bluprnt 4 rvolution: Anti-Globo

Zapitistas heating up

Drama in our favorite rebel nation of Oxaca.
More power to them.

According to the BBC, Marcos said, "We are not, for our part, planning or consulting about a return to offensive military combat."

He indicated that the group may be contemplating broadening its focus beyond rights for indigenous Indians.

"Those who supported us in our exclusively Indian fight can distance themselves, without shame or remorse, from this 'something else'," said his statement.

Apparently the Mexican government "found" pot plants on Zapitista land and was planning a raid, when the alert went out. It might have been a counter measure by Marcos, but the gov admitted mistake today.

************************************
Translated by irlandesa

Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee
General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Mexico.

June 19, 2005

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:

Brothers and Sisters:

As of today, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation has declared, throughout all rebel territory, a

GENERAL RED ALERT

Based on this, we are informing you:

First - That at this time the closure is being carried out of the Caracoles and the Good Government Offices which are located in the zapatista communities of Oventik, La Realidad, Morelia and Roberto Barrios, as well as all the headquarters of the authorities of the different Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities.

Second - That also being carried out is the evacuation of the members of the different Good Government Juntas and the autonomous authorities, in order to place them in shelter. Now, and for an indefinite time period, they will be carrying out their work in a clandestine and nomadic manner. Both the projects as well as the autonomous government will continue functioning, although under
different circumstances than they have been up until now.

Third - That basic community health services will continue functioning in the different Caracoles. Civilians will be in charge of these services, and the CCRI-CG of the EZLN is distancing them from any of our future actions, and we are demanding that they be treated as civilians and with respect for their life, liberty and goods by government forces.

Fourth - That there has been a call-up of all members of our EZLN who have been engaged in social work in the zapatista communities and those of our regular troops who have been in their barracks. In a similar fashion, all broadcasts by Radio Insurgente, ³The Voice of Those Without Voice², in FM and in short wave, have been suspended for an indefinite period of time.

Fifth - That, simultaneous with the publication of this communiqué, national and international civil societies who are working in peace camps and in community projects are being urged to leave rebel territory. Or, if they decide freely of their own volition, they remain on their own and at their own risk, gathered in the caracoles. In the case of minors, their departure is obligatory.

Sixth - That the EZLN announces the closing of the Zapatista Information Centre (CIZ), not without first thanking the civil societies who have participated in it, from the time of its creation until today. The CCRI-CG of the EZLN formally releases these persons from any responsibility for the future actions of the EZLN.

Seventh - That the EZLN releases from responsibility for any of our future actions all persons and civil, political, cultural, citizens and non-governmental organizations, solidarity committees and support groups who have been close to us since 1994. We thank all of those who have, sincerely and honestly, throughout these almost 12 years, supported the civil and peaceful struggle of the zapatista indigenous for the constitutional recognition of indigenous rights and culture.

Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!

From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Mexico, in the sixth month of the year 2005.

Vegetarians can shut up

Ok, so it's all more complicated than that. But the main reason the Amazon is currently being deforested is so that people can grow soy and make your gelatenous meat subsitute. Alright, I like tofu a lot too, but the point is that simplistic ideologies like vegetarianism are not the way to save the world. Eating local food seems like the best way to do it.

Consumer OverConfidence

Yet another article in the New York Times about how fucked the US is when it comes to international trade. Chaina and Japan will own us. Just you wait...Excerpts below.

"To cover the debt, the United States has become more dependent on foreign governments. According to one study, private foreign investors have grown wary of financing the United States deficit over the last year; as a result, Asian governments have stepped in, especially Japan and China, and now provide 87 percent of the inflow of dollars to cover the gap in what Americans earn from selling and investing abroad."

Also, funny quotes:
"The Bush administration interpreted the current account deficit as a sign that other countries were lagging behind the United States and needed to pump up their economies...

"The imbalance "is largely a result of the global growth deficit," Mr. Nichols said. "It's important that the rest of the world grow more, which will expand our ability to export and aid our manufacturing industry."

USA in decline

It's totally happening. Companies are too international to regulate. They're sucking the US dry. Try to tell them to pay taxes and they're just going to up and relocate all together. While the people in the US stay and lose money and jobs. It's going to be fascinating to watch people realize this.

