I had a great trip to the state of Chiapas, Mexico this past week. The change in my blog background is in honor of the group "Las Abejas" or "The Bees" we visited in Acteal, Mexico. This sleepy little village outside of San Cristobal de Las Casas (our base for the week) was the sight of a brutal massacre of 45 men, women (5 of them were pregnant), and children on December 22, 1997.
The attack started at around 10am while many were praying in a small wooden church. Men with Ak-47s and other large weapons surrounded the village and started shooting. People rushed from the church to a small ditch trying to hide. Those who survived were buried under the bodies of thier dead neighbors and relatives, and many have permenant injuries requiring medical attention.
When the violence started, calls immediately went out to human rights organizations in San Cristobal who then called bishops and other authorities, but no aid was sent until 6pm, despite the fact that Mexican police were stationed less than 200 meters away. This fact, coupled with the fact that no one has ever been brought to justice, has lead many to believe that the Mexican government was involved or even the intellectual author for this heinous crime.
It was a very emotional experience to be there in Acteal. We sat in the small wooden church and saw the bullet holes. We stood on the hillside overlooking the site where the martyrs died. We had the priviledge of meeting with survivors and the leadership of Las Abejas in the mass tomb and the open-air meeting area they built above the tomb as a memorial to these people who's lives were cut so short. Then we asked what we could do from Chicago to help them in their struggle for justice and for their basic human rights (healthcare, education, land, water, etc.) as indigenous Mexican citizens, they told us to please spread the word about their plight and to not forget about them.
Read more on Las Abejas at WikipediaLas Abejas on the Acteal Massacre
The Narco News Bulletin
Las Abejas de Acteal (spanish)
