Urgent Communiqué of San Miguel Suchixtepec, Oaxaca: Arbitrary Detention of a Member of the Agrarian Commission

Translated and Submitted to It’s Going Down

To all of the Indigenous peoples, brothers of the world

To the people of Mexico

To the people of Oaxaca

To the public opinion

To the media

To the organizations that defend human rights

We have put together this present communiqué to inform you of the recent events that took place in our Indigenous Zapoteco community of San Miguel Sichixtepec on October 12, 2016. With the use of extreme violence and firearms, the ministerial police of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz commanded by Juan José Ramírez López and accompanied by Joel Reyes Hernández, in a grey Tsuru car, executed an arrest warrant against our citizen Romeo Salinas Ramírez—current member of the Agrarian Commission named by the general assembly of community members. He was detained in the community of San Miguel Suchixtepec at 12:30, and presented at 4 in the afternoon in the district attorney’s office of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz.

The criminal case is filed under 27/2015, however, October 4, 2016, a federal judge ordered a provisional suspension under the appeal of 1517/2016 in favor of our compañero and others of the community. At the moment, he is located in the jail of Miahuatlán, without access to his lawyer. The community demands his immediate liberty taking into account the ordered suspension by the federal judge. Furthermore, procedures have been initiated against the Ministerial Secretary of Prosecution of Miahuatlán de Porforio Díaz, for use of a firearm in the vicinity of a kindergarten in the community, where the events described took place.

It is important to mention this act is directly linked to the agrarian conflict in our community, which is very complex, but the essence is the dispossession of our communal territory of 153 hectares. This territory is known by the community as “communal land” but two specific businessman have attempted to control the land. Their names are Carlos Gustavo Ramírez Horta and Joel Reyes Hernández. This is happening despite the community holding the title that dates back to the year of 1584.

For more context, visit the pages here and here.

We name responsible Javier Luis Méndez Pérez, Judge of the First Instance, Gladys Matadamas, Judicial Secretary in charge of the court, and Miguel Ángel Hernández Mateo, of the Judicial Secretary, for the slow action for the liberation of our compañero. Similarly, we name responsible the commander Juan José Ramírez López and particularly Joel Reyes Hernández for the physical and mental well being of our comrade and his family.

To apply some pressure, the community of San Miguel Sichixtepec, has decided to indefinitely block federal highway 175 that goes from Oaxaca City to Puerto Angel, until C. Romeo Salinas Ramírez is released.

From the mountains of the Southern Sierra of Oaxaca, where Wednesday October 12^th, 2016, the Zapoteco community of San Miguel Suchixtepec, town of San Miguel Arcángel, emits the present communiqué, sending you all a fraternal salute to life.

Sincerely,

Assamblea General Comunitaria Del Pueblo Indigena Zapoteca de San Miguel Suchixtepec

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