Violence Has Gotten Oaxaca Deeper into PolarizationBarbara Lopezbyline‚ Mar. 29‚ 2007I just got back from Oaxaca in Mexico, where I grew up as a small child and visit every two years. My father’s family is in Oaxaca City, Tlacolula, and Tehuantepec and to me they are a fascinating slice of Oaxacan culture. Some are business owners, others intellectuals, and the older generation still work selling meats in the market place, preserving the Zapotec native dialect. Oaxaca is a very diverse state, with about 18 different ethnic groups and Oaxacans are known for their cultural pride and resiliency. Corruption or mordidas are an ongoing part of life since there hasn’t been a democratic election process in over 80 years and it is the poorest state in Mexico. Oaxaca needs social reform and change and last summer, many marched with the teachers as a demand to change. Today, Oaxacans are critical of APPO (the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca) or the coalition of groups seeking change, as the last eight months have been painful. |