29/04/2005
stampa
invia
Oventic was the first caracol we visited and the nearest to the town of San Cristobal de las Casas. It’s also
the most popular caracol with mass tourism, so much so that it has been given the name of Oventic City.
The Caracol. To get there from San Cristobal de las Casas takes an hour by road. After an interminable series of hairpin bends, accompanied by breathtaking views that take you up to an altitude of around 2,500 metres above sea level, you arrive in Oventic. Here the clouds are very low and the cold is biting, even though we’re in the middle of spring.
stampainvia
Indigenous craft work, computer courses and a clinic are the pride and symbol of Zapatist independence
from our correspondent
Alessandro Grandi
A report from the five Caracoles in Zapatist Chiapas.
The five social, political and cultural meeting places of Zapatist independence,
which originally were called “aguacalinetes”but since 2003 are known as Caracoles,
are the lifeblood of the movement headed by Sub Commander Marcos and the handful
of commanders at his side.
Peacereporter travelled around the region of Chiapas, in the south of Mexico
on the Guatemala border, to find out about the real situation of the indigenous
population who are descendents of the Maya and who on 1 January 1994 started the
famous "levantamiento" revolution to demand their rights.
The indigenous population has been rebelling against the oppression of the "conquistadores"
for over 500 years. Today, just as in the beginning, the struggle is over the
ownership of the land where they have lived for thousands of years and for the
right to live under a system that fully recognises their independence, beginning
with health care and education.
Oventic was the first caracol we visited and the nearest to the town of San Cristobal de las Casas. It’s also
the most popular caracol with mass tourism, so much so that it has been given the name of Oventic City.
The Caracol. To get there from San Cristobal de las Casas takes an hour by road. After an interminable series of hairpin bends, accompanied by breathtaking views that take you up to an altitude of around 2,500 metres above sea level, you arrive in Oventic. Here the clouds are very low and the cold is biting, even though we’re in the middle of spring.
You enter through a battered old gate manned by two guards who take it in turns
to check everyone arriving and leaving, although it is easy to get in since they
don’t even ask to see identity documents.
The main characteristic of this caracol is the big descent that ends in a basketball court, where two teams of youths are playing a heated game. All of the players are dressed in traditional Indian costumes, which are not exactly ideal for physical activity, but what is most surprising is that many of them don’t even have a pair of shoes.
On the right, at the top of the caracol near the entrance, is a shop run by the mujeres (women’s) cooperative. Brightly-coloured clothes, bedclothes in equally striking
colours and indigenous craftwork are on sale at ridiculously cheap prices, with
the profits going to the local community which then uses them for financing a
variety of activities. The most striking thing amid all this creativity is Josè,
the small son of an indigenous girl who although he is only two years old has
an adult look to his face that has a rare beauty.
On the left is the tienda coffee shop.
The main characteristic of this caracol is the big descent that ends in a basketball court, where two teams of youths are playing a heated game. All of the players are dressed in traditional Indian costumes, which are not exactly ideal for physical activity, but what is most surprising is that many of them don’t even have a pair of shoes.
On the right, at the top of the caracol near the entrance, is a shop run by the mujeres (women’s) cooperative. Brightly-coloured clothes, bedclothes in equally striking
colours and indigenous craftwork are on sale at ridiculously cheap prices, with
the profits going to the local community which then uses them for financing a
variety of activities. The most striking thing amid all this creativity is Josè,
the small son of an indigenous girl who although he is only two years old has
an adult look to his face that has a rare beauty.
On the left is the tienda coffee shop.
The compas (the Zapatist "comrades") work in shifts selling the products. The common products
on display are shoes, music CDs and CDs of the political speeches of Che Guevara
and Sub Commander Marcos, but there’s also coffee, things to eat and the inevitable
balaclavas of the Zapatist National Liberation Army.
In front of the coffee shop is a small wooden house decorated with murals singing the praises of Zapatist independence, which is used a classroom. Inside, computer courses are taught by a young American who is as tall as he is big.
In front of the coffee shop is a small wooden house decorated with murals singing the praises of Zapatist independence, which is used a classroom. Inside, computer courses are taught by a young American who is as tall as he is big.
This caracol is visited by many international observers, particularly from Italy,
Belgium and the Basque countries.
The Guard committee. It’s at this point of the tour that the guard committee, whose job it is greet
or turn away visitors, makes its appearance, wearing balaclavas. After an initial
moment of confusion caused by the black balaclavas, we quickly get used to them
and introduce ourselves.
The committee is disarmingly courteous and our confusion is replaced by joy and an understanding of what they are experiencing here. Although they don’t have either faces or names, we feel perfectly at ease with them, almost like we were at home. “Welcome, we’re happy to meet you”, they tell us.
The clinic. This caracol hosts the famous La Guadalupana clinic, inaugurated in 1991 by Anastasio, a tiny man with languid eyes, on account of
the sun, the inevitable moustache and the equally inevitable smile that’s been
made silvery by his dentist and bright by experience.
The Guard committee. It’s at this point of the tour that the guard committee, whose job it is greet
or turn away visitors, makes its appearance, wearing balaclavas. After an initial
moment of confusion caused by the black balaclavas, we quickly get used to them
and introduce ourselves.
The committee is disarmingly courteous and our confusion is replaced by joy and an understanding of what they are experiencing here. Although they don’t have either faces or names, we feel perfectly at ease with them, almost like we were at home. “Welcome, we’re happy to meet you”, they tell us.
The clinic. This caracol hosts the famous La Guadalupana clinic, inaugurated in 1991 by Anastasio, a tiny man with languid eyes, on account of
the sun, the inevitable moustache and the equally inevitable smile that’s been
made silvery by his dentist and bright by experience.The clinic is quite well set up, with a dentist’s surgery, free for the Zapatists,
an ophthalmic surgery, which is equally free, and an area dedicated to gynaecology.
The clinic is not finished yet and still needs a lot of medicine and materials,
but they’re currently putting the finishing touches to an operating theatre.
"Unfortunately we have to partly rebuild it”, they told us, “because we realised
that the electric sockets didn’t match, but it won’t take us long. A matter of
a few months”.
La Guadalupana has a small chemist’s stocked with rare medicine from international
solidarity. To compensate this, it also has a large stock of herbal medicine,
representing traditional medicine. “We have to go into the forest to search for
the plants we use for this type of treatment, but if we can’t find them we have
to buy them”, said Lucio, the young man with John Lennon glasses who is in charge
of the analysis lab. The clinic is the pride of this caracol and is also the symbol
of their independence.
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