Interview to Flavio Sosa member of the Collective Direction of the APPO

“The dialogue is urgent, but without one gun to the temple”

(13 novembre 2006)

Claudio Albertani and Gianni Proiettis

How is been born the Appo?
Since the preHispanic age, one great tradition of assemblies exists in Oaxaca. In the communities, the popular assembly is the maximum authority. The Appo is born with the pretension of being the assembly of the assemblies, like between the zapotechi, the mixtechi, mixe and the other original people of the state. The Appo is born, after the brutal repression against the movement of teaching of the 14 slid june, like an exercise of partecipativa democracy between various people, interested communities, organizations to participate in the movement.

It is true that the Appo is formed from more than 350 organizations?
Yes. At first, they have joined communitarian organizations and of quarter, then trade-union mayoralties and confederations, beyond to organizations of the civil society, ong and even associations of aboriginal authorities and unions of professionals. Members are many. Between the 10 and 12 November we have realized our first conference, that one of foundation of the Appo, for give to us one organic structure and one greater solidity, with one platform of principles. To the origin, the Appo has been a popular answer to the aggression triggered against teaching in strike and the search of a common objective, that it is the fall of governor Ulises Ruiz. Later on, the idea is matured to strike to us in order to pull down the governor, but in order not only to try to transform the legal structure of our state, in order to reform the enforced laws, constructing to the bases of one new relation society-government. In this perspective we have organized two interesting encounter a lot with the participation of intellectuals, academics, religious, managing of several organizations in order to discuss the reforms about which Oaxaca has need, towards where must head a plan of new state, than type of government we want. Us already they have been two great arguments with of the conclusions, of the proposals. This is one of the railroads on which the Appo runs. The other railroad is that one of the mobilitations, than they have transformed it in a pacifist movement, but that it has had the ability to answer to aggressions like which we have subìto from part of the Policia Preventive Federal.
How has been formed its direction and in that relation is with the base?
The direction is emerged from a shareholders’ meeting, that one of the 20 june. Ê a direction that we call “temporary collective”. In the conference that we have held we have given them a stabler character. They are represented is the various regions that the more active organizations in the movement, because of fact there are different levels of participation. There is who is present at moments, it is withdrawn for little and it returns to participate when there are manifestations and garrisons, to second of the engagement and the possibilities of every organization. Some are located in far regions and in those cases it is not easy to remain permanently in city. The population of the state is much dispersing geographically, in order to arrive from the coast wants 10 or 12 hours to us of travel, the same one in order to catch up some regions of the Sierra. Those organizations cannot maintain permanent representatives in city here. Many efforts have been made, but the regionalization of the consolidated Appo is not still a lot. We are working just to this, to make to arrive the Appo to all the communities.

What can say on the dialogue begun in these days in the library of the former-convent of Santo Domingo?
At the beginnig it had been believed next to a space of dialogue between the Appo and the civil society. The idea was been born in order to try to stop the aggressions when the Policia Preventive Federal has arrived and has begun to irrompere in the houses in order to arrest the popular leaders of some quarters. We have thought that it had to stop the aggression, for this is risen the idea of the dialogue, than at first it was believed in the cathedral. We have proposed to the ecclesiastical authorities of Oaxaca and they have placed to us of the conditions. In spite of we considered them excessive, we have accepted, because the peace to Oaxaca is one urgent necessity. In according to moment, but, after the battle of the university, he is changed the force ratio, the mind of people and, on a national level, the perspective on Oaxaca. With the victory on the Policia Preventive Federal, there is a political situation that puts in argument the same existence of the PFP. To that it serves a anti-riot police who does not succeed to control one putsch? This places us in one new situation in national the political fight and always thinks that the search of the peace is urgent but we are not more on the defensive. Hour we can pass to the offensive and we have demonstrated it with the great manifestation of past Sunday.

That waited for from the dialogue that as soon as is begun?
We think that it is an important space, that it will help to find a way towards the peace and the reconciliation. But we do not abandon the land of the popular mobilitation, on which we continue to press with force. We have also advanced one proposed of dialogue directed with the president Fox but we demand that our prisoners are placed in freedom and that the PFP is gone some. The solution of the conflict is bound to the destitution of Ulises Ruiz and the agreements that go taken in order to transform Oaxaca.

It has sense to converse with a president to the last days of its mandate?
For we the dialogue is urgent, but in conditions of freedom and without one gun to the temple. Until the last day of the mandate there is the possibility to resolve the problem. Our irrenounceable requirement is that the governor goes itself some. In that moment, the tension in Oaxaca would be lowered and the conditions would be given in order to converse in a less conflittivo atmosphere.

You do not believe that if the Pri removes Ulises Ruiz it can put an other personage of the same type?
It is not possible, the oaxaqueños they would not allow it and the government knows it. The day in which will fall Ulises Ruiz to Oaxaca it will make one great festivity. Much people who have up to now not manifested themselves to our favor will come down in road saying: ” We have won! I was with you.” It is a phenomenon that we have already observed in occasion of the manifestations. People do not participate at the beginnig but when she looks at herself in that great mirror that is “mega-marchas” she ends in order to join.

Has been one precise choice that one not to use crews?
Sure. We have given indication to people not to use them. But not rinunciamo neanche to the right to self-defense. If they assault to us, we answer with what we have to hand capacity.

Which are currently the relationships between the Appo and section 22 of the mayoralty of teaching, after that this last one has signed an agreement with the government?
We respect that agreement. That us like it or not, we have the obligation to respect it and we will make it. We know that teaching is a lot engages to you in the movement and not tradiranno it. Among other things, the lessons are resumed in some regions but not in all.

How you would want that the table was integrated of negotiates to you?
As a space to which organizations, intellectuals, entrepreneurs participate and all those interested to find solutions to the problems of Oaxaca. We do not want a dialogue bilateral, but multilateral. We expect to say what we think and that between all it is arrived to a conclusion on which is the way for which to Oaxaca there is peace, of it goes the police and Ulises Ruiz. For less, this is our objective. What we expect from the dialogue are good sense, proposals and one deep reflection. Nobody with a minimum of discernment can say that to Oaxaca not there is need of reforms, of a various regimen that stops to manufacture poor. We will see if we will succeed to understand to us.

It has been a moment in which the Appo species of political control of the city has had one. It can tell something of that experience?
Some are succeed in to you to call it “la comune de Oaxaca”. To the fine August, beginnings september was succeeded in to think next to the exercise of one risen of popular government. It was spoken quite about the emission of government bands, because the movement was wherever and its force was felt. But we considered that it was a process that, once triggered, would have been difficult to stop. In other words, if we had begun to assume the government in several spheres of the public life, people would then not have been able of porsi limit. We have thought that the process had to be more solid. A lot excluded of the society was a field that it was carrying ahead a too much radical speech, that it would have ended in order to exclude other fields in its turn and we do not share this interest. We are for one resumption of the institutional life from a legal point of view, transforming the laws.

www.selvas.org

[translation from the italian language by Lora (edoneo.org)]

– Integral Version to the Page/Link:

– http://www.edoneo.org/mex.html

– http://www.edoneo.org