Authorities on Sunday arrested a soldier accused of opening fire on a street barricade in this protest-besieged southern Mexican city, killing one demonstrator and wounding another.
The soldier identified as Jonathan Rios, assigned to a state army barracks, was detained and questioned before dawn for the shooting, which investigators blame on a drunken argument that had nothing to do with the political dispute that has paralyzed Oaxaca for months.
But protesters who have blockaded streets to call for the ouster of state Gov. Ulises Ruiz said Rios' alleged involvement was proof that state authorities have sent undercover police and soldiers to attack them.
According to a police report, Rios and three other men were driving away from a bar around 2 a.m. Saturday when they came across one of the roadblocks. After demonstrators refused to let them pass, investigator say, Rios climbed from the car and began shooting.
Alejandro Garcia, 41, was shot in the head and died that afternoon in a hospital, while 19-year-old Marco Antonio Joaquin was treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder and released.
Protest leaders blamed the shootings on Ruiz's government and vowed further unrest if Garcia died. But the streets of Oaxaca were quiet Sunday afternoon, even after news of Garcia's death and the arrest of a soldier spread.
Friends, family members and fellow protesters held a candlelight vigil in the city's central plaza late Saturday and planned a massive funeral for late Sunday.
Garcia was at least the fourth person killed in the five-month-old disturbances in Oaxaca. Two protesters have been shot to death in clashes with police, and last week a teacher was killed by attackers wielding an ice pick. Colleagues said they believed he was slain because he opposed the strike.
Oaxaca, the capital city of the state of the same name, has been on the verge of chaos since May, when striking teachers seized the central plaza to demand wage increases.
After police tried and failed retake the heart of the city the following month, the teachers were joined by various groups of leftists, students and anarchists, building street barricades, burning buses and taking over radio and television stations.
They accuse Ruiz of rigging his 2004 election and using paramilitary gangs to attack dissidents. Negotiations between protesters and Mexico's federal government have so far failed to end the standoff.
Ruiz denies the charges and has called for federal troops to restore order.
Monday, January 8, 2007
October 13, 2006: Senators meet with governor, protesters during tour of embattled Mexican city
Protesters commandeered a bus and tried to ram it through the gates of Oaxaca's state congress, in an apparent bid to show visiting federal senators inside that the rule of law has broken down in this picturesque colonial city.
The delegation of five senators from Mexico's three main parties arrived earlier Thursday to meet with Oaxacan officials, protesters and community groups over two days on a fact-finding tour to assess the situation in the embattled city, which has been paralyzed since May by protests and violence.
If they determine that the government has ceased to function, the Senate could vote to remove Oaxaca state Gov. Ulises Ruiz the key demand of the demonstrators, made up of a coalition of leftists and striking teachers.
The demonstrators were unsuccessful in their attempt to ram the bus into congress but did spray paint on the Senate commission's vehicle as it left, a day after protesters blockaded highways and tried to storm a government security agency, drawing scattered gunfire from police.
Officials said the resurgence in radical actions was an attempt to project an image of lawlessness and spark the ouster of Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging his own election and using violence against demonstrators.
"We see yesterday's events as being orchestrated, but that isn't going to frighten us off," said Sen. Alejandro Gonzalez of the conservative National Action Party, referring to the Wednesday clash.
The senators met at a local airport with Ruiz and his cabinet, who have largely been displaced from their offices by the protests but claim the state government is still functioning.
More than 1 million school children have been shut out of classes in Oaxaca since the beginning of the teacher's strike five months ago, and many private schools have also closed their doors.
Also Thursday, at least 8,000 teachers in the neighboring state of Chiapas went on a three-day sympathy strike, leaving about 1 million students 40 percent of the state's enrollment without classes.
Most of the Chiapas' 40,000 teachers did show up for work, but the strike raised fears that the Oaxaca conflict could spread.
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The delegation of five senators from Mexico's three main parties arrived earlier Thursday to meet with Oaxacan officials, protesters and community groups over two days on a fact-finding tour to assess the situation in the embattled city, which has been paralyzed since May by protests and violence.
If they determine that the government has ceased to function, the Senate could vote to remove Oaxaca state Gov. Ulises Ruiz the key demand of the demonstrators, made up of a coalition of leftists and striking teachers.
