One year after the brutal attack on the people of San Salvador Atenco and the Other Campaign the demands for the freedom of the 31 remaining detainees, for investigation and justice for the military style operation which killed 14 year old Javier Cortez and 20 year old Alexis Benumeah, beat and tortured dozens and raped 26 female detainees remain clear and unchanged.

The Mexican State has shown its willingness not only to use military style violence in the streets, to make dirty agreements between all major political parties but also to manipulate the legal system against social movements. One year since the horrific attack on Atenco and the Other Campaign several major changes were announced in the legal cases of our comrades, who remain detained, accused of exaggerated and invented charges.

In the middle of the night on the 3rd of May the sentences of Ignacio del Valle, Felipe Alvarez and Hector Galindo (prominent members of the Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra held in La Palma high security penitentiary) were announced.  Each sentenced to over 67 years. Additionally, 11 comrades who were held in Santiaguito Prison were transferred to Texcoco on the 2 of May.

(If you are wondering what happened in San Salvador Atenco on the 3rd and 4th of May 2006 please see ATENCO ARCHIVES)

In the cultural event organised at Santiaguito Prison on the 5th of May, the date marking the first anniversary of the camp that continues outside the prison gates, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos highlighted the stupidity of the 67 year sentences.  “The current system wont last that long” he said.

Pressuring for the release of our comrades and for the rights of the Atenco community the actions commemorating one year since the brutal attacks continue. On the 3rd, 4th and the 12th of May marches in Mexico City were organised, representing the diversity of political organizations that support Atenco. Comandanta Herencia, Amoos from the Zapatista Bases de Apoyo (the communities in command of the EZLN) and Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos were present in several acts during the past weeks, expressing the continued solidarity of the Zapatistas and the EZLN.

On the 7th of May comrades set up another camp outside the Prison Molino de las Flores in Texcoco where 8 comrades ( including those recently transferred) are now being held. Initially compañeros detained in the gaol reported abuses and threats of violence by other inmates and prison staff. Owing to the new "planton" at the gates of the penal and the pressure of organisations in the Other Campaign these abuses have reduced. Our comrades at the camp invite visitors, especially children, to the gaol to participate in educacional workshops. Local communities have been very supportive of the camp, and despite threats from the director of the penal, so far there have only been two minor confrontations with the police.

In San Salvador Atenco the struggle is far from over. It has been recently signalled by various government officials (mostly from the PRI) that great interests in constructing an airport in the area remain, as originally proposed in 2001 by Fox but fiercely rejected by community based organisation.

It also goes without saying that there will be no rest until justice is won for the people of Atenco and our political prisoners. Not one single government official has been investigated for the brutal attacks in San Salvador Atenco in May last year. While several low ranked police are being “investigated” by a state court for “abuse of authority”, in Estado de Mexico (the state where Atenco is located) police are immune to criminal charges. That is to say, if the judge rules that the crimes committed were in fact extremely severe the worst that these officers face is losing their jobs in the police force. The Federal Senate finally approved a commission to investigate the abuses committed in Atenco in December 2006. A member of the Zapatista Lawyers Collective that is overseeing the cases of over 20 comrades that remain detained commented that this is part of a strategy to make the legal cases look like they are advancing through the creation of “watery commissions” with minimal ambit for investigation, when we are calculating that in reality some of our comrades could be detained for another year before being sentenced.

For all of us in the Other Campaign the importance of solidarity cannot be underestimated. It is a proposal for how society should be organised. It is a proposal that we are putting into practice today. As we discover locally and on the other side of the world, Atenco is one of so many struggling communities determined to protect their land and dignity.

If you or your organization would like to make a donation to the Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra (FPDT) please contact with an email clearly titled ATENCO DONATION (so that your email doesn’t get rejected as SPAM) and we will gladly put you in touch with the organization from Atenco, FPDT.