The local Fray Bartoleme de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) issued a statement in the prelude to Mexico's July 2 presidential election protesting that they are being held in the state of Chiapas under a "state of exception." The statement also said the same conditions would likely prevail in Aug. 20 state elections. (APRO, July 1)

In a joint statement with the Chiapas Civic Alliance and other groups, Frayba noted that there are still 71 military positions or encampments in indigenous communities in the state, and that the "logic of armed conflict" has been maintained by the federal army in Chiapas continuously since the Zapatista uprising of 1994. (La Jornada, July 3)

A pre-election report by the non-governmental organization SIPAZ noted: "In Chiapas, in the month of May, four repressive police operatives, which violated certain human and civil rights, were carried out by the state government against communities affected by Hurricane Stan. Two took place in Escuintla, one in Motozintla, and the fourth against Tzotzils (a Highlands indigenous group) who were protesting against the corruption committed by the mayor of Bochil (in the northern Highlands region)." (SIPAZ, July 1)

On July 1, some 5,000 Chiapas teachers and their supporters marched on the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, in solidarity with the striking teachers in Oaxaca. (APRO, July 1)

All sources online at Chiapas95.

See our last posts on Chiapas and the Mexican elections.