Zapatistas: Guardians of Mother Earth

Zapatistas confirm Indigenous Peoples will defend Mother Earth, as National Indigenous Congress begins

By Brenda Norrell

Photos by EZLN media collective

Indigenous Resistance

The Zapatistas began the exchange with the National Indigenous Congress with a confirmation that the Guardians of the land are defending Mother Earth, and a message of solidarity to Palestine. Zapatistas and members of the Congress offered tribute to their companero David Ruiz Garcia, as the Congresso began.

The National Indigenous Congress is being held in the Zapatista Stronghold of La Realidad, Chiapas, Aug. 4 -- 8, 2014, with a press conference on Saturday.

Comandante Tacho told the National Indigenous Congress that the bloodshed in Palestine is not a conflict, but a massacre. In solidarity, Tacho said Indigenous Peoples and Palestinians will survive the Conquistadors and oppressors.

"But as the indigenous people that we are, we know that what is happening there is not a 'conflict' but a MASSACRE, that the government of Israel is carrying out a war of extermination upon the PALESTINIAN people. Everything else is just words to try to hide reality.

"But we also know, as the indigenous people that we are, that the PALESTINIAN people will resist and will rise again, that they will once again begin to walk and that they will known then that, although we are far away on the map, the Zapatista peoples embrace them today as we have before, as we always do, with our collective heart.

See the statement in English, Spanish, Italian and French: 

http://indigenousresistancejuly2014.blogspot.com/2014/08/zapatistas-photos-national-indigenous.html

Further, Tacho spoke of protecting the earth from the forces that seek to capitalize on the resources and annihilate Indigenous Peoples.

Tacho said, "That is why we have to struggle together to defend ourselves and to defend our mother earth. This is the earth from which we were born, that gave us life, and in which we will rest eternally. That is why we are all the colors that we are, all of the languages that our hearts speak; that is why we are peoples, tribes, and nations. We are the guardians of these lands, of this country Mexico, of this continent and of the world."

Subcomandante Moises said, "This week, I am sending you some photos that SupGaleano took of the set-up that has been prepared here. We’ll see if they send because the internet here is really slow, it’s like a snail with a limp. He says the title of the photos is 'The Zapatista Alternative to the International Monetary Fund and the Usurious Banks: The Zapatista Mobile Bank.'"

The Zapatistas have welcomed the free and independent media to attend the press conference on Saturday. Below is the statement released on Tuesday of the honoring ceremony of David Ruiz Garcia who died in May.

Homenaje al compañero DAVID RUIZ GARCÍA en el marco de la Compartición entre Pueblos Originarios y los Pueblos Zapatistas

Palabra del compañero de Congreso Nacional Indígena, Armando García Salazar, del pueblo hñahñu´ de San Francisco Xochicuautla, en el homenaje al finado compañero DAVID RUIZ GARCÍA

en el marco de la Compartición entre Pueblos Originarios y los Pueblos Zapatistas,

el día 4 de agosto del 2014.

Y

DOS PEQUEÑÍSIMAS CRÓNICAS SOBRE DICHO HOMENAJE.

I.- Palabras de compañero Armando García Salazar, a nombre de la familia y compañeros del finado compañero David Ruiz García.

Buenos días a todos, a todas.

Buenos días hermanos, hermanas, abuelos, niños y niñas y todos los compas que representamos este movimiento.

Mas: http://indigenousresistancejuly2014.blogspot.com/p/homenaje-al-companero-david-ruiz-garcia_5.html

-- brendanorrell@gmail.com