interview, transcription, translation by O, J, B, R, E and K | 01.12.2006 02:38

This is the testimony (via phone) of a teacher from an outlying village on November 21, the day after she participated in a women's march in Oaxaca City that was was attacked by Mexican Federal Preventative Police (PFP), who have been occupying Oaxaca since October 29. She talks about the attack on the march, repression of and violence against women and children, the failure of organizations such as Amnesty International to help and the importance of international solidarity. (Spanish with english translation)

"Right now in Oaxaca there is a generalized repression, but since last week, another form of repression started, one that is geared towards children and women. When we walk by the streets where the men of the PFP, with the excuse of looking for weapons, they search us. Touching all of our bodies, both men and female, and if that was not enough, they made fun... That is why the day before yesterday, the women decided to mach and protest against the violence towards our gender, and of course against their power and violence."

"The comrades of the village asked us (women) to lead the march, because they are angry at what they (PFP) are doing (to us)... Just as we were passing by the attacks started. There was an incredible amount of tear gas that did not let us breathe or see where we were headed. We had to protect the children with our bodies and hide them under our clothes trying to get them away and we would scream that there were kids and old people there. That they needed to stop the aggression, but they had it all prepared. There was no sense in running, they were attacking from all four sides. It was then that the youth from the university arrived and began taking the kids away from the area. We were able to see that some of the guys were pulled. That is why we were so anguished, and we wanted to know what had happened to our youth. And we were told that they (PFP) pulled a female too. For about two or three hours after that, they were shooting tear gas to where we were running. And well, they had us in that state of terror, and in those moments all we could do was to pull back to the church, and to ask for medical assistance."

"We also insisted that the people we had heard were present, from amnesty international; to show up and testify the state of terror and violence they have had Oaxaca in for more than 5 months now. Unfortunately, they told us they could not come, because they had a very busy agenda."

"I world like to say that it saddens me a lot to be in the streets, and to see that I am becoming part of a now normal and typical panorama, that these aggressors, these invaders are here in our streets. It is sad to see that the warm, beautiful Oaxaca filled with brave people now is invaded by these people (PFP). And I think to my self: how long will they be here; intimidating us?"

"I know that somewhere in this world there are many hearts that will hear and understand our call, and I can assure you that we feel those invisible hands, that even though we do not see, we know they are fighting for our dignity. Especially the women: don’t leave us alone. We are not afraid, we are filled with indignation, rage for what they are doing. Keep on answering our calls. I have a lot of confidence in the help of the international community, and of course of our people. We are going to accomplish it. This century will change all the things that need to change."

from santa cruz imc: danielsan

Interview, transcription and translation by members of VAPPOR OAXACA.

Además en Oaxaca se estaba haciendo una represión generalizada, pero desde la semana pasada es empezó a ser hora una represión además de la generalizada a las mujeres y los niños en Oaxaca por se esta haciendo se esta logrando violencia de genero

In addition, right now in Oaxaca there is a generalized repression, but since last week, another form of repression started, one that is geared towards children and women.

Esto si podemos nosotros controlar porque cuando pasamos por algunos de las calles donde están los señores de la policía federal preventiva con el pretexto de que ellos están buscando que no llevemos armas, los esculcan, es decir, los revisan pero nos tocan todo el cuerpo. Tocando varones al mismo tiempo y todavía por si fuera poco se burlan.

This is something that we can’t control because when we walk by the streets where the men of the PFP, with the excuse of looking for weapons, they search us, meaning to say, they check us down. Touching all of our bodies, both men and female, and if that was not enough, they made fun.

Son poco las mujeres que han querido hacer ese denuncia publica pero si me han platicado sin embargo existen las grabaciones de algunas de ellas que si quisieron dar sus datos, la mayoría no quieren hacerlo porque después la humillación es muy vergonzoso de hablar de eso, y no los importa si son mujeres, jóvenes, niñas, adultas o hasta personas de la tercera edad.

Few have been the women, who have wanted to make a public accusation, but they have spoken to me. As a matter of fact, recordings exist from some of the women who wanted to give their information; most of them didn’t want to do it because after the humiliation, it is very embarrassing to talk about that (harassment they suffered). They don’t care if they are women, boys, girls, and even old people.

