Oaxaca, Mexico – A teacher died in this southern Mexican city after being shot several times presumably by police officers acting against teachers demanding better pay, colleagues of the victim reported Tuesday.
In a statement on television, Oaxaca’s Gov. Ulises Ruiz nonetheless said that the reported death of the educator late Monday had not been confirmed, although he admitted that Monday night police launched an operation to remove vehicles that demonstrators were using to blockade streets.
Besides the fatality identified as Lorenzo San Pablo, one person was injured and two teachers were missing, officials of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) reported.
This civil association has occupied several radio stations since Monday, after vacating late yesterday six others it had occupied Monday morning.
From these radio stations it was reported that some 300 state and municipal officers in about 30 vehicles were patrolling the city, at times firing into the air or at APPO members.
Tuesday marks three months since the beginning of the teachers’ conflict which began May 22 with 70,000 educators of the National Education Workers Union (SNTE) demanding a pay raise.
But from July 14 on, demonstrators added the demand that Gov. Ruiz resign after state police tried to forcibly remove the teachers from downtown Oaxaca, the state capital.
In the early hours Tuesday not only APPO representatives were shot at, but also reporters from several dailies including Milenio and Reforma, the newspapermen reported.
Another journalist from TV Azteca was threatened with a machine gun and had his camera smashed.
Amid the confusion of the clashes a call was received by one of the radio stations from a presumed member of the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) who said that the guerrilla group was ready to help the teachers “whenever you ask us.”
Speaking of the violence Monday and Tuesday, presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar described the situation in Oaxaca as “serious.”
He said that he is permanently in contact with state authorities and regretted that due to the intensification of the conflict, 1.3 million children in Oaxaca cannot attend classes which for practically all other students in the country began Monday.
