URGENT: Attack on Oaxaca imminent

See bottom for updates. For more on the situation in Oaxaca, see this post.

The below is from Nancy Davies, who is based in Oaxaca and writes frequently on the situation there for Narco News.  While the threat of a mass attack from the army or federal paramilitary police has seemed to always be in the air, the situation in recent days has really escalated.  Now an attack seems imminent.  Click below for other people to fax and email and a link to the list of Mexican consulates in the US and Canada.

APPEAL FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AID

The word I have now is that there are about 5,000 men wearing army uniforms who are not army, but police, culled from other states like Vercruz and Morelia, that is to say, this is a PRI operation, not the federal troops, altho I don't know how our source explains the "naval" helicopters (maybe not?). The "police" are heavily armed, and the attack is supposed to happen around 10:00 PM Oaxaca time. The attack, code name cicloncinco, was revealed by the same person who informed our friend that there would be a drive-by shooting last night, which came true.

Our friend says there are already a lot of PRD people gathered in the zocalo, thousands have gathered, apparently including some foreigners including univision and CNN.

Aid is asked for food, water, telephone lines. Only one radio station is still operating.

Our friend told us to stay off the streets. Good friend. The one still operating radio station says, stay calm, not respond to acts of aggression which are provocations. Our friend says the city is "surrounded", not sure what that means.

Anybody who can email should do so, to any addresses you have, phone calls, faxes, etc, to Carlos Abascal, Secratary of the Interior and others.  The message is "no a la repression, si a la destitucion de Ulises Ruiz."

La Jornada has a live feed running on their site. Please disseminate news however you can.

There is still a chance that this is psychological warfare, very tiring. Doesn't look good right now.

UPDATE 7:44 PM (PST):  APPO has closed the town center, urging all those who are out to go home.  They are fortifying their barricades, erecting new ones, and have instructed APPO adherents around the state to prepare their defense.

UPDATE 8:00 PM (PST): APPO radio urges everyones to keep calm, that there are 3,000 people at each barricade, that this is not Atenco.  It's now 10 PM in Oaxaca.

UPDATE 2:00 AM (PST): There is no new information from Oaxaca I know of.  Hopefully no news is good news. I'm going to bed.  You can listen to APPO radio here.  On Tuesday, there will be encampments in front of the Mexican consulates in California.  According to this article, the actions will start at 8 AM and last until 9 PM.

UPDATE 11:29 AM 10/1: There was no attack last night, but APPO is still on maximum alert.  Helicopters are hovering over the city and APPO is asking people to go to their roofs with cameras, mirrors, etc. to show the helicopters the people are watching. According to this article, on Wednesday the federal government will decide how to "reestablish order" in the state.

Here is a list of Mexican consulates in the US and Canada.

Here are people to email or fax:

VICENTE FOX QUESADA
PRESIDENTE CONSTITUCIONAL DE MÉXICO
FAX. + 55 52 77 23 76, vicente.fox.quesada@presidencia.gob.mx, webadmon@appresidencia.gob.mx, radio@presidencia.gob.mx

LIC. CARLOS ABASCAL CARRANZA
SECRETARIO DE GOBERNACIÓN
FAX + 55 50 93 34 14, cabascal@segob.gob.mx

DR. JOSÉ LUIS SOBERANES
PRESIDENTE DE LA COMISIÓN NACIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
FAX + 55 56 81 71 99, correo@cndh.gob.mx

DANIEL CABEZA DE VACA
PROCURADOR GENERAL DE LA REPÚBLICA
FAX: +55 53460908, ofproc@pgr.gob.mx

LIC. ULISES RUIZ ORTÍZ
GOBERNADOR DEL ESTADO DE OAXACA
Fax: + 951 5020530, gobernador@oaxaca.gob.mx

Felipe Sardain
Secretario Particular del gobernador
51-56056/ 51-55726 felipezardain@oaxaca.gob.mx

Secretario General de Gobierno
sriagral@oaxaca.gob.mx

Procuradora General de Justicia del Estado de Oaxaca
Tel. ( 951) 51-15174, 51-15121, 51-15120, 51-15020; fax 51-15219
procuraduria7@oaxaca.gob.mx