Violent attack on indigenous Tseltal defender of the land from San Sebastian Bachajón

October 18, 2016

Ejidatarios of San Sebastián Bachajón, adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and participants in the CNI, reported a fierce attack against Domingo Pérez Álvaro, who is now in delicate condition. According to a communiqué from the ejidatarios, on Monday 17 October, at approximately 4 pm, people belonging to the group of the officialist ejidal commission, who are pro-government and against the struggle being carried out by the ejidatarios for land, detained and assaulted Domingo Pérez at the top of Alan Sajcun when he was on his way home.

Domingo Pérez, an indigenous Tseltal, was imprisoned for five months, along with other ejidatarios, in 2011 in the prison CERESO 17 at Playas de Catazajá on false charges and multiple violations of their human rights, for his actions in defence of the land. On the day of the attack, Domingo was returning from the same prison, where he went to visit another political prisoner from Bachajón, Santiago Moreno Pérez, on behalf of the organization.

According to the statement, the people of the ejido accused Domingo Pérez of participating in collective works on lands of the neighbouring community of Bolom Ajaw and of participating in la Sexta Bachajón. Indeed, Domingo has participated in la Sexta Bachajón since its founding, acting as a promoter of human rights and participating in the National Indigenous Congress.

Here is the communiqué:

Urgent. Deprivation of liberty and physical assaults on compañero from la Sexta Bachajon

October 18, 2016

URGENT. Domingo Pérez Álvaro, one of the adherents to the Sixth from the Ejido San Sebastian Bachajon and a CNI participant, has been seriously assaulted; he is our Tseltal compañero and has struggled with his people to defend their territory against the bad capitalist governments; they attacked him when he was returning from his work visiting the prisoners from Bachajón in Playas de Catazajá. We ask please for your denouncement of the acts, and dissemination of the information, because the compañero is reported to be in a grave condition following the attack, so we send you this message:

"We hereby inform you that today at about 4 pm a group of people, followers of the officialist Ejidal Commissioner of San Sebastian Bachajon, Manuel Guzman Alvaro, arrested and physically assaulted compañero Domingo Pérez Álvaro, when he was at the top of the crossroads of Alan Sajcun travelling towards his home after performing work for the organization visiting compañero prisoner Santiago Perez Moreno at CERSS 17, Playas de Catazaja, Chiapas.

Compañero Domingo Pérez Álvaro is in a delicate condition after receiving strong blows from the people of the ejido, who claim he allegedly participated in collective work in the lands of Bolom Ajaw and participated in La Sexta Bachajón.

Comrade Domingo Pérez Álvaro participated ever since the founding of La Sexta Bachajon; he has walked in promoting human rights and participates in the National Indigenous Congress, he also participated in the 20th anniversary of the CNI.

We give this urgent word to let you know and to ask for your support through the dissemination of information. We condemn the actions of the ejidal commissioner Manuel Guzman Alvaro who we hold responsible for the integrity of our colleague Domingo Pérez Álvaro and for any attack that may take place on the compañeros of La Sexta Bachajon. We ask you to remain alert for more information we will publish.

We reject their acts of dispossession which only serve to confirm their agreements with the bad government to deliver ejido lands to them.

combative greetings

Land and Freedom

http://radiozapatista.org/?p=19060