Lo están haciendo indiscriminadamente con esto, cuando los decimos que porque están haciendo, esto ellos dicen porque están cumpliendo ordenes y que si no queremos tener problemas no pongamos resistencia y después de lo que lo hacen todavía se burlan y amenaza todavía amas amenazan a cada de las mujeres que revisan, nosotros tenemos grabaciones de algunas de las mujeres que han hecho una declaración a incluso una periódico que adonde se escribió se transcribió una de las denuncias de una de las mujeres valientes.

They are doing this indiscriminately, when we ask why they do the things they do, they say they are only following orders and that if we do not want to have problems, we should not resist. And after all of this, they make fun of us and make threats. They mostly threaten women. We have recordings where some of the women make declarations; there is even a news report where a declaration of one of the brave women is written.

Por eso es que el día de anteayer, las mujeres decidimos hacer una marcha para protestar sobre este violencia de genero, por su puesto también contra todo su poder y violencia.

That is why the day before yesterday, the women decided to mach and protest against the violence towards our gender, and of course against their power and violence.

Por eso nos tienen mas infiltradas porque nos están atemorizando a los sectores mas vulnerables Entonces hicimos esa marcha y de esta marcha la único que obtuvimos como respuesta fue mas atención Por que nos fueron lanzados gases lacrimógenos cuando íbamos pasando frente a la Policía federal preventiva se nos lanzaron gases lacrimógenos agua con chile en la cara y esta pues en esta marcha pues obviamente íbamos mujeres de todas las edades

That is why they have us infiltrated. They are frightening the most vulnerable of our sectors. So then, we organized this last mega march and the only thing we got from it was more attention, we were attacked with tear gas when we were walking in front of the PFP. They attacked with tear gas and pepper spray squirted at our face, and the thing is that this march had women of all ages.

Nosotros no respondimos esto nos aguantamos una vez mas la humillación Y el día de ayer se hizo un mar a favor de todos los sectores, sin embargo los compañeros de pueblo nos pidieron que fuéramos encabezando la marcha y porque también ellos están molestos por todo lo que están haciendo, y pues ayer fue todavía mas extrema la violencia. El día de ayer particular pues iban mas niños supongo yo porque iban ahí los papas de los niños no solo las mamas y hasta adelante íbamos las mujeres y los niños y exactamente cuando íbamos pasando las mujeres y los niños pues nos empezaron a atacar con un numero increíble de gases lacrimógenos que no nos permitía respira y ver por donde caminábamos y tuvimos nosotros que proteger a los niños con nuestros cuerpos y enrollarlos con nuestra ropa y tratar de sacarlos y les gritábamos que si estaban ahí niños y personas de la tercera edad que pararan eso pero lo que ya tenían preparado era que ya que pasáramos porque estaban apostados no solamente las vallas de los federales sino no mandaron a otros a los techos de las casas en las azoteas de ahí de los cuatro puntos nos empezaron a lanzar bombas de gases lacrimógenos y pues no tenia caso no podemos correr para ningún lado porque por los cuatro puntos nos estaban atacando hasta que llegaron unos jóvenes (se corta…..)

We didn’t respond. We grabbed a hold of ourselves one more time despite the humiliation. And then yesterday, there was a whole sea (of people) in our favor, yet the comrades of the village asked us (women) to lead the march, because they are angry at what they are doing (to us). The attack yesterday was even worse. There were a lot of kids, I am assuming it was because this time the dads came too. Heading the march, were us women and the children, and just as we were passing by the attacks started. There was an incredible amount of tear gas that did not let us breathe or see where we were headed. We had to protect the children with our bodies and hide them under our clothes trying to get them away and we would scream that there were kids and old people there. That they needed to stop the aggression, but they had it all prepared. They were just waiting for us to pass through there, because there were just waiting there. Not only did they have the fences created by the federals, they sent others to the ceilings of the houses…from the roofs of the four corners is where they started shooting the tear gas, there was no sense in running, they were attacking form all four sides until the youth started arriving… (Connection failure)

