All is not well in Oaxaca - Boycott of city called

Photo from Oaxaca Indymedia

While the world's attention is focused on its neighbor to the southeast - Chiapas - where the Zapatistas have released the first part of the Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona yesterday, a most outrageou situation has been unfolding in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca. 

In short, 31 employees of Noticias, the largest and most popular newspaper in the state, have been held captive in their office building since June 17.  Blockades of every exit and entrance to the building have been created by paid thugs and police officers, orchestrated by a local politician belonging to the PRI (Mexico's former ruling party).  Bulldozers and dump trucks have brought in rubble and the entire city block where the building is located has been barricaded.

Initially, those inside had food and water available in the cafeteria but this has since run out.  No food, water, or medicine is being let in.  It has been reported some people are getting quite sick and the electricity and phones have been cut off.  This is all occurring under the watch of the state police and the federal government has not intervened.  Throughout all this, however, Noticias is still publishing daily.

Noticias is being targeted since it is the only major media in the state that reports on the rampant corruption in Oaxacan politics.  This is just the latest in a string of attacks on the paper.  Mexico has taken Colombia's place as being the most dangerous place in the Western hemisphere for reporters. 

A call has gone out for a tourist boycott of Oaxaca City.  The government depends on income from foreign and Mexican tourists, and if that supply is cut off, then perhaps at least the blockade will be lifted.  Please help call attention to this situation as it has received virtually no mention in the English language press.