We invite the youth and workers to give their support to the struggle of the university students, who with the strike at the University System of Mexico are trying to stop the attacks on public education.
The fight at the UNAM is a fight for free, quality public education. This is not only the fight of the UNAM students, it is the fight of all young people, of the workers in the countryside and the cities, and this is why every one of us should play an active role.
We appeal to all the youth and workers of the world to launch a campaign of support, and to extend the struggle to all sectors of society.
Send messages of solidarity to: cedep@iname.com. Click here for images from the strike movement.
Our March was a Success!
On April 23, the students of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who have been on strike since April 20, marched in opposition to the fees which were approved by the governmental heads of the UNAM.
The march was a huge success with around 100,000 people - students from the UNAM and other universities, union workers, housewives, etc. rallying at the Plaza of the Constitution.
The march took place completely peacefully, there was only one tragic incident - when we were returning by bus to our schools, one bus ran over several comrades from the CCH East school, killing one 18 year old student. She is the second comrade who has died from similar circumstances.
We hold the Rector Francisco Barnes responsible for these deaths, because he has refused to listen to us, and he has not wanted to resolve the problem he himself began. And also the media for attempting to characterize us as "subversive" and "violent".
We will not fail in our struggle!
Every day we are more sure of this.
The deaths of our comrades fills us with sadness and rage, but at the same time they give us the strength to continue forward.
Until victory always!
General Council of the Strike
Send messages of solidarity to: cem-mx@geocities.com
Below we provide the basic details of the strike:
On April 20th, 1999 the strike began, and more than 95% of activities were suspended. Thousands of students in general assemblies of the various schools democratically approved the commencement of the strike. In a parallel fashion in the IPN (National Polytechnic Institute - has about 160,000 students) there developed a general strike organized by the workers and fully supported by the students who are preparing to to throw themselves 100% behind the struggle to defend public education.
In the meantime, the entire bourgeoisie has come out against the mobilization, and has let loose a furious campaign against the movement. There is not a single commentator from the radio, television, heads of business, the PRI (Revolutionary Institutional party - ruling party), PAN (Party of National Action - conservative party), or the church who have not come out against the strike and blamed it on the existence of "subversive elements". They fear the strike, as it threatens to spread to the other major schools in the country, and it is filling the workers f Mexico with enthusiasm.
This campaign of defamation is proof of the fear the bourgeoisie has of the movement, because they know it has the strength and will to toss government plans to privitize education into the trash can - at least for the time being.
It's obvious there are "subversive elements", and without a doubt it is the bourgeoisie and its representatives at the Rectory (head of the UNAM administration) who dare give away 700 billion pesos ($76 billion US) to the bankers and corporations who have reduced real wages by 30%, and on top of that want to destroy public education - attempting to convert the right to education into a privilege only for those who can pay.
No more subsidies to the bourgeoisie! The money from the Fobaproa (a government-sponsored program which bailed out corrupt banks) should go to education!
Send messages of solidarity to: cem-mx@geocities.com
According to the Associated Press (April 25, 1999):
"Striking students at Mexico's largest university have taken over the last unoccupied campus building as their protest against a sharp tuition increase entered its fifth day, newspapers reported on Sunday.
The strike began on Tuesday when students angry at measures that would dramatically increase the cost of attending Mexico's biggest and oldest university, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), shut down the school and occupied faculty buildings.
El Universal newspaper reported on Sunday that 150 students, accompanied by their fathers, took over UNAM's rectory building, the last on their list, late on Saturday.
They hung a red and black banner reading "Strike and Dignity" from the tower, sang the national anthem and shouted slogans against the rector in the peaceful act, the newspaper said.
They also placed a coffin in the university's main entrance to protest the death of a student, Martha Alejandra Trigueros Luz, 18, who was run over by a bus on Friday when the students took their demonstration to the capital city's main square.
Meanwhile, in a weekend development that threatened to broaden the protest across Mexico, representatives of 11 other universities and centers of higher education gave their backing to the UNAM student action and declared April 29 a national day for the defense of free education, Reforma daily reported.
La Jornada newspaper said they were also mulling a 24-hour strike and blocking highways in sympathy."
Associated Press (April 25, 1999)
The Road to Victory
The heroic struggle of the students has before it some basic tasks in order to achieve a definite and forceful victory. They are the following:
1. Win the support of the working class.
The bourgeoisie has launched a ferocious campaign of attacks against the movement. To counteract this, we as students must hit the streets, the neighborhoods, the trade unions, and appeal for solidarity both economically as well as in the form of active support for this struggle, which is the struggle of all of us. We need to get the workers involved in the days of united action we have planned.
2. Spread the struggle to other schools.
The IPN, the UNAM, the trade and technical schools, the Autonomous University of Chapingo (major agricultural university), the high schools, and all other public schools, all have something at stake in this struggle, and should mobilize, not only in support of the UNAM, but also to make their own demands, and to make their voices heard in the fight for free, quality, democratic public education. The students of the UNAM should make it one of their top priorities to help organize these other students to convene general assemblies and get fully involved in the movement.
3. To organize a movement of all youth and workers against the reactionary politics of Zedillo.
The move to privitize the UNAM is not an isolated attack by the government on the standard of living of Mexican workers and youth. This is why we should call for the building of a single movement which integrates all sectors of society. We call on the electrical workers to organize a strike committee and put pressure on Zedillo to take back his proposal to privitize the electrical industry, and that we march together.
Workers and students, our strength is in our unity!
4. An aggressive plan of action.
On the 28th of April we will convene a day of national unity and action, which should express itself in a general strike encompassing all institutions of higher education (especially the IPN), to expand on and join with the previously planned mobilization of the SME (Mexican Union of Electrical Workers).
Massive participation on May 1st in solidarity with the workers' movement, calling for unity of action against the reactionary politics of Zedillo, and making the following key demands:
Defense of Public Education. Reject the increase in fees at the UNAM and resolve the petition of demands submitted by the students.
Take back the proposal to privitize the electrical industry.
Organize a united day of national action, including a general strike during the first week of May.
Until Victory!
The youth and workers of Mexico have an fantastic oportunity to take our destinies into our own hands, the only limits we have are those of the isolation, division and slanders that the bourgeoisie will try and impose on us. To that we have to respond with unity, solidarity, and creativity. There is absolutely no reason to doubt the capacity of the youth and workers to struggle. We need to be audacious and continue the fight until we are completely victorious.
This phase of the struggle should not end until the government rejects the increase in fees at the UNAM and resolve the petition of demands submitted by the students.
However, we must not forget that our struggle cannot end here. Only with a united, stable, aggressive, and permanent organization of activists can we resist the attacks which will inevitably arise in the future.
To join us in this struggle we invite you to get involved with the CEDEP (student committee for the defense of public education - in Mexico) and Youth for International Socialism! Send messages of solidarity to: cem-mx@geocities.com.