The demonstrators were unsuccessful in their attempt to ram the bus into congress but did spray paint on the Senate commission's vehicle as it left, a day after protesters blockaded highways and tried to storm a government security agency, drawing scattered gunfire from police.
Officials said the resurgence in radical actions was an attempt to project an image of lawlessness and spark the ouster of Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging his own election and using violence against demonstrators.
"We see yesterday's events as being orchestrated, but that isn't going to frighten us off," said Sen. Alejandro Gonzalez of the conservative National Action Party, referring to the Wednesday clash.
The senators met at a local airport with Ruiz and his cabinet, who have largely been displaced from their offices by the protests but claim the state government is still functioning.
More than 1 million school children have been shut out of classes in Oaxaca since the beginning of the teacher's strike five months ago, and many private schools have also closed their doors.
Also Thursday, at least 8,000 teachers in the neighboring state of Chiapas went on a three-day sympathy strike, leaving about 1 million students 40 percent of the state's enrollment without classes.
Most of the Chiapas' 40,000 teachers did show up for work, but the strike raised fears that the Oaxaca conflict could spread.
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October 12, 2006:Gunfire Erupts in Embattled Mexican City
Striking teachers rejected a proposal to allow police back in this embattled colonial city and gunfire erupted when leftist protesters tried to seize a government building, dimming hopes for a quick resolution to five months of turmoil.
The teachers and leftists have taken over large parts of Oaxaca and driven police out of much of downtown, scaring away tourists and costing businesses millions of dollars in lost revenue. The national government had proposed allowing police to resume patrols under federal command, trying to ease protesters' fear of reprisals by state officials.
But the teachers said they would not consider the plan until Mexico's Senate rules on their main demand: the resignation of Oaxaca state. Gov. Ulises Ruiz. They accuse the governor of rigging his 2004 election and setting armed gangs against his opponent.
Since late May, the protesters have set up barricades, seized media outlets, burned buses and essentially run police out of Oaxaca's picturesque, arch-ringed main plaza.
On Wednesday, protesters tried to seize or block more state government offices ahead of a visit by a Senate commission trying to assess the conflict.
Gunfire erupted when a band of strike enforcers tried to take over the offices of a public safety agency, carrying clubs and rocks. The hooded protesters, known as the "mobile brigade," had seized the same building weeks ago, beating one official inside.
This time, they were met with gunfire from police inside the building. Ministerial Police Director Manuel Moreno Rivas said police fired into the air, but there were no injuries. Protesters said two of their group were grazed by bullets.
Protesters also blocked most of the highways leading in and out of Oaxaca.
The senators were expected to arrive Thursday to determine if the state government had lost control, a situation that could allow the Senate to remove Ruiz from office. Ruiz has called for the army to act against the protesters, a request that has so far been denied.
The teachers and leftists have taken over large parts of Oaxaca and driven police out of much of downtown, scaring away tourists and costing businesses millions of dollars in lost revenue. The national government had proposed allowing police to resume patrols under federal command, trying to ease protesters' fear of reprisals by state officials.
But the teachers said they would not consider the plan until Mexico's Senate rules on their main demand: the resignation of Oaxaca state. Gov. Ulises Ruiz. They accuse the governor of rigging his 2004 election and setting armed gangs against his opponent.
Since late May, the protesters have set up barricades, seized media outlets, burned buses and essentially run police out of Oaxaca's picturesque, arch-ringed main plaza.
On Wednesday, protesters tried to seize or block more state government offices ahead of a visit by a Senate commission trying to assess the conflict.
Gunfire erupted when a band of strike enforcers tried to take over the offices of a public safety agency, carrying clubs and rocks. The hooded protesters, known as the "mobile brigade," had seized the same building weeks ago, beating one official inside.
This time, they were met with gunfire from police inside the building. Ministerial Police Director Manuel Moreno Rivas said police fired into the air, but there were no injuries. Protesters said two of their group were grazed by bullets.
Protesters also blocked most of the highways leading in and out of Oaxaca.
