[www-features] PROPOSAL: No More Denied Students, No to Plan Juarez in Oaxaca

[bht]

if someone has the time, please skim over the es version at the bottom. 
and add a header to it. also, feel free to change the header on the 
engliah language version. i will post the es version as the original.
bht

TITLE: No More Denied Students, No to Plan Juarez in Oaxaca
IMAGE: http://images.indymedia.org/imc/santacruz/image/2/lucha_8-19-05.jpg
HEADER: OAXACA CITY: STUDENT ACTIVISM

I was in the Carmen Plaza and I heard whistling and the chants were 
getting louder, “…education first for the children of the workers, 
educucation later for the children of the rich….” I quickly walked to 
encounter the march of students of the UABJO (Benito Juárez Autonomous 
University of Oaxaca), youth no older than 25 years that were walking in 
two lines, in the middle of the march was the students that were 
carrying large signs accusing the director of the university, Neri, of 
using Plan Juarez to decrease the quality of the education. Some of the 
main points of this plan are: privatize the education, increase the 
tuition, decrease the number of students, eliminate the students´ rights 
to elect their director, and other such cutbacks in overall quality of 
the education.
<p>
Approximately 20 police armed with batons, gas, and dogs prevented us 
from entering the main plaza, we looked for another entrance and we 
received the same line of police. In front of people from all over 
Mexico and tourists from around the world, a casket was light on fire 
that said “education” and two cardboard donkeys with the faces of the 
Governor, Ulises Ruiz and the director of UABJO, Neri. Here they 
explained that the governor of Oaxaca spent 700 million pesos (approx. 
70 million dollars) on the “remodelization” of the historic center, 
meanwhile only 5 million pesos (approx. 500 thousand dollars) was spent 
for education; this was the pretext for denying more students at the 
university.
<p>
<b>related:</b> <a 
href="http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18425/index.php#fotos">photos</a> 
| <a 
href="http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18427/index.php">more 
photos</a> | <a href="http://wikimedia.espora.org/oaxaca">Oaxaca IMC</a> 
| <a href="http://mexicosolidarity.org/">Mexico Solidarity Network</a>

body:

Today is August 19, 2005 and I am in Oaxaca City, one of the places most 
visited by tourists in my country. Since last night, the streets have 
been circled by police of all types; uniformed police, undercover 
police, military police, police with helmets, wooden batons and gases 
all to protect the governors from many states in Mexico who were meeting 
in Oaxaca City.
<p>
I was in the Carmen Plaza and I heard whistling and the chants were 
getting louder, “…education first for the children of the workers, 
education later for the children of the rich….” I quickly walked to 
encounter the march of students of the UABJO (Benito Juárez Autonomous 
University of Oaxaca), youth no older than 25 years that were walking in 
two lines, in the middle of the march was the students that were 
carrying large signs accusing the director of the university, Neri, of 
using Plan Juarez to decrease the quality of the education. Some of the 
main points of this plan are: privatize the education, increase the 
tuition, decrease the number of students, eliminate the students´ rights 
to elect their director, and other such cutbacks in overall quality of 
the education.
<p>
I walked with the students in the direction of the Zocalo (main plaza), 
and we stopped in front of a large old building where the governors had 
a meeting a few hours earlier. From one of the balconies, some people 
were observing us as if we were part of a circus. The youth yelled with 
all their courage, I started to get very mad, I wanted to kill this 
person that was always above us. A colleague announced that it was time 
to continue walking towards the Zocalo.
<p>
Approximately 20 police armed with batons, gas, and dogs prevented us 
from entering the main plaza, we looked for another entrance and we 
received the same line of police. In front of people from all over 
Mexico and tourists from around the world, a casket was light on fire 
that said “education” and two cardboard donkeys with the faces of the 
Governor, Ulises Ruiz and the director of UABJO, Neri. Here they 
explained that the governor of Oaxaca spent 700 million pesos (approx. 
70 million dollars) on the “remodelization” of the historic center, 
meanwhile only 5 million pesos (approx. 500 thousand dollars) was spent 
for education; this was the pretext for denying more students at the 
university.
<p>
This year the number of students that wanted to enter the university was 
11,000 and only 4,000 were accepted. In the past days the manifestations 
took-over the administration building of the university and the director 
refused to listen to the demands of the students, he accepted the 
dialogue but tried to intimidate the students with the force of the 
police, however the students were not frightened and continued the 
fight. Days later the director offered that 300 more students could 
enter the university, but they needed to take another exam to decide who 
was able to enter. It was another swindle because for the right to take 
the new exam, the students would have to pay another 400 pesos (approx. 
40 dollars) to a corporation called CENEVAL (National Center of 
Evaluation for Superior Education, Civil Association).
<p>
At the end of the rally, the protestors walked together without 
provocation from the police to the School of Rights where the students 
met to reflect on the struggle for education and ensure that the 
movement continues to progress.
<p>
Days later I had the opportunity to speak with one of the people in the 
movement and he explained to me (and I agree with all of it) that this 
is all part of a plan by the government to prevent people from small 
indigenous communities from accessing education and continuing the 
exploitation of cheap labor; people that want to leave their country to 
look for “better living conditions” and this continues the exploitation.

