The village of Acteal, in the municipality of Chenalho, struggles in a non-violent manner for the right to live in peace within its own territory. In this village of the Chiapas, in Mexico, the tension linked to past violence is always palpable within the indigenous Tsotsile community. Ten years ago, peace and justice were disturbed and violated by the death of 45 Tsotsiles, women and children for the majority, according to an official report. For the tenth anniversary of this massacre, the members of the association Las abejas (the bees) organized a Conference against Impunity, on the 20th to 22nd of last December. More than fifty different associations as well as more than 800 individuals, from every part of Mexico and from all the continents, took part in this meeting, held to ensure that this massacre is not be forgotten when the facts have not yet been fully established, nor have those responsible been judged.
The struggle for autonomy, justice and respect for Chiapanec culture
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of this massacre, Las abejas also celebrated the 15th anniversary of their organization, which peacefully defends the struggle for autonomy, justice and respect for Chiapanec culture. As a memorial of the massacre, they built a new chapel in Acteal, upon which they hoisted, at dawn on the 22nd of December, the flags of Mexico and of peace. This chapel stands beside another in which, ten years ago, a hundred Tsotsiles were praying when a group of paramilitaries shot at them, during an operation which lasted seven hours. According to Las abejas, “the community continues to live in a state of war because arms are still there, and for now, we have no guarantee that the massacre will not take place again.”
Las abejas and guests, contemplative and resolute against oblivion of the massacre. © Andrés Díaz
Las abejas and guests, contemplative and resolute against oblivion of the massacre. © Andrés Díaz
Remember and fight so the massacre will never happen again
In preparation for this meeting, members of the community prepared tortillas (corn based pancakes), beans and coffee for the guests. The community radio Chanul-Pom set up in Acteal for the occasion, and broadcast the event live, in the Tsotsil and Tseltal native languages, and in Spanish for the villagers who could not attend. The first two days were marked by conferences hosted by human rights defenders and by two bishops who support the struggle of the Chiapanecs, Samuel Ruiz and Raúl Vera. At nightfall, members of Las Abejas did a reconstitution of the scene of the massacre, a representation which bewitched the spectators by its extreme expressiveness, all the more since they were only 20 metres away from the crime scene.
The last day with a commemoration of the Column of Infamy, erected in 1999on the road to Acteal. It is part of a group of columns present in different places of the world and built as a reminder that a severe attack was committed against humanity. A mass was said, in which Las abejas demanded the trial of the instigators of the massacre, linked to the authorities of that time. The association asks for the application without reserve of the UN Declaration of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and asks for the dismantling of paramilitary groups.
“Thus the event ended with a collective march to the scent of incense, the sounds of the harp, the violin and the guitar… and cries of support for Acteal. Leaving the participants a memory which encourages them to commit to the struggle, at their own time and pace, for a fairer Mexico” reports Andrés Díaz, who attended as a volunteer for the Citizens’ association for the defence of human rights (Ciudadanos en apoyo a los derechos humanos).
Also read: Resonances Latin America N° 22 - March 2008