The senators were expected to arrive Thursday to determine if the state government had lost control, a situation that could allow the Senate to remove Ruiz from office. Ruiz has called for the army to act against the protesters, a request that has so far been denied.
October 12, 2006: Mexican senators begin investigation that could lead to removal of southern governor
Mexican senators considering whether to remove the Oaxaca governor in the face of protests accusing him of vote-rigging and using armed gangs against his opponents arrived in the region Thursday to determine firsthand whether the government had ceased to function.
Striking teachers and leftist activists have been camped out in the city since May, building barricades, burning buses and taking over radio stations. The protesters are demanding the ouster of Gov. Ulises Ruiz.
On Wednesday, protesters refused to allow police to take control of the center they have occupied for five months, saying they first wanted a Senate ruling on Ruiz's future in this southern colonial city.
Sen. Alejandro Gonzalez, of the ruling National Action Party, said the violence would not intimidate lawmakers. He said their mission was necessary for the "benefit of the people of Oaxaca."
Gunfire erupted Wednesday when strike enforcers known as the "mobile brigade," wearing hoods and carrying clubs and rocks, tried to take over the offices of a public safety agency in Oaxaca. They had seized the same building weeks ago, beating one of the officials they found inside.
This time they were greeted by gunshots from police inside. Police Chief Manuel Moreno said officers fired into the air, and that there were no injuries. Protesters said two of their colleagues were grazed by bullets.
Earlier in the day, strikers broadcast appeals over a radio station, calling on protesters to step up disruptive activities to prove to the visiting senators that the rule of law had broken down.
"This appears orchestrated," said Gonzalez, adding that the strikers apparently "wanted to create a different appearance" prior to the visit.
If the senators judge that all three branches of the Oaxaca state government the executive, legislative and judicial branches have ceased to function, a Senate committee can call for the removal of the governor.
The Oaxaca state congress, dominated by the governor's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, vehemently denies this has happened. Ruiz has called for the army to act against the protesters, a request that so far has been denied.
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Striking teachers and leftist activists have been camped out in the city since May, building barricades, burning buses and taking over radio stations. The protesters are demanding the ouster of Gov. Ulises Ruiz.
On Wednesday, protesters refused to allow police to take control of the center they have occupied for five months, saying they first wanted a Senate ruling on Ruiz's future in this southern colonial city.
Sen. Alejandro Gonzalez, of the ruling National Action Party, said the violence would not intimidate lawmakers. He said their mission was necessary for the "benefit of the people of Oaxaca."
Gunfire erupted Wednesday when strike enforcers known as the "mobile brigade," wearing hoods and carrying clubs and rocks, tried to take over the offices of a public safety agency in Oaxaca. They had seized the same building weeks ago, beating one of the officials they found inside.
This time they were greeted by gunshots from police inside. Police Chief Manuel Moreno said officers fired into the air, and that there were no injuries. Protesters said two of their colleagues were grazed by bullets.
Earlier in the day, strikers broadcast appeals over a radio station, calling on protesters to step up disruptive activities to prove to the visiting senators that the rule of law had broken down.
"This appears orchestrated," said Gonzalez, adding that the strikers apparently "wanted to create a different appearance" prior to the visit.
If the senators judge that all three branches of the Oaxaca state government the executive, legislative and judicial branches have ceased to function, a Senate committee can call for the removal of the governor.
The Oaxaca state congress, dominated by the governor's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, vehemently denies this has happened. Ruiz has called for the army to act against the protesters, a request that so far has been denied.
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October 8, 2006: Teachers in besieged Mexican city reject government offer to end strike
Striking teachers Saturday rejected a federal government offer aimed at ending a nearly five-month strike and protests that have paralyzed much of the colonial Mexican city of Oaxaca.
The teachers said they would insist on their principal demand, the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz. Federal officials have said only the Senate can remove a governor.
The rejection of the government proposal is likely to increase tensions in Oaxaca, where leftist protesters have joined striking teachers in erecting barricades, running off police, scaring away tourists and seizing radio and television stations.
Details of the offer have not been made public, but reportedly included the wage increases that originally motivated the strike.
The teachers also demanded that thousands of army and navy personnel posted in Oaxaca leave. The protesters claim the troops are preparing to forcibly retake the city's center.
