Plenary Meeting
Final Words of the EZLN
Originally published in
Spanish by the EZLN
*************************************
Translated by irlandesa
We are going to bring things
to a close, compañeros and compañeras.
We are going to deliver a
short message, compañeras and compañeros, in closing this meeting in
which we handed over the Other Campaign to you.
First of all, we apologize to
you for the errors we committed while leading this assembly, while realizing
that the act of recognizing our errors is not going to exonerate us from
criticisms you make about what we have done.
Some things we realized, like this last one about the immediate
tasks. Perhaps we were not aware of
other errors, but we are willing to learn that work also.
We are going to ask a few
things of everyone who’s here and of those who are not. Since we have already handed over the Other
Campaign, it’s no longer the EZLN’s, not just the EZLN’s, so I’m going to ask
the compañeros and compañeras of Revista Rebeldía to send an email to all those compañeros who have joined who they have on their list and ask for
their authorization for allowing, or not allowing, their information to be
collectivized – to be passed on to the other supporters. We have to do it like that because there are
people, individuals and organizations who are trusting
in us. To others we have to say that
it’s no longer with us, it’s with everyone, so let them rectify or ratify
whether they are going to share this information so they can be contacted. When we have this, in no later than one month
– we’re going to set that as a deadline – the directory of the Other Campaign,
as of September 11, is going to be sent to everyone, and then you’re going to
be able to get into contact with each other by towns or states.
We are also respectfully
asking all organizations, individuals and groups, those who are here and those
who are not here at the moment, to send us your proposals, as you’re
organizing, for the dates when you’re going to relocate – what someone here
called Agent X - to your states, taking into account the days we’re going to be
there for the meetings which are going to be held. We are also asking you, as the EZLN, if you
could make an assessment of what the meeting was like and send us a critical
assessment so we can know how you saw it, and also tell us if we can make it
public, if we can send it to the others.
Everyone, persons, individuals, organizations, etcetera.
And we want to make it quite
clear here – because it was alluded to in some of the presentations – that
neither the EZLN nor Marcos are going to agree to be the spokesperson for the
Other Campaign, because that would mean establishing a position which has no
place. Marcos is the spokesperson for
the EZLN, nothing more.
Compañeros, there is a problem regarding immediate political tasks which has been
pointed out, which we noted, when we invited people to the Other Campaign. We told the people we were going to take them
into account. That is why we thought
that when the Other Campaign was handed over, everyone had to be consulted, everyone had to be taken into account. That is what is going to guarantee to the
people that this is different. That no
one is larger, or smaller, that the one who knows how to speak isn’t worth more
than the one who doesn’t. That the one
who has the money to be able to travel isn’t worth more than the one who has to
stay put.
We have to look at the
methodology for consulting on everything, because we cannot decide on the
criteria. We’ll consult on that, but not
on this. I know this presents problems
for urgent tasks which come up, but it’s something we have to build, to know
how to build, and, first, that everyone is guaranteed that decisions on the
building and on the direction of the Other Campaign will be made by
everyone. Every word is going to be
taken into account the same as any other, nothing, then, is going to be decided
through subjugation, ganging up or opportunism.
Everything which is done in the name of the Other Campaign, since we
have already turned it over to you, we will have to say that, that everyone
counts. Then we cannot decide like that,
this will be consulted and this not, or any criteria whatsoever, because then
we would be demonstrating a lack of respect for the people. If we don’t want the same thing to happen in
the Other Campaign that happened with the other political parties - who say
chin two decades later, they left us for the other side, and we didn’t do
anything at all – then in that building and in that direction of the Other
Campaign, it’s going to be decided with everyone, from the smallest to the one
which has the most people. That is what
we’re proposing, but it’s not for us to decide which things are priorities and
urgent in the Other Campaign. So we are
proposing that everyone be consulted as to what is urgent and basic. The Other Campaign should be in solidarity
with and help those who make it up. Then
it won’t be possible for some compañeros
to be attacked - because when you leave, or all of us leave, there will begin
to be an atmosphere of threats against everyone. Therefore the first thing the Other Campaign
has to do is to look after all the supporters – we cannot tolerate something
happening to one of us, and we are going to mobilize with all the civil and
pacific means we have in order to protect him, help him, be in solidarity with
him. Also urgently, however, because
that will allow many things to be done, since the immediate reflection of an
organization is protecting those who are part of it. We are asking you to express yourselves as
soon as possible concerning the different points which are being presented.
The EZLN is going to send
this letter tomorrow to all supporters, asking them to express themselves, as
quickly as possible, on the different points which are being presented, but
especially on this one, insofar that, starting now, any one of us could be
subjected to some action or threat, as has already been noted here.
