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Oaxaca – Watch

August 27th, 2006 · 23 Comments · News

Oaxaca – Watch has been retired. Here’s the Archive.

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23 Comments so far ↓

  • mike touger

    We have just returned (8/24) from 3 weeks in Oaxaca; we came for a long planned trip so our two children could study at a local Spanish school (ICC). We left after 2 weeks because the stress of not knowing what the next day would bring was too much. Actually our kids did fine; they loved their teachers and Oaxaca in general. No one ever was threatened or even exposed to anything remotely unpleasant. However, we were increasingly frightened whe we heard gunfire at night. More than anything, we are sorry for the people of Oaxaca who are being brutalised by terrorist police thugs. Our hearts go out to them.

  • Chris Collins

    You asked for a model of development that works? microcredit loans. basically small loans, often only a few hundred dollars, lent to people to start small businesses (home bakery, fruit vendor, bike repair, carpentry etc..). several are given simultaneously to a group of people in a community (usually women, who have a much higher repayment rate), and the other members of the group are responsible for paying off the loans of anyone in the group who defaults. the peer pressure results in a very low default rate. it has been shown to be one of the most successful ways of creating economic independence in poverty stricken areas.
    Hobbitling, (from adkforum)

  • sorry!

    sorry, but your comment on el enemigo comun was acidently lost. repost if you want:

    The big misinformation here is calling those that forcefully tookover a radio station “media”.

    “The police tactics included beating, torturing, raping, disappearing, and even killing some of the fleeing protestors.”

    This is the first mention of rape being used against the protestors. I need a fact check. Send me the corraboration and I’ll publish it.

    Oaxaca – Watch

  • Mark

    Very funny.

    So let’s see how it works here…

    Are these postings any-one can post, or special-one in particular?
    At least it looks like that, around here.
    Someone connected to this org makes a fake posting and then the whole repertoire breaks loose?
    Maybe I’m mistaken; therefor this is a test.

    A test to see wat happens with other info, like only one subject for now.

    Nice… “rocketlauncher”… Actualy its a plastic tube and it would explode if one tries to fire a rocket with it! It’s used for firework ‘rockets’. You know, in some countries they use them for parties, or at the end of the year. With this plastic tube, one can aim better. On what? Normally approaching cars at night, at the street blockades where others sleep to protect them. Sometimes real shots are fired from approaching cars, so these ‘rockets are aimed in front of the car and explode normally some meters in front. Those people did that work often before at every party aiming ‘rockets’ in the sky. They are made from paper and the srongest have a plastic head. Yes, strong enough to let the burgler alarm ring from nearby shops. But that’s it. Your ‘explosives’ at the bank are probably not more than strong firework, that broke a window. I don’t know where you’re from. Haven’t you ever experienced real explosives in your life? Go and have a look and see that nothing happened to that bank.

  • TourPro

    “A man shoots a homemade rocket”

    Ever try to point a fake gun at a cop? Ever been hit by a skyrocket? Ever light a fart on fire? What’s this about? Oh yeah, explosives and banks…

  • Blue Crab Boulevard

    Deal? What Deal?…

    After leftists and striking teachers reached a tentative agreement to scale back protests in Oaxaca, Mexico, hard-line elements sabotaged the deal and escalated the violence. Some government workers had been returning to their offices and had…

  • Phil

    Hi there, glad to see someone with a bit of perspective on the situation in Oaxaca. I’m no hardline right winger, (in my native country I vote for the left) but I have lived in Mexico long enough to know that revolutionary movements are always as bad if not worse than the powers that they seek to overthrow. I know that the governor of Oaxaca is incredibly dodgy but so is every other governor in Mexico. It’s not as if APPO are squeaky clean. This shit has been happening off and on since the Revolution. Mexico needs time to recover from the damage of 70 odd years of hardcore corruption. Moronic outdated Communist movements do nothing to help this recovery.

    I hope you and your family stay safe.

    Phil.

  • Blue Crab Boulevard

    Leftist Paradise, Citizen’s Hell…

    Mexican troops have surrounded Oaxaca and appear to be poised to launch assaults of the barricades manned by the leftist extremists who have held that city in thrall for months now. The leftists are calling for people to man the barricades, w…

  • StormWarning

    As a former NY’er I wish you and your family well. The south of Mexico has been a problem area for many years, which the Chiapas Rebellion (just south of Oaxaca). Vicente Fox’s government has ignored the growing problems down in Oaxaca, and only took action after the American journalist was killed.

    I’ll be keeping tabs on the developments down there to the extent that my own time allows (day job and all of that).

    I’m just a “tad” surprised that the school let the trip happen.

  • DirtCrashr

    They must have one helluva Teacher’s Union down there to get so much action brewing, here in California they just use standard legislative extortion to get their demands met. “It’s for the Children” – yeh right.

    Editor: Unfortunately the unions here have been more effective at bleeding us dry negotiating. (Editor…that’s funny.)