"Fifty-eight percent of offshore profits are now taken in tax havens"

"The figures also show how Congress, by eroding the capacity of the Internal Revenue Service to enforce tax laws and through laws and treaties that favor the use of tax havens, is shifting the burden of taxes from multinational companies to individuals and purely domestic companies."

"Congress gives companies a dollar-for-dollar credit on taxes paid in foreign countries, which in practice is a subsidy for offshore investment.

Congress also permits perpetual deferral of taxes on profits earned offshore - but only if they are not returned to the United States, a practice that critics say encourages job creation overseas to the detriment of American workers. "

Plan B, Columbia

This is an AMAZING article on the Columbian situation. Everyone should read it.

So is Noam

"Five Questions with Noam Chomsky" interview from Counterpunch.

The man does not make sound bites easy but here is an attmept:
"I have to admit that I have an irrational dislike of the word "trope," and other postmodern affectations. "

"business was well aware that high-tech industry could not survive in a competitive free enterprise economy, and "government must be the savior," as the business press explained. Such considerations converged on the decision to focus on military rather than social spending. "

Regarding Bush's National Security Strategy:
"Typical was the reaction of Madeleine Albright, also in Foreign Affairs. Like others, she criticized the Bush planners. She added, correctly, that every president has a similar strategy, but doesn't smash people in the face with it, antagonizing even allies. Rather, he keeps it in his back pocket to use when needed. She knew of course that the "Clinton doctrine" was even more extreme than the NSS, declaring that the US would resort to force unilaterally if necessary to ensure access to markets and resources, without even the pretexts of "self-defense" conjured up by Bush propagandists and their acolytes. But Clinton presented the doctrine quietly, and was careful to carry out his crimes, which were many, in ways that would be acceptable to allies and could be justified or concealed by elite opinion, including the media."

Future of Latin America

Super fab article from Counterpunch

"I think the reason for this is that Latin America was used as a laboratory by the United States for a long, long time. Everything the US wanted was experimented in Latin America first. When they wanted military—on the political level—when they wanted to crush popular movements by unleashing military dictatorships they did it in Latin America first: Brazil, Argentina, Chile; three of the most brutal dictatorships we have seen. Then, after the collapse of the communist enemy, they relaxed on the political front but they got Latin America in a grip economically, and they said ‘this is the only way forward.’ The laboratory of the American Empire is the first to rebel against the Empire. "

"they [the US] don’t feel threatened is because there is an idealistic slogan within the social movements, which goes like this: ‘We can change the world without taking power.’ This slogan doesn’t threaten anyone; it’s a moral slogan. The Zapatistas—who I admire—you know, when they marched from Chiapas to Mexico City, what did they think was going to happen? Nothing happened. It was a moral symbol, it was not even a moral victory because nothing happened. .. But I think, from that point of view, the Venezuelan example is the most interesting one. It says: ‘in order to change the world you have to take power, and you have to begin to implement change—in small doses if necessary—but you have to do it. Without it nothing will change.’

Chomsky Article on ZDnet

“The survival of the species is at stake, literally.”

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=40&ItemID=5660

What a way to hide from debt

This is a really interesting statement by Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and is an obvious reason behind the US economic expansion.

Yes Men Caper!

The following is a press release for the latest stunt pulled off by the fabulous Yes Men! I *highly* recommend following the link at the bottom and reading the page it goes to, as it describes who the Heritage Foundation is in greater detail and I really believe that this is the goal and vision of this administration: to shut down the state, just not in the nice happy anarchist way, more in the evil corporate empire way:

May 5, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROTESTERS AMBUSH CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK
Speaker applauded for lambasting Bush

At the Heritage Foundation's annual Resource Bank meeting in Chicago last
Friday, protesters masquerading as a right-wing think tank took the stage
and announced that in light of Bush's shortcomings, they were nominating
former Reagan Attorney-General Ed Meese for president.

The audience applauded for nearly ten seconds. Meese, eating at a table
just feet away from the podium where Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men made
the announcement, grimaced and shook his head in surprise.

