Oaxaca, Mexico: Federal government agrees to peace at any price -- Another sad day in a long, sad history

It is small wonder that 10% of the native born Mexican population now lives in the United States.

After 144 days of agony brought on first by a teachers' strike and then by anarchists running amok in the streets of this, the capitol city, as well as many other cities and towns throughout the state, the federal government has thrown in the towel.

In an 8 hour session yesterday, the federal government has agreed to the following:

• Drop all charges against all members of the SNTE and APPO for all crimes committed
• All prisoners already jailed are to be freed.
• All outstanding arrest warrants will be quashed
• Four more state and city government officials will be fired; Lino Celaya, State Secretary for Public Security; State Attorney General Lizbeth Caña; Manuel Moreno, Director of the State Ministerial Police; and the Municipal Police Chief, Aristeo López -- none of whom have been charged with any crime whatsoever and all of whom are well enough connected to do quite nicely, thank you.
• The teachers will "eventually" return to their classrooms
• APPO will walk away from their barricades leaving all the shit in the streets
• Police will return to the city's streets under the command of the federal Undersecretary of Public Security
• The ouster of Governor Ruiz Ortiz will now be pursued through "institutional channels"
• All of the above hinges upon the teachers and APPO membership accepting this agreement in meetings which begin today.

So, the anarchists have won. There is no justice in Mexico and it would appear that living outside the rule of law is now condoned and is, in fact, the official position of the Mexican federal government.

There was no mention of investment in infrastructure.

There was no mention of reparations for the hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses suffered by the citizens of Oaxaca.

There was no mention of any effort or offer by the SNTE nor the APPO to repair the physical damages suffered to buildings and property, be they government owned, privately owned or owned by the church.

There was no mention of any plan for job creation.

There was no mention of any steps to avoid a repeat of this entire fiasco again next year when the teachers strike and again occupy the city's center -- as they have done every year since 1984.

There was no mention of any plan to help 1,300,000 school children recoup 144 days of lost classroom time.

If, in fact, Governor Ruiz Ortiz was committed any crimes, he walks away Scot free.

If, in fact, any other city or state officials committed any crimes, they have also drawn a free pass.

Incredibly, there was no mention of any concrete steps to be taken by anyone, anytime, anywhere to prevent this from all blowing up again tomorrow, next week or next year.

There was no mention of any actions whatsoever to aid the economy of this dirt poor state.

So, in Oaxaca as in the rest of Mexico as well as 19 other countries to the south, the rich will keep getting richer and the poor will keep getting poorer and continue to survive on charity.

Congratulations!! You've just won . . . more misery!

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TAGS: Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca teachers' strike, capitulation