negations

November 9, 2006

By Hernán Ouviña

Flavio Sosa is a member of the “provisional collective council” of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO, in Spanish). Despite being one of APPO’s most visible faces at the moment, he insists on stating that “ours is a movement of the grassroots, not leaders.” What follows are some fragments of a much longer conversation that we had with him and other comrades in the tent city in the emblematic Santo Domingo Plaza, a bastion of communalist resistance in Oaxaca.

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How did APPO begin?
There is a long tradition of assemblies in Oaxaca that goes back to the pre-Hispanic era–the popular assembly is the ultimate authority in indigenous communities–and APPO was born with the goal of being an assembly of assemblies; one that would include the Zapotecos, the Mixtecos, the Mixes, the rest of the indigenous peoples, and black people. It arose as an exercise in democracy carried out by the various people, communities, and organizations that want to participate in the movement.

There are 350 organizations in APPO?
Yes. Community and neighborhood organizations participated from the very beginning, as well as unions, political fronts, civil society organizations, and even professional associations. That’s why we say that APPO has many dimensions. We’re going to hold our founding congress on November 10 to November 12, in order to give ourselves a more solid and practical structure, with a platform of principles. Initially, APPO was a popular response to the aggression inflicted upon the teachers and a mechanism for reaching a common goal, which is the departure of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz. Later, the idea spread of working not only to topple Ulises Ruiz Ortiz but also to transform the conditions of life, to lay the foundations for a new relationship between society and government. In this context, there have been many interesting discussions about the reforms that Oaxaca needs and what direction the government we want should go. Intellectuals, academics, religious people, and members of other organizations have taken part. It’s as if there’s APPO on the one side and the street movement on the other, which is ultimately turning itself into a movement that is pacifist yet able to respond to attacks, such as those that we suffered at the hands of the Federal Preventative Police (FPP). Continue Reading »

Buenaventura Durruti, one of the most important anarchists in the Spanish Civil War, died seventy years ago today in a militia hospital in Madrid. He had been shot in the chest during the fascist’s attempt to seize the capital of Spain.

I recently translated Abel Paz’s unabridged and revised biography of Durruti, which AK Press will publish in the next month or two. It’s very long–it will probably exceed 800 pages when complete–but it will give English readers the opportunity to explore his life with a level of detail that was heretofore impossible. Follow this link for more information.

For now, may we always remember his achievements, emulate his fortitude, and dedicate ourselves with equal passion to the anarchist cause.

Buenaventura Durruti, RIP. We will never forget you.

Anarchist, martial artist, and all around good guy, Jeff “the snowman” Monson, will battle for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight belt on November 18 at UFC 65, Bad Intentions. This important event has the potential to transform the politics of the combat sports world.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest American organization dedicated to sponsoring mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts. As the name implies, MMA competitors utilize techniques from various fighting disciplines, such as jujitsu, boxing, kick boxing, grappling, and wrestling. Contestants often do battle on their feet as well as on the ground and the bouts are usually fast paced and exciting. Knockouts are common and matches are frequently bloody.

Continue Reading »