Mexico: Indigenous Leader Assassinated In Oaxaca

At approximately 2:20 pm on Friday, October 22 was shot and killed the Indian leader
Catarino Torres Pereda, in the offices of the Citizens' Defense Committee (CODECI)
located in the City Tuxtepec, Oaxaca.



A pair of 2 armed men broke into these offices to shoot at close range against the
official 37-year-old from the Cacahautal, Ojitlan, Oaxaca.



Today the leader will be buried after being watched by hundreds of militants from the
afternoon, the news of his death came to offer condolences to his family.



Catarino Torres had suffered in the past ten years, a relentless political persecution
because of their political and social.



Participated in the Other Campaign adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon
Jungle Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN).



Also championed the fight for fair compensation and Mazatec indigenous Chinanteco
displaced by the construction of dams and Cerro de Oro Temascal.



He also led the recovery of indigenous lands invaded by farmers and landowners in the
region.



That led him to be the first political prisoner of the APPO, in 2006, in Oaxaca, and to
be held for 7 months at the maximum security prison in the highlands.



In March, City Hall took CODECI Tuxtepec also demand support for their members, at that
time he was accused of causing damage to property, but after the dialogue, the conflict
was resolved.



In recent months, attended the Democratic State Convention Oaxaca Libre, who backed the
candidacy of now Gabino Cue Monteagudo elected governor.



In one of his recent statements criticized the National Action Party of Democratic
Revolution, Labor and Convergence "being awarded the victory of the people" in
the election on July 4, since "nobody can deny" that in 2006 " generated
due to pit to change the government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz. "