Heritage is the most influential think tank in Washington, spending over
$25 million annually to influence policy. Just as the wildest anarchists
aim to "smash the state," Heritage hopes that "the liberal welfare state
can be brought to collapse," in the words of its current president.

The Yes Men registered for the Heritage event as "The Society for
Socioeconomic Stability" and spent two days mingling among the 650
participants before approaching the microphone during a lull in the
closing luncheon.

Echoing sentiments expressed by others throughout the event, Bichlbaum
condemned Bush as an inadequate free-markets candidate. But while others
had condemned Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program as "socialistic,"
Bichlbaum focussed on the administration's war in Iraq, calling it "crony
corporate welfare" and "market distortion on a fairly gigantic scale."

"The Iraq war was history's biggest illegal trade subsidy," said Yes Man
Mike Bonanno, who was also in attendance. "One thing we'll be trying to
do in the months ahead is lodge an official complaint about this with the
WTO in Geneva."

"In a free market, companies like Halliburton and Exxon should be funding
their own market expansion projects instead of depending on the Federal
government for it," said Louise Smith, another Yes Man attendee.

Please see http://www.theyesmen.org/hijinks/bush/heritage.shtml
forpictures and video.

Painted men

I'm sure most of you saw this picture on Drudge, but it's still funny.

consumption

interesting stats on consumption as it stands currently.

Resistance.

This post covers all the resistance movements I’ve read about this week.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few. The most amazing one I’ve read about
was in Bolivia. In a shift from Latin America's usual pattern of natural
succession - Dictator, Revolution, Anarchy, Dictator, Revolution, etc...-
there was just a huge coup in which 70 people were killed but they kicked
out their US / gas loving president and will have elections in the near
future. I’m not too sure on the specifics outside the articles below but it
seems that his resignation was yet another step in the movement for Latin
America to shed the economic imperialism of the States. But it just blows my
mind…I sit here in a little cube all day while these revolutions are
blooming and change seems to be happening. It’s really hard to know how to
help. Or even who should be helped. Thus the spam. It’s good reading though.

The beautiful and impeccable rallying cry of the Bolivian Revolution

Most recent events according to the Economist

A Bolivian perspective from the 17th.

And this is a beautiful speech by Gerry Adams on the elections being
scheduled in Northern Ireland and the on going effort to reunite Ireland.
(Keep in mind that their republicans are different that ours…)

Here’s some background on the Sinn Fein.

And here is a hopeful article on an upcoming trial brought by a group of
30,000 people in the Ecuadorian Amazon against ChevronTexaco for pretty much
killing them and the ecosystem by dumping oil waste in unlined pits in the
middle of the rainforest. Their defense is that “this was a generally
accepted operating practice.” Supposedly this lawsuit could change how
multinational corporations do business throughout Latin America.

The beautiful and impeccable rallying cry of the Bolivian Revolution

Meeting in Buenos Aires by Bolivia

EDITORIAL

NOW IS THE TIME
The beautiful and impeccable rallying cry of the Bolivian Revolution

Jorge Altamira

The insurrection in Bolvia is a call to order for those who have dared to bury the "Argentinazo" in the past. It is true that the explosion of the people was provoked by the policies of a "Menemist" government and that very same thing would have been provided by a victory for Menem in the last elections. The Argentine bosses have managed to "escape" with the Duhalde´s and with the Kirchner´s. But for how long? The signing of the accord with the IMF, the payment of a foreign debt of incredible magnitude, the freezing of wages, the re-privatization of the privatizers and fresh subsidies, the "barter" of the foreign debt for education and housing, the pressure of the international creditors, the "penal code" to confront the piqueteros: where is this taking us except to Bolivia, which is to say, the second edition of our December 19-20?
The daily Ambito Financiero (14 Oct) very correctly attributed the Bolivian uprising to the piqueteros. In effect, the peasants of the high plateaus (with their road and highway blocks) and the unemployed of El Alto are nothing more than a replica of the piqueteros. The fact that they find themselves in the vanguard of a gigantic revolution shows that they concentrate the historic experience of what has been, ever since the ´40´s, the most advanced proletariat in Latin America.