Otra cosa que aprovecho para decirte antes de se vuelva a corta que también es otra manera que ellos están intimidando tienen el control de los teléfonos y siempre que estamos haciendo una denuncia o hablando sobre el tema nos cortan las llamadas no importa que tengamos (se corta) por eso pasa esto estas situación entonces también ellos están usando la tecnología para tenerlos controlados para tenerlos intimidados para estar lanzando amenazas

Something that I would like to point out before we get cut of again, is that they are taking control of the telephone lines too. Every time we are on the phone and we are making statements of what is happening, we get cut off. They are using technology to control us, to intimidate us to threaten us.

entonces yo le estaba comentando que pues en ese momento nosotros sentimos desesperación cuando los niños empezaron a ahogarse con los gases y fueron los jóvenes universitarios y los que empezaron a este llegaron corriendo a sacarlos de ahí de donde estábamos nosotros nos hicimos una bolita ahí para protege a los niños y los jóvenes llegaron a rescatarnos y nos ayudaron a correr porque pues no podíamos ver porque como ya nos había tocado los gases en los ojos no podíamos ver con claridad íbamos y llevábamos hay irritados los ojos

So I was saying, that at that moment we felt very desperate, when we saw that the children were suffocating with the tear gas and it was then with the youth from the university arrived and began taking the kids away from the area. They began running to get them away from where we were. We had created a circle to protect the children and the youth came to rescue us and help us to run, because we couldn’t see, we all had tear gas in our eyes. Our eyes were very irritated.

Finalmente ellos empezaron a correr, ellos nos conducían. Desgraciadamente algunos de los muchachos, que nosotros entre las sombras de los gases pudimos ver, que algunos de los muchachos los jalaron. Por eso ayer teníamos esa angustia de que pasaba con nuestros jóvenes. Y nos decían que también por ahí si alcanzaron a jalar una mujer. Nosotros entendemos que hubieron jalado más mujeres si no hubiera sido porque estos jóvenes valientes llegaron a rescatarnos.

Finally, they began running, they were leading us. Unfortunately, some of the guys, we were able to tell that behind the shadows formed by the tear gas, we were able to see that some of the guys were pulled. That is why we were so anguished, and we wanted to know what had happened to our youth. And we were told that they (PFP) pulled a female too. We understand that they would have had taken more women if these young, brave people would not have been there to rescue us.

y después de eso fueron dos o tres horas que nos estuvieron hechando gases por donde íbamos corriendo. Por todas partes nos lanzaban. No se que equipo usen pero llegaban. nosotros tratamos de replegarnos a santa domingo y a dos cuadras de santo domingo llegaban esos petardos y bombas de gases lacrimógenos y entonces era increíble como estaba el centro ayer en esa área porque desde donde nos atacaron hasta dos cuadras de santo domingo chispearon

for about two or three hours after that, they were shooting tear gas to where we were running. They were shooting from everywhere. I do not know what kind of equipment they use, but they reached us. We tried to pull back to the Santo Domingo. The bombs, tear gas and firecrackers reached all the way until we reached the block before Santo Domingo.

Hubo un momento en el que también movilizaron sus tanquetas para estar lanzando el agua con chile y que empezaron a avanzar juntos. Ellos venían avanzado. No se calcular muy bien la cantidad de elementos que eran, pero si eran bastantes porque se oía bastante ruido como golpeaban ellos su toletes hasta hacían ruido con sus botas

There was a moment in which they started moving their tanks, in order to start shooting pepper spray and they began to advance together (the PFP and the tanks). They were advancing. I could not calculate how many there were, but there were a lot, because a lot of noise could be heard. They banged their shields and they even made noise with their boots.

y pues nos tuvieron en ese estado de terror en ese momento entonces nosotros lo único que hicimos fue replegarnos allá en iglesia este pues pedir ayuda medica porque teníamos varios heridos se tuvo que improvisar un puesto de socorro y pues si yo insisto que también este hicimos los que supimos que estaba amnistía internacional pues le hicimos una llamada amnistía internacional que se encontraba ahí en la cuidad pues que se acercara en este momento para que comprobara el estado de terror y violencia en el que nos tienen en Oaxaca desde hace mas de cinco meses desafortunadamente nos dijeron ellos que ellos no podían acercarse porque tenían una agenda muy ocupada en ese momento pues si a los que estábamos en la represión pensando en los que se habían llevado pues nos sentimos desamparados

