(CENCOS/IFEX) – CENCOS expresses its alarm regarding the attack carried out on 22 July 2006 at 9:20 p.m. (local time) on XEUBJ Radio Universidad radio station, located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Benito Juárex de Oaxaca (Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, UABJO) in Oaxaca City. Witnesses indicated that a group of […]
(CENCOS/IFEX) – CENCOS expresses its alarm regarding the attack carried out on 22 July 2006 at 9:20 p.m. (local time) on XEUBJ Radio Universidad radio station, located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Benito Juárex de Oaxaca (Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, UABJO) in Oaxaca City.
Witnesses indicated that a group of students were returning from an event held during the city’s annual “Lunes del Cerro” traditional festival, when they saw four vans pull up to the Radio Universidad facilities, and men armed with pistols and rifles get out. The students shouted out a warning to the people who were in the studio, 30 to 35 individuals in total. Moments later, gunshots being fired against the side of the building were heard. The person on air at the time immediately condemned the attack. The gunshots, breaking of glass and shouts could be heard on air. The transmission was then interrupted for about 20 minutes.
The attack was carried out by approximately 40 thugs; some of them were identified as individuals close to a Congress member for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI). It is presumed that members of the police force, dressed in black but without identification badges, also participated in the attack; the spent shells of bullets for restricted-use arms, of 9 mm, 45mm, 22 mm, 38 mm and 38 super – the last of which expand on impact – were found at the scene.
It should be noted that Radio Universidad has been the key media outlet for Oaxaca’s social movement since Radio Plantón radio station’s equipment was destroyed on 14 June during its eviction (see IFEX alert of 19 June 2006).
CENCOS believes that this act of intimidation contributes to maintaining a confrontational atmosphere and is part of a new escalation of the violence which Oaxaca has recently suffered. It should be noted that the home of Alejandro Cruz, a member of the group Indigenous Organisations for Human Rights in Oaxaca (Organizaciones Indias por los Derechos Humanos en Oaxaca, OIDHO), which is a member of the Popular People of Oaxaca’s Assembly (Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca), was attacked with homemade Molotov cocktails on 20 July, and that on 22 July, the homes of Enrique Rueda Pacheco, general secretary of section XXII of that organisation, and Macario Otalo Padilla, a former leader of it, were also attacked. Fortunately, none of these attacks caused physical damage or human injuries.
Given the above, CENCOS joins the Oaxacan Human Rights Network (Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos) in:
– condemning the act of aggression committed against Radio Universidad and against the university students who, exercising their right to freedom of expression, have established channels to obtain and divulge information on the situation in Oaxaca since the teacher’s radio station was shut down.
– firmly rejecting any violent action aimed at provoking confrontation provoking confrontation with, or intimidation of, the social movement, using groups of thugs linked to officials.
– considering the state government responsible for the acts of aggression to which the social movement and teachers have been subjected, given the government’s lack of action to resolve the conflict which has been continuing since June.
– asking the federal government to intervene and conduct appropriate investigations to clarify the incidents and determine who is responsible for them.
