By George Salzman
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

August 21, 2006

In the early hours of this morning state forces – likely exclusively or at least including non-uniformed paramilitary thugs – attacked the cerebral cortex of the Oaxaca Peoples’ Revolution. The peoples’ media were targeted, and other media, privately owned but supportive of the movement were on the government’s hit list. The growing strength of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO in its Spanish initials) is quite clearly terrifying the ruling class. Those running the so-called “constitutional governments, federal and state” without a doubt know of the thorough disgust and anger of the Mexican people with their sordid dictatorship for the better part of a century. Their fear (I hope well-founded) that their impunity may be coming to an end – that they may be called to answer to a governmental structure run by ordinary humble people – has panicked them.

A communiqué was released this morning by the APPO. It read, in part:

The aggression against the Oaxacan people continues. Today, between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning, the Channel 9 facilities were completely destroyed by a group of armed paramilitaries riding in five trucks. They entered shooting directly at the people who were guarding the facilities, causing them to retreat and thus burning the broadcasting equipment. Compañero and teacher Sergio Vale Jiménez, 48, was injured. At the moment three compañeros are missing. Three urban transport vehicles were also burned outside of the Channel 9 building.

Yesterday, for the fourth time since I got back to this determined, almost exuberant hotbed of revolutionary fervor, I made my daily pilgrimage to the top of Fortin Hill. That’s where the transmission tower of Channel 9, which the “Women with Pantaletes,” (i.e. women with panties, the gender counterpart of “Men with Pantalones,” – signifying men with balls) seized control of the state television and radio offices about two and a half weeks ago.

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