Stop the war against Zapatista communities!

Mexico under President López Obrador likes to present itself as a progressive country that has left the violence and colonial continuities of past decades and centuries behind. As a result of a number of populist social reforms and measures to combat the still dramatic corruption and rising poverty, the government and its project of a "fourth transformation" (4T) enjoy in part great approval among the population.

A correspondingly polished image will also be in the foreground, for example, when Mexico hosts the soccer World Cup in 2026. After Qatar, everything will be fine again in international soccer and the world will be a guest of friends? - The reality is different! For us, this is a reason to take a closer look, because violence in Mexico is on the rise and indigenous peoples are increasingly affected by predatory exploitation and land conflicts.

Under slightly different circumstances, a continuation of neocolonial and neoliberal politics is taking place. Megaprojects such as the "Tren Maya" are being pushed forward for the development and exploitation of the land. They destroy the rainforests and are repressively enforced with the involvement of the military. Violence never went away and it is exploding again. Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, for example. Feminicides and the disappearance of human rights and environmental activists or trade unionists are a deadly daily occurrence: Mexico currently has an average of seven feminicides per day and one person disappears every hour.

Indigenous communities in particular are once again affected by the violence. A low-intensity war against the Zapatistas is currently intensifying in Chiapas. Tolerated and promoted by the government, it is carried out primarily by paramilitaries. Threats, the burning of fields and buildings, and armed attacks are on the rise. Zapatistas and other indigenous people have already been forced to leave their communities. Shots are fired again and again - at people harvesting crops or at schools and other community buildings. As recently as May 22, 2023, a compa suffered serious gunshot wounds in a paramilitary attack.

But the resistance continues and the solidarity is great! Just recently, an internationally widely shared statement from Mexico sided with the Zapatistas and other indigenous resistors. The call for a global day of action on June 8 was followed by a diverse mobilization that expressed worldwide: L@s Zapatistas no están solos! - The Zapatistas are not alone!

For September 2023, a delegation of the CNI (Congreso Nacional Indígena) from Mexico has been invited to visit the European territories. During their tour, the indigenous activists will report on the worrying situation and how they are fighting against the increasing violence and for their autonomy. It will also be about the entanglement of global relations of exploitation and thus the intersections at which our solidarity can continue to become practical.

Together with many other organizations and collectives from all over Europe, Café Libertad supports the invitation of the delegation. In addition to meetings in other German and European cities, events are also planned in Hamburg in early September. More information and announcements will follow.