As you know this summer the Zapatistas decided to form the "peaceful civic, nationalist, leftist and anti-capitalist" movement of Mexico and will participate in next years elections, and thus are preparing their federal tour in early 2006.
On the other side of Mexican politics, last wednesday the chief of Mexico's anti-narcotics police died along with many other high ranking officials in a helicopter crash. The incident was described by the govenment first as an accident but now speculation has grown that it was an attack.
Also in the last week, kidnapped football coach of the team Cruz Azul, argentine Rubén Omar Romano was released after an operation led by the mexican federal bureau of investigations. Both events signal to the main daily "La Jornada" at least that the era of President Fox is coming to its dramatic end. Oddly, for one side of the police have won great praise for the rescue, the other drawing suspicion which the new "drug czar" must deal with. The replacement appointments were made yesterday Rafael Rios is the new public security minister (his predecessor Martin Huerta)
Rios is undersecretary for citizen participation and criminal policy in the ministry. He spent most of his career in the National Security and Investigation Center, the government's intelligence institution. Tomas Valencia, the Federal Police Commander will be replaced by Arturo Jimenez. The National Human Rights Commission has not announced who is to replace Jose Antonio Bernal, inspector of the commission.
The helicopter was on route from Mexico City to the high-security prison of La Palma, in Mexico state.
(editorial at link in spanish)
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/09/23/edito.php
(article in english at link on the kidnap rescue)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/3365964
(article in english on the helicopter incident)
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1979592005
Meanwhile, campesinos, students indiginous groups and social assembiles of CODECI are calling for the release of Pedro Castillo Aragón who has been imprisoned for 3 years and is a noted and important prisoner of conscience.
(article at link spanish)
http://arn.espora.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/22/0827258&mode=nested
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Background links - the red alert in Chiapas three months ago which saw the extra-ordinary mobilisation and subsequent decisions to enter federal politics.-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70351
the lifting of the red alert July 14.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70864
the last photo of the man himself.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72055