And well, they had us in that state of terror, and in those moments all we could do was to pull back to the church, and to ask for medical assistance. We hade a few wounded and we had to create an improvised health center. We also insisted that the people we had heard were present, from amnesty international; to show up and testify the state of terror and violence they (PFP) have had Oaxaca in for more than 5 months now. Unfortunately, they told us they could not come, because they had a very busy agenda. At that moment, us that were being repressed were thinking of the ones that had been taken away, and we felt very unprotected.

Si me gustaría expresar ..si que nuevamente pues que amanecemos con boca atenta por que a mi si me da mucha tristeza tras estar en estas calles y ver que estoy volviendo parte del panorama cotidiano y ver estos agresores estos invasores en nuestras calles entonces esto me preocupa mucho ver como pasa los niños con sus uniformes a la escuela y los empiezan a mirar como pasiles de Oaxaca y a mi me rolliza a pensar que podemos a acostumbrar a ellos de que valla a padecer eso es normal, es cotidiano a qué en un Oaxaca tan calido tan bello tan lleno de gente pues valiente que ahora tengamos estas personas yo me pregunto, y que hasta cuando piensan estar ahí intimidándonos a pesar que días pasan viéndolos con algunos cara de miedo y unos de curiosidad y ellos endurecen mas cuando pasan las mujeres con sus niñas y niños que los llevan a la escuela

I world like to say that it saddens me a lot to be in the streets, and to see that I am becoming part of a now normal and typical panorama, that these aggressors, these invaders are here in our streets. This worries me a lot. To see how children, wearing their uniforms, and passing in front of them, and receiving looks of suspicion. And it terrorizes me to think that we could grow accustomed to them and that it will turn into something normal. It is sad to see that the warm, beautiful Oaxaca filled with brave people now is invaded by these people (PFP). And I think to my self: how long will they be here; intimidating us, even though some of them have had faces of fear and curiosity, but they become more aggressive when women and children walk by on their way to school.

pues en Oaxaca todavía sigue siendo tradicional verdad principalmente las mujeres llevan mas a los niños a la escuela ahí en el centro hay muchas escuelas publicas alrededor y ahí vemos a las mujeres con toda la angustia llevando a sus pequeños a demás pues la contaminación que hubo ahí de todos esos gases que estuvieron lazando seguramente va a tener alguna reacción en esos pequeños que son tan sensibles en todos los aspectos y todo el daño moral que se le esta haciendo llevándolos así en esa situación como si nada pasada a tomar clases, yo me pregunto que va pasar con ellos que estamos permitiendo todos que esto siga como si fuera normal este estado de sitio, prácticamente que estamos, debemos las mujeres sobre todo son las mas angustiad ahora pasar por temor lo mas legos posible pues aquí en Oaxaca si es pequeño y por una buena razón tenemos que pasar por ahí donde están esas que están por diferentes puntos no solamente en el centro de la ciudad también están alrededores por eso resulta imposible no pasar donde están por ellos

Oaxaca is still very traditional. Women are the ones that take the children to school. There are a lot of schools downtown, and we see the women walking their kids to school in anguish. Besides, we are worried for the kids and the contamination the gases left behind. It is going to definitely have an effect on the little ones. They are very sensitive in all aspects. The moral harm that taking them to school under these circumstances, as if nothing was happening, as if everything was normal in a martial law. The women are mostly affected by this, because Oaxaca is small and they (PFP) are everywhere. We can not avoid them. They are not only in downtown they are in the city too. They are in the outskirts too, it is impossible to avoid them.

