Mexican students continue fierce protests

by MIM

In protest of repressive government actions, more than 100,000 
marched in Mexico City on February 9 to demand freedom for 
imprisoned students. Federal police arrested the students during 
the February 6 invasion of the National Autonomous University of 
Mexico (UNAM).(1) The invasion by Federal police was an illegal 
attempt to forcibly end the students' 10 month strike.

Other recent actions in Mexico demonstrate widespread discontent 
with the educational system and government repression. On February 
20, 1,000 students stormed government offices in the Hidalgo state 
capital, Pachuca, as part of a fight for control of the 
schools.(2)

Twenty-five miles away, residents of Tepatepec captured 40 riot 
police. The riot police had invaded El Mexe Rural Teachers' 
College and seized it from 170 students. The students had occupied 
the college for three weeks in protest of administrators who stole 
school proceeds. When the riot police arrested the students, 1,500 
townspeople lashed the police together with rope, striped them to 
the waste and paraded them through town demanding the release of 
the students.(2) Police released all but eight of the students; 
released students reported torture within the prison.(3)

On February 22, 12,000 teachers and students at 10 rural and urban 
schools in Oaxaca, part of the UPN (National Pedigocical 
University) held a 24-hour strike in support of the El Mexe 
students. The Mexican government has claimed that these protests 
are unrelated to the UNAM struggle; the strikers pointed to 
parallels between the Hidalgo government actions against the El 
Mexe students and the federal government actions against the UNAM 
students.(2)

u.$. puppet prioritizes profit

The Mexican government spends $900 million a year to subsidize 
UNAM. It spent $100 billion to bail out the banking system between 
1995 and 1998. President Zedillo and the Institutional 
Revolutionary Party (PRI) recently passed a bank bailout package 
that gives $65 billion to cover bad bank loans from which the PRI 
and the banks profited. This bailout is worth 97 times the UNAM 
budget for the next 16 years.(4)

By its financial priorities alone, the Mexican government makes 
clear that it is working to help multinational corporations 
exploit the Mexican people. This goal is completely incompatible 
with the people's demand for educational access for all.

Mexico is poor because it is a neo-colony of u.s. imperialism. 
This means the u.s. does not have direct rule in Mexico but 
instead finances and supports a government that is willing to do 
its bidding. Poverty makes it difficult Mexicans to access 
education, even when it is available for free.

Elections won't end imperialism

The Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) had a strong presence at 
February 6 march. The PDR is the mainstream opposition party to 
the ruling PRI. Many at the demonstration chanted "Not one vote 
for PRI." While opposition to the PRI is correct, it should be 
accompanied by denunciation of imperialist electoral politics.

The PRI has been in power in Mexico for seven decades with U.$. 
backing. The PRD controls the government in Mexico City and 
aspires to control the presidency. The PRD refused to intervene in 
the UNAM strikes and has been critical of PRI actions against 
strikers. The PRD seeks to build support for itself amidst anti-
PRI sentiments. But the PRD's left posturing does not mean it 
represents the oppressed masses.

Even if the PRD would seek liberal reforms compared to the PRI, 
students should not spend time jumping onto the PRD bandwagon. 
Electoral politics is limited to the wealthy and is the puppet 
show to pretend democracy exists. U.$. imperialist lackeys are the 
only ones capable of winning power through elections and will not 
give up power without an armed fight. Electoral politics has never 
been a method to gain liberation of the oppressed masses for this 
reason.

Throughout history when the U.$. neo-colonies have elected 
governments which intended to serve popular interests, the U.$. 
has stepped in with severe repression. In Chile, u.$.-backed 
military forces quickly overthrew President Allende and proceeded 
to murder and terrorize the entire Chilean leftist movement. In 
Haiti, another u.$.-backed military coup removed President 
Aristide from power. History demonstrates that power for the 
people must be taken from the imperialists by force.

The alternatives to the u.$.-lackey PRI available to the Mexican 
people include the PRD, the UNAM strikers council (the CGH), and 
armed struggle. The electoral failure of the PRD which supports 
policies barely left of center should make it easy to reject this 
option. The CGH which leads the UNAM strike is a progressive group 
calling for educational access for all but with no clear program 
on how to get there. This leaderless group is openly anarchist. 
Without an anti-imperialist plan they can hope to win no more than 
a few reforms from the government.

The Zapatistas are fighting for indigenous peoples' rights in 
Mexico but their demands include reform to make voting by all 
possible. Reforms are at root just concessions the ruling class 
uses as tools to hold on to state power. The Zapatistas, while 
fighting a progressive battle, are not taking the path that will 
lead to winning power for the people. Maoist Protracted People's 
War is the most successful method of seizing power for the people.

MIM calls on all progressive and revolutionary activists to study 
history. It does not take long to learn that Maoism has a history 
of success. Advances made in China under Mao went leaps and bounds 
further than any reforms ever have in any country. Educational 
access for all was made a reality while the people were also fed, 
given housing and healthcare. Only Marxist revolutions have 
successfully learned from history how to take power from the 
capitalists and put it in the hands of the people. MIM is 
confident that through struggle the Mexican people will also learn 
these important lessons.

Notes:

1. See MIM Notes 205, 1 March 2000.

2. Reuters, 20 February 2000.

3. La Jornada, 24 February 2000.

4. InterPress Third World News Agency, 7 February 2000