Mexico: A political group called Resistencia Civil (Civil Resistance), particularly its activities in the state of Tabasco and whether its members have been subjected to reprisals by the state or federal authorities
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MEX29735.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: A political group called Resistencia Civil (Civil Resistance), particularly its activities in the state of Tabasco and whether its members have been subjected to reprisals by the state or federal authorities, 1 July 1998, MEX29735.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aad02c.html [accessed 5 November 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No references to a group or organization specifically named Civil Resistance or Resistencia Civil could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, various news articles do refer to "civil resistance" actions in the State of Tabasco, mostly in response to political and environmental demands.
A 1996 article from the journal La Jornada, for example, describes civil resistance in Tabasco as "a movement headed by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in which PRD militants and peasant communities have decided to carry out drastic actions in defense of their fundamental rights" (movimiento que encabeza Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, en el que militantes del PRD y comunidades campesinas de Tabasco han decidido llevar a cabo acciones drasticas en defensa de sus derechos fundamentales) (La Jornada 8 Feb. 1996).
The movement has conducted marches, occupied plazas and, as a last resort, blocked wells and facilities of PEMEX (ibid.). The report states that the movement's character is both political and social (caracter tanto politico como social) (ibid.).
Another article from La Jornada cites the Tabasco Human Rights Committee (Comite de Derechos Humanos de Tabasco, CODEHUTAB) as stating that the conflicts and "polarization" of Tabasco's society, reflected in civil resistance actions, went beyond a confrontation between the PRD and the PRI parties: they were results of "neo-liberal" economic policies, post-electoral conflict, and consequences of the petroleum industry of the area (18 Feb. 1996).
The information that follows was provided by a staff member of CODEHUTAB during a 24 July 1998 telephone interview.
There is a "civil resistance" movement (movimiento de resistencia civil) in Tabasco, started in the mid-1990s by the PRD party. Initially, it consisted of a citizens' boycott of the government, including demonstrations and non-payment of taxes and utilities, to protest alleged electoral fraud in the 1994 elections.
Although there is no specific group formally named resistencia civil, the movement and groups that take action are known as Resistencia Civil groups (grupos de resistencia civil). Despite having their origins in a PRD initiative, the movement and groups often involve citizens of different or no specific political leaning, and the reasons for taking action can be varied; civil resistance actions can include roadblocks, sit-ins and other non-violent acts.
Tabasco citizens have rallied in civil resistance actions for a variety of causes, but the main concerns that have mobilized large sectors of local and state communities have been electoral fraud, with protests against elected officials and political institutions, and problems with the national petroleum company, PEMEX.
Reprisals against persons participating in civil resistance actions have occurred since the early days of the movement. Following electoral fraud allegations related to the 1994 elections, a large group of protesters who had peacefully occupied a government building in the state capital were violently ejected by authorities in January 1995. One of the largest actions against civil resistance protesters took place in 1996 when persons demonstrating and blocking access to oil facilities were violently dispersed; more than 100 participating peasants were arrested and jailed for some months. One of the most recent actions against civil resistance groups took place in the municipality of Macuspana in November 1997, when ten indigenous persons opposing PEMEX's use of dynamite in the community for oil prospecting were detained and held in jail until mid-1998.
Persons engaged in civil resistance who are most frequently targets of repressive actions are peasants and labourers protesting to assert certain rights, particularly in rural areas. The civil resistance movement continues to this date throughout many communities in Tabasco, including rural and peasant areas.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Comite de Derechos Humanos de Tabasco (CODEHUTAB), Mexico. 24 July 1998. Telephone interview with staff member.
La Jornada [Mexico City]. 18 February 1996. Jose Gil Olmos and Rosa Icela Rodriguez. "Ingobernabilidad en Tabasco: CODEHTAB." [Internet]
_____. 8 February 1996. Emilio Zebadua. "La resistencia en Tabasco." [Internet]
