty seats were

assigned to the democratic teachers union. The CEAPPO also includes

merchants, students, bus and taxi drivers, unions, women, non-governmental

organizations, political parties and social groups. Honorific spaces were

reserved for the political prisoners. All members of CEAPPO have the same

rights and obligations.

Between 800 and 1000 (depending on sources) delegates from neighborhoods

and barricades, political and social organizations joined arrivals from

the seven regions of the state. Another 100 invited persons joined them,

wearing yellow guest badges. The sixty or so national and international

press people who also showed up were not permitted into the working

sessions headed by members of APPO’s provisional directors, which include

Flavio Sosa Villavicencio, Zenén Bravo Castellano, Rosendo Ramírez Sánchez

and Marcos Leyva Madrid. Zenén Bravo was selected as president of the

council. The men were nominated by a plenary, along with two

vice-presidents and four recorders.

The meetings were held in the auditorium of the Hotel Magisterio, which

was also the venue for the meeting with Delegado Zero of the Other

Campaign when the Zapatistas visited Oaxaca last February.

CEAPPO has formed in the face of the extreme repression currently underway

by the governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, who operates both through his PRI and

paid henchmen and police in civilian clothes. The spirit of the CEAPPO is

revolutionary, in a pacific, democratic and humanistic stance which is

openly anti neoliberal and based on the traditional people power shown in

usos y costumbres (“uses and customs”), a method of governing which is

open and face to face. Ample provisions for recall of officials, referenda

and plebiscites are included in the form of the council.

In content, CEAPPO supports economic social justice, equality of persons,

respect for differences, respect for the rights of women, respect for

indigenous people and their autonomy, and development in benefit of the

peoples of Oaxaca with high concern for sustainability and renewable

resources.

The gathered constitutive congress met for three days. On Friday the work

began on the registration of delegates from different organizations and

community leaders, as well as participants on the barricades which the

APPO designed after June 17. Registration took the whole day Friday, and

so little time was left for work sessions that the meting adjourned.

At the initial meeting of the first night’s constitutive council, which

was heavily dominated by men, the women present protested vigorously.

Ultimately it was decided that a minimum of 30 percent of the permanent

council will be women. The sessions were all lively, with booing down of

objectionable suggestions and cheers for good ones – participative

democracy.

On Saturday, some 600 delegates defined the statues, the declaration of

principles and the program of action for the new body as well as electing

the permanent directors who will function in a role akin to an executive

department.

Working Sunday and throughout the night, by dawn the congress had

elaborated its new plan of action, which includes continuing the struggle

to unseat the governor Ulises Ruiz. The departure of Ruiz is “not

negotiable.” Activities were outlined, such as putting up more blockades,

and renewing the mobile brigades. This has to take place within the

uncertainty of the occupying forces of Federal Preventive Police (PFP),

who may or may not be withdrawn, and with the dirty war underway.

The Oaxacan movement will also send a delegation to Mexico City on

November 20 to participate in the protest of former presidential candidate

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but only as a symbolic expression of the

struggle for democracy. The APPO also agreed to protest the inauguration

of Felipe Calderon if URO doesn’t leave before December 1.

At the first meeting, on Friday, the APPO reiterated, “The conditions

don’t exist for a return to classes.” Nevertheless, about 70 percent of

teachers are returning. Some remain in the encampment in Mexico DF. It is

expected that returns will be phased in during next week , with the avowed

purpose of teaching about what happened in Oaxaca and the popular

movement. While URO remains in power, this maybe very dangerous work.

While the congress was gathering for its first day of meetings, the zocalo

was occupied by the Federal Preventive Police, and the tourist area was

occupied by the APPO and teachers who won’t return to classes while danger

exists. During the time period of November 1 to November 10, about 49

students and APPO leaders were snatched off the street without warrants by

men in civilian clothing who drove unmarked automobiles. Among the

apprehended were two minors. Civil rights violations perpetrated by the

government included entering private homes without warrant to arrest the highly visible people of the APPO and the teachers.

Although Human Rights organizations demanded to know where and who was being held, or an account for the dead, it was not offered.

 Seeking safety, the most visible of the APPO and teachers threatened asked
for sanctuary within the church and were granted it by the church official
Wilfredo Meyran, who a day later was overridden by the bishop of Oaxaca,
Jose Luis Chavez Botello. The bishop, in a news conference, declared that the church was devoted to the kingdom of heaven and could not get involved in earthly politics. Meyran is a long-time ally of former bishop of Chiapas Samuel Ruis, and appeared with him when Ruiz was in Oaxaca in
support of the APPO.

University classes were scheduled to resume on Monday, but many did not due to the violent conditions around the university campus. Some professors decided it wasn’t safe; some students made the same decision.

At the same time, the static blocking of Radio Universidad continued, and
the blockade of University City was maintained, so that in effect the
 information coming from the APPO was unavailable. The radio broadcasters were unable to leave University City for fear of their lives, and remained, living inside the autonomous area.

 Radio Ciudadano, also known as Radio Patito, continued broadcasting names of the movement adherents as well at those of teachers, with suggestions to capture or harm them. This station is generally regarded as supported by the PRI government. The names of the Radio Universidad broadcasters are well known and have been made public. Human rights protests to prevent thepro-government station from issuing threats have been ignored. By the end of the week, November 10, the Radio Universidad signal was completely
blocked.

 At virtually the same time, a nationwide National Assembly, modeled after
the APPO, is being constructed. The national convention of state delegates
will take place in Mexico City on the 18th and 19th of November. It will
analyze the national situation, the actual situation of the member
assemblies, establish its own form and rules, and plan its national
action. To date, about twelve states are expected to send delegates to the
Asamblea Popular de Pueblos de Mexico, the APPM.

 Although Ulises Ruiz in Oaxaca tries to portray in the mainstream media
that all is returning to normal (the PFP boys eat popsicles while standing
on guard blocking entry to the zocalo) my personal observation as your
commentator is that the movement will remain active and resolute.