y las veo con toda esta angustia pensando que algo les va a pasar pues entonces quiero recoger pues yo si tengo mucha fe en que si como hay este gente de infiltrados a los que les han comprado su vergüenza y conciencia también yo se que en todos los rincones del mundo hay mucha gente digna, que eso no tiene nacionalidad que es internacional la dignidad es mundial y que alguna parte y no se donde y no se como se llame yo quise pues creer no pues alguna institución que a lo mejor la O o la omise la omisec la cruz roja internacional pero sin nombres seguramente sin un rostro no se si es un rostro femenino o masculino pero no importa, pero yo se que en algún rincón del mundo hay muchos corazones y muchas conciencias que van a escuchar y entender nuestro llamado y es te si puedo jurar que sentimos esas manos invisibles que no las vemos físicamente pero también están luchando por nuestra dignidad

And I see them with that agony, thinking that something might happen to them. And I gather up my faith. I have a lot of faith that, in the same way that there are people that have been bought, that have sold their honor and principles, and that have infiltrated us; there are people in all corners of the world, a lot of noble people. Because being noble is something that does not see races, it is international. I know that in one of those places, I don’t know what the name is, I wanted to believe that it was going to be the red cross, but I don’t have a name, or a face or the knowledge of if it is a female or a male, but that doesn’t matter, I know that somewhere in this world there are many hearts that will hear and understand our call, and I can assure you that we feel those invisible hands, that even though we do not see, we know they are fighting for our dignity.

porque quiero reconocer que a lo largo de toda esa represión que hemos recibido por mes. Muchas voces se han levantado por el mundo como decían no podemos ver sus rostros pero si podemos sentir su apoyo pues que yo espero que ese apoyo siga creciendo y no tiene una sigla pues que se sigla llamando dignidad y que___________que crezcan que seamos mas que nos unifiquemos y aquí vamos estar aquí con los brazos abiertos y sobre todo con el corazón a la mano y esperando a que no nos dejen solos

I want to recognize that along with all of the repression we have received for a month now, there have been many voices around the worlds that like I said before, we can not see their faces, but we can feel their support and I wish that the support grows and that unifies, because we are here with open arms and with our hearts in our hands waiting for you to not abandon us.

y sobre todas las mujeres que nosotros no nos dejen solo y sobre todas las mujeres que nosotros no tenemos miedo lo que tenemos es mucha indignación y mucha rabia por lo que están haciendo y pues que sigan atendiendo nuestras llamadas de auxilio finalmente si no existe nombre para ello lo mas importante es que estamos haciendo y yo si tengo mucha confianza en la comunidad >pues este internacional y por supuesto nuestra propia gente en que lo vamos a lograr y que en este siglo todos estas cosas deben de cambiar y deben que cambiar por supuesto las mujeres también para nosotras las de cualquier rincón del mundo.

Especially the women: don’t leave us alone. We are not afraid, we are filled with indignation, rage for what they are doing. Keep on answering our calls. Finally, I don’t have a name for it, but I think it is very important what we are doing. I have a lot of confidence in the help of the international community, and of course of our people. We are going to accomplish it. This century will change all the things that need to change.

A si es yo te lo agradezco en nombre de mi pueblo___para que a todos aquellos que han tenido la sensibilidad de escucharnos y apoyarnos nosotros aquí seguiremos luchando y esperando todos los signos y siglas del mundo nos sigan apoyando

I thank you in the name of Oaxaca. All that have had the sensitivity to listen and support us, I tell you that we will remain here in the struggle waiting for signs from the world letting us know we are not alone.

v 03.12.2006 05:21 what does pfp mean? a 35th day of the occupation of Oaxaca by feder 03.12.2006 08:21 35th day of the occupation of Oaxaca by federal forces  http://elenemigocomun.net/623 The Dirty War of Oaxaca  http://elenemigocomun.net/622 Acclaimed Muralist Among Oaxaca’s Disappeared  http://elenemigocomun.net/621 Rights activist held in Oaxaca prison  http://elenemigocomun.net/618 A call to peaceful actions for the freedom of APPO prisoners  http://elenemigocomun.net/605 -------------- Oaxaca solidarity: El Enemigo Común (film and news)  http://elenemigocomun.net email 'announcement' list  http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/oaxaca events and actions  http://elenemigocomun.net/category/solidarity Donate for medical supplies and media equipment  http://elenemigocomun.net/donate el enemigo común