In announcing the rejection, union leader Enrique Rueda Pacheco said "we have decided to open ourselves to negotiation, but that does not mean we're taking off the table our demand that Mr. Ulises Ruiz resign."
On Saturday, relatives buried a teacher who had been stabbed two days earlier by assailants with an ice pick. The victim, Jaime Rene Calva Aragon, 53, belonged to a group that opposed the strike, and other dissident teachers have accused militant leftists of being behind the killing.
Calva Aragon had apparently angered strike supporters by teaching students at his home during the work stoppage.
"It's not right because he was a good man," Calva Aragon's sister, Marilu, told reporters Saturday.
The violence raised fears that the strikers' intransigence could lead to a wider confrontation. Oaxaca businessmen and others who have lost millions of dollars during the protests have pressed the federal government to restore order.
The protesters detained three police officers on the city's outskirts Friday before releasing them.
Thousands of state police have gathered outside the city in recent days, and helicopters and military planes have flown over the demonstrators.
The teachers also rejected a government invitation for a meeting Sunday in Oaxaca; the main talks have been held in Mexico City. Strike leaders said the government also asked that they return to classes and allow federal police to patrol the city, but the teachers said they would only consider those requests after their demand for the governor's resignation is resolved.
The protesters claim Ruiz won his post in a rigged election and used violence against them in a previous attempt to break up protest camps in the city's picturesque, arch-ringed main plaza.
Both the U.S. and British embassies in Mexico have warned their citizens about visiting Oaxaca, which is normally popular for its colonial architecture and ancient pyramids.
The teachers said they would insist on their principal demand, the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz. Federal officials have said only the Senate can remove a governor.
The rejection of the government proposal is likely to increase tensions in Oaxaca, where leftist protesters have joined striking teachers in erecting barricades, running off police, scaring away tourists and seizing radio and television stations.
Details of the offer have not been made public, but reportedly included the wage increases that originally motivated the strike.
The teachers also demanded that thousands of army and navy personnel posted in Oaxaca leave. The protesters claim the troops are preparing to forcibly retake the city's center.
In announcing the rejection, union leader Enrique Rueda Pacheco said "we have decided to open ourselves to negotiation, but that does not mean we're taking off the table our demand that Mr. Ulises Ruiz resign."
On Saturday, relatives buried a teacher who had been stabbed two days earlier by assailants with an ice pick. The victim, Jaime Rene Calva Aragon, 53, belonged to a group that opposed the strike, and other dissident teachers have accused militant leftists of being behind the killing.
Calva Aragon had apparently angered strike supporters by teaching students at his home during the work stoppage.
"It's not right because he was a good man," Calva Aragon's sister, Marilu, told reporters Saturday.
The violence raised fears that the strikers' intransigence could lead to a wider confrontation. Oaxaca businessmen and others who have lost millions of dollars during the protests have pressed the federal government to restore order.
The protesters detained three police officers on the city's outskirts Friday before releasing them.
Thousands of state police have gathered outside the city in recent days, and helicopters and military planes have flown over the demonstrators.
The teachers also rejected a government invitation for a meeting Sunday in Oaxaca; the main talks have been held in Mexico City. Strike leaders said the government also asked that they return to classes and allow federal police to patrol the city, but the teachers said they would only consider those requests after their demand for the governor's resignation is resolved.
The protesters claim Ruiz won his post in a rigged election and used violence against them in a previous attempt to break up protest camps in the city's picturesque, arch-ringed main plaza.
Both the U.S. and British embassies in Mexico have warned their citizens about visiting Oaxaca, which is normally popular for its colonial architecture and ancient pyramids.
October 7, 2006: Tensions grow in besieged Mexican city, raisings fear of bloody confrontation
Tensions grew in this besieged Mexican city Friday with police saying three officers were beaten by protesters a day after a teacher was hacked to death.
The violence raised fears the four-month-old standoff between protesters and Oaxaca state government could lead to a wider confrontation.
Thousands of state police have gathered outside the city in recent days, and helicopters and military planes have flown over the demonstrators.
About 2,000 leftists, labor activists and Indian groups have occupied the center of this historic city since May. They are demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging the 2004 election.