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Border Security Wall: Expanding “Unrest” in Mexico…

    I’m not too sure how many times recently (since the early Summer) that I’ve commented that Mexico, our good neighbors south of the border (our border) could be facing social unrest and potentially leading to rebellion against the government. For…

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Travel in Mexico (Not) – Oaxaca Not al Qaeda Clones…

    The continuing violence and unrest in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (only 220 miles from Mexico City) has also given rise to questions of whether this is an example of al Qaeda being cloned. According to a report by Dane…

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Travel to Mexico (Not!) – Kidnapping on Increase In Mexico…

    I’ve known for a number of years about the considerable risk Americans, especially business people, take when traveling to/in Mexico, and especially about the severe problem of kidnappings south of our border. Late night the local news aired a report…

  • StormWarning

    So, what’s the staus of your wife and daughter? And the rest of the kids from PSUNY?

  • StormWarning

    So, what’s the status of your wife and daughter? And the rest of the kids from PSUNY?

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Travel in Mexico (Don’t) – State Department…

    Well you can’t say that you didn’t read it here since October 29th. I believe that Dane Schiller’s article in the San Antonio Express understates it: Americans hear a note of cautionIn the wake of bombings and continued unrest, the…

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Border Security: Mexico’s Brewing Instability…

    This is not about bad beer or a problem at the Carta Blanca brewery. It is about our friendly neighbor to the south. It is my continuing contention that Mexico and its unstable social and political landscape represents a threat…

  • Stormwarning's Counterterrorism

    Mexico and Iran Expand Tourism Ties…

    Although recent posts would belie this statement, I am not purposely focusing on Mexico and tourism (I used to love going there on vacation and have many fond memories). The purpose of this blog is to discuss counter-terrorism. But what…

  • The Doctor

    I know you are concerned about your family and I write this in order to give you insight into the daily routine here in the city of Oaxaca and how it is different from six months ago when the crisis started. Yesterday the so-called Mega-march passed by my office as do all of the marches that lead from the Secretary of Education (SEP) offices headed towards the zócalo. For years we have seen these marches and this one was on the small side. Our office is only a few miles from the zócalo and I was completely unaware the protestors had clashed with the Federal Police until I saw it in this morning’s paper. That is to say, the occasional violence is not what stands out in my mind.

    For me, what are notable are things like the number of traffic lights that do not work. There are numerous street projects that are in process and they are causing the reconfiguration of the existing lights so there are many that have been unplugged as they wait to hook up the new ones. Sometimes the police are out directing traffic and sometimes not. It seems if they are threatened by the APPO they tend not to show up to direct traffic. Worse, there are many light bulbs out and there is one major intersection near downtown where none of the ten or so stoplights have worked for months. Occasionally there are traffic cops at this intersection which is about a half mile from the AAPO stronghold at Cinco Señores, which might explain their absenteeism. Early in the morning last week, I was driving my family and we almost had a collision at an intersection where the other car did not stop because her red-light was not working. I am aware of at least four or five burnt out lights in the downtown area alone. About four months ago I moved from the East side to the North side of town. I was in my old neighborhood the other day and a green turning arrow there has been burnt out for about six months now.

    This is not to say that this is all due to the current conflict. The city officials are slow to fix burnt out traffic light bulbs anyway. The current conflict only has made it worse. The litigious society of the United States has cured these types of ills. Here in Mexico, people to not run out and sue the government when an accident occurs because the traffic lights are not working, or there is a pothole the size of a VW Bug. Instead they learn to drive more cautiously, but much of the time that is not enough. The barricades have caused already stressed traffic to become more stressed as people try to avoid them. This causes tempers to flair as our patience gives out. The police are not out to help and when they are we just resent them for not dealing with the barricades instead of the traffic jams.

    This is just one of numerous examples I could site. As a North American you have no idea how stressful and as a result, dangerous, the simple task of driving can be here in Oaxaca. As a result, it seems that a human life in Oaxaca is less valuable than one in say, Cleveland, Ohio because, in a sense, it actually is.

  • TourPro

    Funny thing, I was just reading about a movement – in Europe I think – to eliminate traffic rules. Basically there are no controls or even lanes, it’s all based on courtesy. Apparently, this same convention doesn’t work so well in Oaxaca. Thanks for the note Doc, the common hazards are the most concern to me. Just last week my wife told me that due to transportation issues, they were forced to take a pickup truck taxi. Here we are constantly reminded about child seats, but there, my 5 year old simply hangs on.

  • akaMAT

    Is the cartoon the list?

    No, the broken link (that you discovered, thank you) is posted below the graphic.

    Are Chinese corporations exempt?
    Not sure, none appear on the list.

    How about Venezuelan?
    Again not sure none are on the list.

    I’m pretty sure that the Burger King franchisee isn’t sending any money to anyone now.

    Burger isn’t on the list, however the parent company maybe.

    I see you have only started to scratch the surface of what’s really going on.

    Good luck in your search.
    Thanks for Visiting!
    akaMAT at The Open Piehole

    Editor’s Note: This comment was moved to Oaxaca – Watch (Corporate Criminals in Oaxaca)

  • Job Othoniel

    Very funny.

    So let’s see how it works here…

    Are these postings any-one can post, or special-one in particular?
    At least it looks like that, around here.
    Someone connected to this org makes a fake posting and then the whole repertoire breaks loose?
    Maybe I’m mistaken; therefor this is a test.

    job othoniel
    http://www.ifishmexico.com

  • TourPro

    Normally I’d dump the spammy comments, but I like fish, so this one can stay.

    Mmmmm. Fish Tacos.

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