REMEMBERING THE AGUAS BLANCAS MASSACRE,
ACTING FOR JUSTICE TODAY

June 28th, 2002 marks the seventh anniversary of the Aguas Blancas massacre. This tragic event stained the human rights record in Guerrero and reminded us that state-sponsored repression and terror continues in Mexico. The anniversary allows us a moment to pause and remember the victims of this horrible crime and their families. This moment also calls on us to reflect what we can do today to confront state repression of campesinos and demand social and economic justice for all in Guerrero, in Mexico and throughout the world.

The massacre at Aguas Blancas, Guerrero on June 28, 1995 left 17 men dead and 20 severely injured. Most of the men belonged to the Southern Sierra Campesino Organization (OCSS by its Spanish initials). The men were to protest the jailing of one of their members and to demand his freedom. They were met on the road by State Police, stopped and then summarily shot by police. Gov. Ruben Figueroa tried to cover up the police action. He released a video and photos supposedly "proving" that police acted in self-defense. Figueroa resigned when the original video appeared and showed police initiated a slaughter against defenseless campesinos.

From the beginning the government has employed the dual strategy of trying to silence the families' calls for justice on one hand, and denying responsibility on the other. On June 14th, 2002 the Government of Guerrero gave a token sum of $750 each to 68 family members of the dead. This was in addition to $5000 given to each family for funeral expenses. Many families have remained quiet. They refuse to speak with investigators or initiate legal action out of fear of more reprisals from the government.

Meanwhile, according to Peace Brigades International, 12 of the police who were present at the scene and convicted of crimes at Aguas Blancas have been released from jail since July, 1995-including Esteban Mendoza, ex-State Director for Internal Affairs, who was present. Only one of the intellectual authors of the slaughter remains in jail, along with eight police. Former Governor Ruben Figueroa and his cronies have never been tried for their planning roles. Hilda Navarrete of the "Voice of the Voiceless" Human rights group based in Coyuca de Benitez, Guerrero states that this impunity results from political pacts made between Ruben Figueroa and the state governors that followed him.

The struggle continues. As we remember Aguas Blancas we ask, "What's going on today? And what can we do now to confront state repression and support forces for social justice in Guerrero?" The unfortunate facts are that state-sponsored repression aimed at peasant organization leaders and human rights defenders continues. The October 2001 assassination of Digna Ochoa demonstrates that death threats are made real. We must stand in solidarity with those in Guerrero who continue to struggle for justice in the face of impunity and economic inequality.

Take Action:

Support human rights defenders in Guerrero. Write a letter to Vicente Fox demanding that he implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding Abel Barrera of the Tlachinollan Mountian Human Rights Center in Tlapa, GRO. Click here for more information, a sample letter, and Vicente Fox's address!

You can also donate money to human rights centers in Guerrero that continue to fight for dignity and justice in the face of systemic militarization and economic exploitation.

Demand journalistic freedom for reporters in Guerrero! From June 5-8, 2002 Maribel Gutierrez, a reporter for the daily newspaper El Sur-Acapulco, released a series of articles about the assassination of Digna Ochoa. In one of the articles she reveals the names of the assassins and the man who hired them. Now, instead of investigating the information revealed in the story, investigators from Mexico have taken Maribel to court so that she reveal her sources for the story. Click here to send a letter to demand that investigators do their job, and that they leave reporters alone.

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