The standoff began when teachers went on strike for higher wages, but it quickly mushroomed into a broad-based movement. Ruiz and local business groups have asked the army to intervene to end the standoff.
About 60 protest sympathizers seized the three policemen in Zaachila, a village six miles outside Oaxaca city, state police said Friday. They said the officers were kicked and beaten for about two hours before being released.
On Thursday, a teacher belonging to a group opposed to the strike was killed by two assailants who stabbed him in the neck with an ice pick, said Oaxaca state police official Victor Alonso Altamirano. Protesters deny they were involved.
Clashes involving protesters, police and armed gangs have left two people dead, and both the U.S. and British embassies in Mexico have issued advisories warning their citizens about going to Oaxaca.
The unrest has scared most tourists away from the city, which is normally popular for its colonial architecture and ancient pyramids. Business leaders put losses at more than $300 million.
The violence raised fears the four-month-old standoff between protesters and Oaxaca state government could lead to a wider confrontation.
Thousands of state police have gathered outside the city in recent days, and helicopters and military planes have flown over the demonstrators.
About 2,000 leftists, labor activists and Indian groups have occupied the center of this historic city since May. They are demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging the 2004 election.
The standoff began when teachers went on strike for higher wages, but it quickly mushroomed into a broad-based movement. Ruiz and local business groups have asked the army to intervene to end the standoff.
About 60 protest sympathizers seized the three policemen in Zaachila, a village six miles outside Oaxaca city, state police said Friday. They said the officers were kicked and beaten for about two hours before being released.
On Thursday, a teacher belonging to a group opposed to the strike was killed by two assailants who stabbed him in the neck with an ice pick, said Oaxaca state police official Victor Alonso Altamirano. Protesters deny they were involved.
Clashes involving protesters, police and armed gangs have left two people dead, and both the U.S. and British embassies in Mexico have issued advisories warning their citizens about going to Oaxaca.
The unrest has scared most tourists away from the city, which is normally popular for its colonial architecture and ancient pyramids. Business leaders put losses at more than $300 million.
October 2, 2006: Protesters throw explosives at banks in southern Mexican city
Protesters threw explosives at two banks in Oaxaca on Monday, shattering windows and further raising tensions in this once-charming colonial city.
The attacks on the banks by the previously unknown group called the Armed Revolutionary Organization for the People of Oaxaca follow months of violence in Oaxaca city, where protesters have set up street barricades and taken the city center. The explosions damaged the banks' facades, but caused little other damage, city official Eliodoro Diaz said.
Protesters and news media speculated that federal forces were planning to retake the city after navy helicopters flew over the area this weekend. But Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal insisted the helicopters and military planes were on routine supply runs that had nothing to do with the more than four months of unrest.
In response to the flyovers, protesters reinforced barricades with bags of cement and tree trunks. They have vowed to beat back any police and soldiers who moved on the city.
President Vicente Fox said Monday that "as long as there is the possibility of reaching an agreement we're going to insist on it ... that things be resolved in this manner."
But if an agreement is not possible, "breaking the law must always be impeded and should be punished," Fox said.
"This government is ready to fulfill its responsibility in both ways."
Fearing violence, tourists have shunned the city, which is normally popular for its exotic cuisine, colorful culture and nearby pre-Hispanic ruins. Local business associations estimate the protests have cost the city more than US$300 million (euro235 million).
The unrest began in May, when tens of thousands of teachers seized the capital's leafy central plaza to demand wage increases.
The following month, Gov. Ulises Ruiz sent police to attempt to retake the heart of the city. Since then, thousands of leftists, students and anarchists have joined striking teachers, building street barricades, burning buses and taking over radio and television stations.
They demand that Ruiz resign, alleging that he rigged the 2004 election and has used paramilitary gangs to attack dissidents.
At least two people have been shot to death and dozens more injured in clashes between protesters and police. On Saturday, a motorcyclist was decapitated when he ran into a wire strung across a street as part of a blockade.
Late Sunday, nearby residents and authorities clashed with protesters who had seized a tractor-trailer and were unloading its cargo.
Abascal has overseen negotiations to end the standoff, but the federal government has said it will not force Ruiz to resign. Protesters maintain their demand that he leave office.
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