Oaxaca Revisited - More Violence Brewing?
Posted by StormWarning on 30 Apr 2007 at 10:00 am | Tagged as: Current Affairs, International Issues, National Security, Opinions
The Oaxaca teachers’ strike of nearly a year ago is long over. There is no tear gas or body armored police on the streets. But if you think that this once peaceful tourist destination is really at peace, you should think again. Tensions are once again rising, and the prospects for another summer of insurrection are real. See previous Oaxaca posts below.
The 70,000-strong teachers union announced it will march through the city Tuesday as part of International Workers Day observances and perhaps take over government offices.
The trouble last year started when the police challenged the teachers’ demonstrating. The violence escalated and the teachers took over the zócalo. They set up a tent city and were reinforced by the leftist community group, APPO. Losses to local businesses and tourism reached $800 million as a result. American
journalist-activist Bradley Will was one of about 20 people killed in violence related to demonstrations in the
capital and other parts of the state.
The chief demand of the teachers and the coalition remains the ouster of Gov. Ulises Ruíz, who they accuse of being corrupt, using the government to benefit his cronies and unleashing force to squash dissent.
They say they consider Ruíz an example of an old-school Mexican politician, ruling one of the nation’s poorest and most indigenous states like a dictator.
Apparently, the unanswered question is whether President Calderón will be able to keep the groups from coalescing again.
Oaxaca wants you back. The question is whether you should want to go back there (ever). Its a good publicity campaign, but the Mexican Tourist Board wouldn’t tell you about the fact that civil unrest is growing in Oaxaca again, this time protesting over social security law. And there is more!
Last week, the son of the U.S. consul was stabbed during a mugging in what local authorities claim was a crime that could have happened anywhere. I can’t believe that the South of Mexico is safe (is any part of Mexico safe?).
This message is not brought to you by the Mexican tourist board.
Travel in Mexico (Don’t) - State Department 16 Nov 2006
Travel in Mexico (Not) - Oaxaca Not al Qaeda Clones 9 Nov 2006
Traveling to/in Mexico - Think! 29 Oct 2006
Current Affairs, International Issues, National Security, Opinions
We’ve been to Mexico and it was so depressing. If you get outside your resort/hotel, or away from the ‘tourist sites’, things are scary. Honestly I can’t blame folks for wanting to leave and come to the US. I’ve never been to Oaxaca, but t I would not advise tourists to go there after reading your reports.
In a former life, I used to go to Mexico every Winter on vacation. A bit more than 30 years ago, I remember a trip when I awoke early and saw armed militia patrolling the beach in Puerto Vallerta. A dozen years ago places like Cancun or Cozumel were OK, but still nerve wracking for a parent letting a teenager go out at night with friends.
I’ll spend my vacation money elsewhere. One exception in Mexico would probably be Cabo in Baja.
However, NONE of that makes illegal immigration understandable for me.
Beheadings on the U.S. Border
This is not the first time we have beheaded and mutilated bodies on the United States border and in other Mexican locations. Generally we think of beheading in places like the Middle East, not in our backyard. This is not