Ricardo Lopez Espinosa, a community leader in the conflicted central Mexican village of San Salvador Atenco and a member of the local People's Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT) was freed from jail in Molino de Flores Aug. 17 but still faces charges following his arrest two days earlier in connection with an attack on a state police patrol June 5. Lopez Espinosa denies involvement in the attack, and says his arrest by state police in Atenco was illegal. (La Jornada, Aug. 18 via Chiapas95 [2])
Meanwhile, in the city of Puebla, the local "Espiral 7" community center was raided by federal Judicial Police, who searched and photographed the premises. The agents said they had an order to search for drugs, but none were found, and there were no arrests. The raid came on the eve of a visit to Puebla by Zapatista leader Delegate Zero, where he was hosted at Espiral 7 by local organizers of the "Other Campaign." (Enlace Zapatista [3], Aug. 10)
Campesino communities in the Sierra Gorda of Queretaro state report that local leaders of the ruling National Action Party (PAN) have been forming paramilitary groups since a visit by Delegate Zero earlier this year. (Diario Monitor [4], Aug. 17)
See our last posts on Mexico [5], Atenco [6], Puebla [7], Queretaro [8] and the Other Campaign [9].