The piqueteros of Bolivia now march together with the factory workers, the miners, the teachers, the students and with the masses as a whole, to overthrow the power of the bourgeoisie.

They have erred, then, and badly, those who insist, in Argentina, on denying the revolutionary potential of the masses who are organizing in Berazategui or in Ledesma (Jujuy), in Ensenada or in Tartagal (Salta), in Moreno and La Matanza or in Caleta Olivia and Río Turbio, in Resistencia and Barranqueras or in the San Juan capital.

There is a thread which runs through the Bolivian revolution. The colonial mitas (exploitation in mining) led to indigenous insurrections in the 18th century; as social plundering impelled the guerilla of Upper Perú; tin led to the revolution of ´52 and oil to that of 1971 (Popular Assembly); and gas now (and genetically modified potatoes) the revolution in course at the present time. That is, exploitation for private gain and for the world market.

But the Bolivian revolution is not only due to this. As decisive as the domination of international monopoly is, Bolivia has constructed under its shadow a kind of capitalist development. And it is precisely these capitalists who find themselves in complete bankruptcy: eight out of every ten companies cannot affront their debts. Neither can they be rescued by the State or by the banks. The foreign debt, "pardoned" several times over, is no more than 20 per cent of the Bolivian GNP, but it is enough to destroy public finances. There is a real process of dissolution of capitalism, which explains perfectly well why even the
social classes that voted for Sánchez de Lozada participate in the
insurrection or maintain their neutrality. But the financial collapse and the economic bankruptcy are no monopoly of Bolivia´s, as we ourselves well know, as do the Brazilians, the Russians and the Asians (and now the Californians).

Given its social breadth the Bolivian insurrection is reminiscent of that of Nicaragua of 1979. Only between August and October of the year before, Somoza had massacred 50,000 insurgents in his eagerness to crush the people´s uprising by military means.

In Bolivia it is a question also, neither more nor less, of the intervention of the peasantry, that many times in the past was the rear guard of the governments.
The Bolivian insurrection possesses an enormous historic density, because the Bolivians know that the plunder of gas signifies a new tombstone over the possibility of national existence.

It is not the gas, then, that is at stake but rather the restructuring of Bolivian history upon new social foundations.

Just as Che thought, anticipated, understood through intuition,
Bolivia is an epicenter of revolution in South America. For completely bankrupt capitalist regimes, as are those of the surrounding countries (including, especially, Brazil), the victory of the Bolivian revolution is a mortal danger.
Skipping over the laws of history, the destitute Bolivia may become, all of a sudden, through the action of its exploited, a model of development for other more developed States.

This explains why Yankee imperialism has snapped to attention, not only
for the gas deals, which is not even in the hands of the principal international monopolies. The order was, just as when the Iranians rose up against the Sha in 1979, bullets and more bullets; no other intermediary party enjoys the confidence Bush has as a factor capable of controlling or obstructing the insurrection of the masses. The OAS, with Kirchner, Lula and the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) of Uruguay, among others, have cowered before US imperialism.

The question is they can discuss with Bush the FTAA tariffs or diplomacy with Cuba, but they have no position independent of their master´s in the face of a workers and peasants revolution. At the decisive moment they have not uttered a single miserable word in favor of the human rights of the oppressed massacred in Bolivia. That these oppressed have transformed themselves into revolutionaries has eliminated all democratic sensitivity in them.

Bolivia has laid bare the counterrevolutionary character of democracy and of the democratizing, especially those of the left. Lula reached government bent on preventing a breakdown in the banking system and, its counterpart, the Argentinazo. Faced with Bolivia, he has shown that that bent is decidedly strategic.

In 1995 the Partido Obrero broke up an International Conference of the San Pablo Forum, in Montevideo, because of the refusal of the parties present there to expel from their midst a nationalist Bolivian party that had backed, as a member of the government, marshal law and the use of repression against a general strike in Bolivia. In the government or still in the opposition those parties today support the OAS.