--

en espanol

TITLE: No Mas Rechazados, No al Plan Juárez en Oaxaca
IMAGE: http://images.indymedia.org/imc/santacruz/image/2/lucha_8-19-05.jpg
HEADER: CIUDAD de OAXACA

Me encuentro en la Plazuela del Carmen, entonces escucho susurros, que 
se hacen más fuertes. -"...educación primero al hijo del obrero, 
educación después al hijo del burgués...". Camino aprisa para 
encontrarme con la marcha de estudiantes de la UABJO (Universidad 
Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca), jóvenes no mayores de 25 años que 
caminan en dos filas, en medio de estas marcha la gente con pancartas, 
que acusan al rector Neri de utilizar el Plan Juárez, para disminuir la 
calidad de la educación, algunas de las propuestas de este plan son: 
privatizar la educación, aumento de cuotas, recorte de matriculas, 
eliminar el derecho de los estudiantes para poder elegir a su director, 
entre otras cosas.
<p>
Aproximadamente 20 policías armados con palos, gas y perros, nos impiden 
entrar a la plaza principal, buscamos otra entrada y somos recibidos de 
la misma forma. Ante una multitud de miradas nacionales y extranjeras se 
lleva a cabo la quema de un ataúd que dice "educación" y dos burros de 
cartón con los rostros de Ulises Ruiz el Gobernador, y de Neri el 
Rector, ahí se explica que el gobierno de Oaxaca a gastado 700 millones 
de pesos en la “remodelación” del centro histórico, mientras que para la 
educación solo se cuenta con 5 millones de pesos, por eso el pretexto de 
rechazar a mas estudiantes.
<p>
<b>relacionado:</b> <a 
href="http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18425/index.php#fotos">fotos</a> 
| <a 
href="http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18427/index.php">mas 
fotos<a> | <a 
href="http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18425/index.php#aviador">Texto 
de Aviador</a> | <a href="http://wikimedia.espora.org/oaxaca">Oaxaca 
IMC</a> | <a href="http://mexicosolidarity.org/">Red de Solaridad con 
Mexico</a>

body:

Hoy 19 de Agosto de 2005 estoy en la Ciudad de Oaxaca, uno de los 
lugares más turisticos de mi país, desde ayer en la noche las calles 
estan rodeadas por policias de todo tipo, con uniforme, sin uniforme, 
militarizados, con cascos, palos, gases, de todo para proteger a los 
gobernadores que asistiran a un congreso.
<p>
Me encuentro en la Plazuela del Carmen, entonces escucho susurros, que 
se hacen más fuertes. -"...educación primero al hijo del obrero, 
educación después al hijo del burgués...". Camino aprisa para 
encontrarme con la marcha de estudiantes de la UABJO (Universidad 
Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca), jóvenes no mayores de 25 años que 
caminan en dos filas, en medio de estas marcha la gente con pancartas, 
que acusan al rector Neri de utilizar el Plan Juárez, para disminuir la 
calidad de la educación, algunas de las propuestas de este plan son: 
privatizar la educación, aumento de cuotas, recorte de matriculas, 
eliminar el derecho de los estudiantes para poder elegir a su director, 
entre otras cosas.
<p>
Camino con ell at s con dirección al Zócalo, y nos detenemos frente a un 
gran edificio antiguo, que horas antes sirvió como guarida de 
gobernadores, desde uno de los balcones, algunas personas nos observan 
como si fuéramos parte de un circo; Los jóvenes gritan con todo su 
coraje, yo comienzo a llenarme de rabia, quisiera matar a esa gente que 
siempre ha estado encima de nosotros. Un compañero anuncia que sigamos 
caminando, hacia el Zócalo.
<p>
Aproximadamente 20 policías armados con palos, gas y perros, nos impiden 
entrar a la plaza principal, buscamos otra entrada y somos recibidos de 
la misma forma. Ante una multitud de miradas nacionales y extranjeras se 
lleva a cabo la quema de un ataúd que dice "educación" y dos burros de 
cartón con los rostros de Ulises Ruiz el Gobernador, y de Neri el 
Rector, ahí se explica que el gobierno de Oaxaca a gastado 700 millones 
de pesos en la “remodelación” del centro histórico, mientras que para la 
educación solo se cuenta con 5 millones de pesos, por eso el pretexto de 
rechazar a mas estudiantes.
<p>
Este año el numero de aspirantes fue de 11,000, y solo fueron aceptados 
4,000. En días pasados los manifestantes tomaron la rectoría de la 
universidad ya que el rector se negaba a escuchar sus demandas, él 
acepto el dialogo pero trato de intimidar a los alumnos mandando a su 
fuerza policíaca, cosa que no asusto a los jóvenes, y siguen en la 
lucha, días después el rector ofreció que 300 alumnos mas podrían entrar 
a la universidad, pero que tendrían que hacer otro examen de selección. 
Una estafa más ya que para tener derecho a realizar el examen tienen que 
pagar 400 pesos, a una empresa llamada CENEVAL (Centro Nacional de 
Evaluación para la Educación Superior A:C).
<p>
Al final del mitin los protestantes caminan con orden y sin provocar a 
la policía hacia la Facultad de Derecho, donde se convoca a los 
compañeros a reflexionar sobre la lucha y a no dar un paso atrás.
<p>
Días después tengo la oportunidad de platicar con un compañero que me 
explica, (y en lo cual estoy de acuerdo) que todo es un plan del 
gobierno para no permitir que la gente del pueblo tenga acceso a la 
educación y seguir teniendo mano de obra barata, gente que quiera salir 
de su país para buscar "mejores condiciones de vida" y que siga la 
explotación.