Actualité - Oaxaca Conflict Returns to Senate

Mexico, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) - The Mexican Senate agreed to the PRD party (Revolucion Democratica) exhortation to reanalyze removal of powers in Oaxaca while six deputies from that state (5 PRD and one PT Trabajo) began an indefinite hunger strike to achieve that end.

The striking senators want Oaxaca declared ungovernable and the removal all state powers, especially of Gov. Ulisis Ruiz, in light of the wave of persecution, arbitrary arrests, and social destabilization provoked by the federal police sent in by President Vicente Fox.

Contrarily, representatives of PRI (Revolucionario Institucional, the party of Gov. Ruiz) and governing PAN (Accion Nacional) defeated this motion once before and criticize the hunger strike as unbefitting members of Congress.

Meanwhile four thousand women marched in Oaxaca yesterday to urge withdrawal of the occupying military and the reappearance, alive, of the nearly 100 people arrested since October 29. The women were met with water shot from a military tank but persevered in their demands.

Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) radio last night reported an attack with live ammunition at a barricade by the Oaxaca State Police - considered Ruiz´ private army, but with no report of injuries. Seventeen people, mostly teachers, have been murdered since the Oaxaca protest began in June.

(Prensa Latina News Agency)