In Bolivia leftist democratism has been exposed with the efforts of Evo Morales to boycott the insurrection in function of assuring himself of the 2004 municipal elections. The revolution is serving the interests of the right-wing, he has said, as something which seems to have turned into a fig-leaf for the Lula´s, the Ibarra´s, etc., in order to justify their dirty work. Frei Betto has just said the same thing to justify the alliance of the PT with the Brazilian land-owners and bankers and with imperialism. Trotskyism, as occurs in Brazil, should be ready to govern, a runt of porteño intellectuality has recently declared. After having proclaimed it "utopia" the democratizers have now turned it into a "provocation" that would serve imperialism itself, with whom they have united in order to drown the Bolivian revolution.

After having attempted to negotiate the gas decrees with Sánchez de
Lozada, now Evo aims to limit the overcoming of the crisis to the mandate-holder stepping down. But even a constituent assembly convened on the basis of the old regime would be a defeat for the revolution. For there to be a sovereign constituent [assembly] it is necessary for the masses to overthrow the government and that their organizations take power.

What distinguishes above all the Bolivian insurrection from the "Argentinazo" is the exceptional concentration of historic, absolutely immense energies of the Bolivian worker and peasant piqueteros. That is what is summed up in the slogan of the neighbors of La Portada, a neighborhood that dominates from the heights the highway going from El Alto to La Paz: "Now is the time.

bolivia mobilizes

BOLIVIA: A MULTITUDE HAVE CORNERED THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS TANKS

Econoticiasbolivia (Translated by: Latinsol),
17.10.2003 05:47

A giant multitude have sieged the Presidential Palace throughout Thursday demanding Bolivia´s President resignation as around a million people from all walks of life have joined on a national hunger strike until Sanchez de Lozada steps down.

La Paz, October 16, 2003 (17:00).- At least a quarter of a million workers and residents of almost every popular neighbourhood from El Alto and La Paz have
surrounded the Government Palace and are giving the last chance to the most hated and dammed man in their national history, the wealthy Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, to resign the Presidency and leave Bolivia.

The gigantic mass mobilization, that has filled for over eight hours the center of the city, was more numerous, better organized and more radical than the imposing recent manifestation.

In San Francisco square, the multitude gathered on an open people´s assembly at noon today, and agreed to deepen even more the social mobilization throughout the entire country and advised all men and youth to prepare themselves for street combat against tanks and machine gun.

"We must dig trenches in every neighbourhood, on every block, we must raise pickets of self defence groups", said the miner Jaime Solares, leader of the Bolivian Workers Central (COB), who advised everyone to sustain the siege of the Palace, guarded by war tanks, precarious trenches and extremely tens army personnel. There, they fear the beginning of the battle.

PATIENCE IS RUNNING OUT

"This is going to be a long battle", responded Solares to the voices of university youth who wanted to immediately start the assault of the solitary Government Palace, located four blocks away from San Francisco square.

Since the worsening of the crisis, Sanchez de Lozada is cornered in the presidential residence located in the residential area of San Jorge, in the south of the city, several kilometres away from downtown. A huge group of protesters want to head towards there to once and for all do away with the "magnate", with the "dammed gringo", as the President is known on the blood tainted areas of El Alto and La Paz.

Unlike yesterday, today chanting repeated by a multitude are more radical: "civil war now, civil war now", men, women, elders and children yelling and raising thousands and thousands of wooden sticks, with which they are confronting the genocide and brutality.

The speeches are radical and they all say the same: The gringo must go!. They all say the same, but they don´t say how, or when. The people are desperate, they want more, they want to do away with the President once and for all. The leaders try to calm down the tumultuous, impetuous grass roots base, and advise on maintaining the siege, to remain on the streets, keeping pressure over the Palace, taking over the downtown area, exerting power, in vigil.

The speeches are over, there are marches through the central streets, and many are assuming their positions, controlling almost every downtown corner. Others are going back to their neighbourhoods, many are just arriving, rushing, breathless, yelling "civil war now".

Right in the middle of it all are the miners, the coca growers, the peasants from the south, university students, factory workers, teachers, pensioners, merchants and youth, lots of youth. On some streets there are confrontations, tear gas, precarious barricades and burning of tires. Some people overcome by gas, some are bleeding. On other streets, coca growers from Yunga and residents of Villa Fatima share bread and refreshments with the police. There some exchanges, talks and smiles.

