More than 700 organizations ask Paris to guarantee the entrance of the Zapatista delegation

The arrival of Zapatista delegates in Vigo, last June. (Miguel RIOPA/AFP)

More than 700 organizations ask Paris to guarantee the entrance of the Zapatista delegation

 Naiz

More than 700 social organizations, collectives, unions, political parties and European public officials, together with dozens of artists and intellectuals have signed a letter addressed to the French government to ask it to guarantee the entry of the Zapatista and indigenous delegation.

More than 700 social entities, collectives, unions, political parties, and public officials, along with dozens of artists and intellectuals have signed a letter addressed to the French government, demanding that it guarantee the entry of the delegation from Mexico, made up of indigenous people from the EZLN, CNI and the Peoples' Front in Defense of Land and Water from Tlaxcala, Puebla, and Morelos.

The delegation Waiting for the Boat for Life is made up of 160 people, mostly from indigenous peoples and Zapatistas from Chiapas, and during its visit to Europe, it plans to meet between July and September with solidarity groups, cultural associations, artistic groups, trade unions, NGOs and human rights organizations.

The indigenous communities and the Zapatista movement want to carry out "meetings, dialogues, exchanges of ideas, experiences, analyses and evaluations among those of us who are engaged, from different conceptions and in different fields, in the struggle for life", as they point out in their declaration.

The signatories of the letter consider that "for the French government this struggle for life should also be a priority" and should admit it as one of the imperative reasons to enter the country. "The fact that the delegation is coming to fight for life in the face of the environmental and human disaster in which we live proves the existence of a compelling reason that should allow the delegation to enter," they insist.

For this reason, and relying "on the more than 4,000 solidarity organizations from all over the world that have signed the communiqué 'A Declaration for Life'", they demand the confirmation that "there will be no obstacles or distances or borders that prevent the homeland of fraternity, freedom and equality from being the natural bridge of arrival of this historic delegation that for the first time will put the voice of the original peoples in the foreground in our streets, theaters, universities, and hearts".

Last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) denied the approval of the procedures to issue passports to several indigenous people, delegates of the EZLN to travel by plane to Europe in this initiative.

From Enlace Zapatista:

Meanwhile, in Chiapas, Subcomandante Moises said yesterday that the Zapatistas Indigenous delegation flying into Europe has 177 Zapatistas. They are still in Mexico because the government is delaying passports for 62. Joining Zapatistas from Chiapas are Raramuri, Wixarika, Nahua and more. They include members of the National Indigenous Congress and a Zapatista women's soccer team, carrying their message of resistance to capitalism, autonomy, self-reliance, and dignity.

Read message from Subcomandante Moises, still in Chiapas:

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2021/07/zapatistas-have-177-in-airborne.html