Several urgent issues have
also been noted. I can imagine the
desperation of the compañeros who
were hoping there would be a declaration in this assembly about these important
and urgent matters. We are also
desperate, but we feel we have to wait for the Other Campaign to take hold of
its direction and to give itself form.
The problem of the Social Security workers was pointed out, of the
metallurgical workers, of Fox’s energy program.
So, making use of its prerogative as an organization supporting the
Sexta – and the respect which is established for the autonomy and independence
of organizations – the EZLN, as the EZLN, commits itself to sending a message
(it is a shame that the calendar doesn’t allow us to go personally) to the compañeros, Social Security workers, on
the day of their Congress, a message of encouragement, of support and,
obviously, of unity with them. And the
EZLN also commits itself to calling on all political organizations, persons,
political groups, NGOs, collectives and persons supporting the Sexta to join
with the mobilization the Social Security workers will be organizing on the day
of the Congress. We will make this
public.
It is not a secret to anyone
that there have been bilateral meetings between the EZLN and other
organizations and collectives. We told
everyone the same thing. Independent of
the development of the Other Campaign, these relationships can allow for joint
actions. What we are pointing out here
is that the Other Campaign, which all of us are part of, is one thing, and each
organization, each individual and each person, is another thing. In this regard, we are proposing to those
political, social and non-governmental organizations, collectives, groups and
individuals who find it relevant, that they draw up a joint message which the
EZLN will sign along with these other organizations, groups and individuals.
Regarding the mobilizations
which are going to be held in a few days against Fox’s energy program, what we
are proposing to you here is – making use of your autonomy and independence –
that you meet, draw up a joint draft, send it to us and we will sign it jointly
with you. We can’t go any further right
now. We think that after the first
exploration of the environment, as Lieutenant Colonel Moisés said, we will then
be able to participate personally in these meetings.
Similarly, we will also
commit ourselves to a message, to sending a message to the compañeros, metallurgical workers of Lázaro Cárdenas Las Truchas
Iron and Steel, about their problem, and we are also calling on organizations
to make a joint statement, but not as the Other Campaign, rather as
organizations, persons and individuals, and to pass it along to everyone who
wants to support it.
And I am also proposing to
organizations that have contact with the Mexican Electricians Union, or with other sectors of workers in the city or in
the countryside, that they compose a joint invitation, a joint letter, inviting
them to join the Other Campaign, and that they do the work that will make that
take shape. We believe we can overcome
obstacles in that way, and go about building a new organization where everyone
has their place, without losing our independence and our autonomy as
organizations, compañeros. I’m going to tell you: 91 social organizations came out of 162, 71
social organizations did not come; 36
political organizations came, 19 were missing;
129 NGOs, groups and collectives came, 324 were missing; 26 indigenous organizations came, 29 were
missing; 196 individuals came, 1428 did
not. In no way are we the majority, and
we have to build something so that any one of these compañeros, who couldn’t come for any reason, will know that their
place is going to be saved for them, like when something happens. In total, there were 2069 of us gathered
here, counting national and international observers and without counting the
press. So I am leaving that message for
social and political organizations about the problems of Social Security, of
electricity and energy in general, about Lázaro Cárdenas Iron and Steel.
Compañeras
and compañeros, the Other Campaign is
no longer ours. I mean it is no longer
just ours because of what I have listened to at this meeting, what we listened
to in the preparation meetings and what we have found out in various places. We want you to know that, as the Zapatista
Army of National Liberation, it is an honor for us to have you, from now on, as
compañeros and compañeras. And, in saying
that, I am telling you we will repay you with compañerismo, with honesty, and, above all, with loyalty to all of
you. The loyalty which we have had, the compañerismo and honesty with our
communities, we will now also have with you.
After having heard and seen you work, we think we are very lucky to have
met you. You are men, women, others,
children and old ones. Some of the best in the country. How good that we met you. Hopefully we will continue on together,
ahead, for a long time.
I would like to thank, in
ending, first the Zapatista community of La Garrucha, which welcomed us, the
autonomous authorities of the Good Government Junta of the Caracol, the
authorities of the Flores Magón, San Manuel, Francisco Villa and Francisco
Gómez Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities, the support bases of the
Tzeltal Selva region who worked to build all this, the militia compañeros of the Third Regiment of the
Zapatista Infantry who were looking after us with just their batons and who had
to put up with the impertinence of some imbecile photographer who called them perros because
they didn’t let him through and who didn’t respond to the provocation. Thank you, militia compañeros, for taking care of us.
Thanks to my compañera comandantas and my compañero comandantes of the Clandestine
Revolutionary Indigenous Committee.
Compañeros, compañeras, men, women, others, children, old ones, thank you
very much.
That is all.