It is the popular up-rising of multitudes, with contradictions, a hole human swarm that is getting tired of waiting for the gringo to go away. Many are saying "We must kick him out, and send him away".

"We need to wait some more still", responded some middle level COB leaders advising on the arrival of more reinforcements, peasants, merchants and coca growers who are coming from Cochabamba, Oruro and Potosi. The protest is also wide on those districts, there is strike, marches and rebellion.

A COMMON FRONT

Others who await are sectors of the middle-high class, the intellectuals, human rights activists, professionals, who have already raised thirty some hunger strike pickets in temples and churches in almost all cities around the country.

In the residential neighbourhoods people also demand the resignation of the President, with vigils around churches. They also march, escorted by the police, asking for Sanchez de Lozada to go. And with that, there is a common front taking place on the streets between popular sectors and the accommodated classes to end the massacre.

UNCERTAIN WAY OUT

"We can´t accept more killings, we want to work and the only solution is for the President to leave", says an improvised protest leader. They also fear that the up-rising turn into a social revolution.

That is why they emphasize that "the way out must be a constitutional succession", around the same lines as what the former ombudsperson says, as well as human rights activists and those who support the Republic Vice-President, Carlos Mesa, who today has distanced himself much more from Sanchez de Lozada. "I don't have the courage for killing", says to take some prudent distance from the massacre.

Among those at the higher end of the social pyramid there is also solidarity with the peasants heading to San Francisco square. That solidarity becomes brotherhood in the popular neighbourhoods. On the hillside there are heroes welcome, brothers welcome. The residents open their homes to the coca growers and peasants, and share their bread and coca, before the battle.

"All the miners are advised to immediately head to la Paz", demands the leader of COB, preparing for Sanchez de Lozada and, in particular, the United States Embassy, to push the troops to the slaughter and the workers and residents of El Alto to the assault of the sky.

The evening is setting in, from the presidential residency, the minister of Defence, Carlos Sanchez Berzain confirms, through the catholic radio Fides, that the President will not resign and that those who are asking for his resignation "have no chance of winning".

- e-mail: latinsol@shaw.ca
Homepage: www.econoticiasbolivia.com

Radio Insurgente

So the Zapatistas are throwing a three day party in Oventik, Mexico. Below is a nice article from - surprise - the AP. The imagery of thousands of people in traditional dress and ski masks is just beautiful and hilarious. Following that, the invite that Subcomandante Marcos wrote and it's quite funny and beautiful like everything he writes.

But the *really* cool thing is that they're broadcasting a radio show today
and through the miracle of the interweb, you can hear it at 3PM EST on
http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/

Subject: AP,Mexico's Zapatistas launch giant party,Aug 08
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 07:00:49 +0200

With ski masks and marimba bands, Mexico's Zapatistas launch giant party

ASSOCIATED PRESS
4:19 p.m., August 8, 2003

OVENTIC, Mexico - Mexico's Zapatista rebels threw open the gates of this ountain village Friday as they launched a three-day public party featuring a ski-masked marimba band, basketball and lots of folks wandering about with their faces hidden.

The event was meant to inaugurate a new Zapatista strategy that is supposed to make it easier to deal with the outside world - yet another step away from the movement's clandestine military origins.

Truckload after truckload of masked Zapatistas, many wearing traditional clothing of local Indian cultures, wound up the narrow highway to Oventic, a small village in the forests more than 400 miles southeast of Mexico City that has become one of the Zapatistas' temporary headquarters.

Hundreds of foreign supporters joined the rebels at the meeting ground, a mountainside sprawl of patchy grass sloping down toward a basketball court where a man in a black ski mask used a loudspeaker to describe the action for people in the crowd - many of whom also wore ski masks or bandannas.

While the atmosphere was relaxed, with people resting beneath plastic tarps, visitors were asked to identify themselves on entry and reporters were told not to conduct interviews.

After years of clandestine organizing, the Zapatistas emerged on Jan. 1, 1994, and seized several towns in Chiapas state. The government declared a cease-fire 10 days later and there have been few open clashes with the government since then, though there have been repeated conflicts with neighboring communities.

