Oaxaca-The Year After: Another day, another protest

The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

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For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Another day, another protest

One of the things that I love about Oaxaca is that people are politically aware and involved. Have a grievance? Protest! Let someone know! Often this comes in forms that can drive one crazy, like shutdowns and blockades, but hey, change ain't gonna come if you don't challenge the status quo. And the status quo is so firmly entrenched and so bureaucratic that after a while people get quite frustrated and pissed off. So they vent... and take to the streetsm

Lots of times the gripes and concerns are legit, like getting water or electricity or security issues or land disputes. Sometimes they are political or economy-related, but you have to have a scorecard to know all the players and well, I don't. I can't keep up.

Yesterday, the city was in chaos because of blockades by the normalistas, more teachers stuff. Today, it was this group from San Juan Ozolotepec, in the Mixe region of the Sierra Sur.

They were not at all happy with the current administration of their village and wanted change now. I am not sure if they wanted complete automy like other villages, but it sure sounded that way.

Whatever, they want new elections immediately and "fuera las sucias manos del PRI de nuestro municipo" and "respeto a la dignidad y los usos y costumbres de los pueblos indigenas!"