Most Indian people even in the Zapatistas' jungle heartland have declined to join the movement, put off by its tendency toward strictly collective organization, its military bent or its near-complete rejection of government aid or cooperation.

Many non-Zapatistas, however, do express support for the rebels' insistence on greater autonomy for Indian communities.

Foreign supporters have made the Zapatistas and Subcomandante Marcos emblems of the worldwide anti-globalization movement.

<<<<>>>>>

CHIAPAS: The Thirteenth Stele

Seventh and Last Part: A Postscript

Here it is again! It's back! After a tragic period when it didn't delight us with its incomparable style! The much longed for! The....Recurring...Postscript! Yes!!!!! Yippee!!!!!! Hurray!!!!!!! Bravo!!!!!!! Cheers!!!!!!!! (It may be assumed that at this point the audience is erupting in joyful applause).

P.S. Which Extends the Hand and the Word. - It's official: you are formally invited to the celebration of the death of the "Aguascalientes," and to the fiesta for naming the "Caracoles" and the beginning of the "Juntas of Good Government." It will be in Oventik, San Andrés Sacamch'en de Los Pobres Autonomous Municipality, Zapatista and Rebel Chiapas, on August 8, 9 and 10 of 2003. Or, as we say here, arrival is on the 8th, the fiesta on the 9th and departure on the 10th. There is a sign at the entrance to the Caracol of Oventik that reads: "You are in Rebel Zapatista Territory: here the people govern, and the government obeys" (I want to put a similar one up in our camps, but it would say: "Here the Sup governs, and everyone can do whatever they like." Sigh.).

P.S. Which Reveals Classified Information. - Attending the fiesta, as revealed by our intelligence services (who are, at the end of the day, not so intelligent, because they still haven't found my sock that I lost the other day), will be the Autonomous Councils of ALL the rebel zapatista municipalities, the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee- Comandancia General of the EZLN, and some thousands of support bases. There will be few speeches and many songs (there have been persistent rumors that zapatista musical groups will be there from various regions, and they will present a hyper-mega-magna-super duper concert for no reason other than the joy of continuing to be alive and rebel - compared to this, any techno concert would be nothing but a snack with a piñata, little hats and tiny packets of sweets.

In the unlikely event that you decide to attend and to share this joy with the transgressors of the law, you would do well to listen to the following
recommendations:

P.S. Which Blows Its Own Horn Because It Says Still an Umbrella (For the Rain, You Understand). - In zapatista lands, the ground, in addition to being dignified and rebel, is cold, wet and muddy. The fiestas are generally so lively that the rain can't contain itself, and it has to participate, extremely heavily, right in the middle of dances and heartfelt words. That's why it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring, in addition to light feet for dancing, an umbrella, nylon, plastic, a raincoat (or, if lost, a magazine), in order to cover yourself from above and below. One of those horrid "sleeping bags" would be of great use to you if you wish to have the good fortune of being able to interpose something between you and the rain, and between you and the ground.

P.S. Which Makes the Sign of the Cross. - In zapatón soil, the only roof which is guaranteed is the one that the supporter of the sky holds up (Old Antonio dixit), and, given what was explained in the previous postscript, it rains during these days and nights as if it were thirst, and not dignity, that abounded here. Because of that, you should be willing to sleep (ave María purísima!) with many and many more, under the same roof and in such promiscuity that would render Roman orgies mere "children's parties."

Or you should bring one of those tents (which are quite practical, because they're the first to become shipwrecked in the rain and the mud) in order to pass countless moments of silence and tranquility.

P.S. Which is preparing a "Marco's Special" Sandwich. - Under zapatudo skies, the only food which abounds and redounds is hope. Given that, according to scientific studies, a balanced diet is necessary in order to complete hope with calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, hydrocarbons, and other similar things, it would be good if you were to bring an adequate portion of canned food, junk food, rolls, biscuits and cookies (if they're "pancrema," they'll be seized), or something of that nature, because the only thing you're likely to find here is tortillas (and maybe not even that).

P.S. Which Tunes In. - If you have one, bring your short-wave radio (or "borrow" one, but don't buy it unless it's from a stall seller or a small shop - they work better than those from the big malls), because on August 9, at a time we still haven't decided, the first intergalactic broadcast of "Radio Insurgente" will be heard. Even if you decide to punish us with the whip of your disdain, wherever you are you will be able to tune us in. The exact band and frequency are: band of 49 meters, at 5.8 megahertz, on short-wave. Since it is to be expected that the supreme will interfere with the transmission, move the dial with the same swinging of hips like in a cumbia, and search until you find us.

P.S. Which Cheers. - During the momentous event, there will also be a hard fought basketball tournament. The best team will rise to the victory (note: any foreign team which dares to defeat the locals - the zapatistas - will be taken prisoner, forced to listen, completely, to the "Fox With You" program, and declared "illegal," therefore voiding his victory). Participate! Support your favorite team! (note: any demonstration of support or sympathy by the spectators towards any team other than the locals - the zapatistas - will be remanded to the closest assembly in order to be criticized and "looked at"). There will be teams from all over the planet (United States, Euzkal Herria, the Spanish State, France, Italy, UNAM, UAM, POLI, ENAH, "Civil Societies," "Absolute Chaos, S.A. of (i)R. (i)L, of C.V." and others, including the "dream team" of the "Primero de Enero de 1994 Rebel Autonomous Zapatista Secondary School" (by the time they finish saying their name, the opposing team will already be asleep!). It's almost certain that the final will be between the EZLN and the EZLN (in order to guarantee it, generous portions of sour pozol will be distributed to the other teams). It has been rumored that there's been a fierce fight among the large multinational sports news consortiums for broadcasting rights, but it would appear that the Zapatista System of Intergalactic Television has the exclusive. It is also said that the betting in Las Vegas is 7 times 7 to 0.0001 (in favor of the zapatudos, of course).

Vale. Salud and, if you can't come, don't worry, you'll still be with us.

(No longer to be continued)

>From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Mexico, July of 2003.

<<<<>>>>

Originally published in Spanish by the EZLN
**************************
Translated by irlandesa

August 4, 2003.

To "Civil Societies"
To the National and International Press:

I am informing you on various matters as necessary:

1. - Entrance to the party for the death of the "Aguascalientes" and the birth of the "Caracol" of Oventik, on the 8th, 9th and 10th, is free. Meaning that, not only will there be no charge, no special credentials will be necessary either. Reporters only need credentials from the media for whom they work, and "civil societies" only need a picture ID. The police, informers and "intelligence" (ha!) agents will be allowed entrance, but they should fully identify themselves in order to receive the usual condemnation.

2. - According to information in the press, the Cocopa is assuming it will have a meeting with the EZLN on those dates. That is not true. We have no intention of meeting with any member of the political class (nor, of course, have we invited any of them).

3. - On August 3, at noon, Public Security police of the state of Chiapas (30 agents) harassed zapatistas who were working on the rebuilding of the "Caracol" of Morelia, Chiapas.

4. - "Radio Insurgente, the Voice of the EZLN" will be broadcasting on August 9, beginning at 3 PM (southeastern fight front time). Or from 2 PM (Fox time) and from 10 PM UTC (the simple fact is I don't know what that means, but that's how radio listeners orient themselves in other countries). The test broadcasts have already met with interference by the supreme government (which has, in addition, already put the "Limite" group up to blocking our signal: do you believe it?). Even so, we'll broadcast anyway, and, in addition, we'll be recording the program on CDs, and we're going to distribute them as if they were flyers offering jobs.

5. - We don't give a damn about "Mana's" affairs, and, it goes without saying that they leave us u-n-m-o-v-e-d.

Vale. Salud and batteries (for the radios, you understand).

>From the "studios" (ha!) of the slippery dial ("Radio Insurgente," that
>is).
http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/

The Sup, getting in a mess with the cables (chin! Nothing was recorded? No way, va de nuez: Ejem, ejem...now?...the raincoat...ready! "You are listening to Radio Insurgente, the Voice of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, broadcasting from the mountains of the Mexican Southeast"...chin!...Again? Mmh...Would it be better if I climbed up in a tree and yelled real loud? - sigh -)