Oaxaca, México, What is Happening There?

Next to the Milbloggers, 2 of the bravest bloggers out there are Mark in México who is living, reporting the events as they happen in Oaxaca and Aleksander Boyd who is in Venezuela reporting on the goings on in Venezuela. Both of these guys are literally risking their lives with what they are doing. Here is an account from Mark..........in México:

I have delayed this post for some time until I could walk around and see for myself what I began hearing about 4:00 this afternoon. The PFP was attacked from all sides by superior numbers and superior firepower. They have been forced to retreat to a position about 1.5 km from the university. The PFP commanders are claiming tonight that it was never their intention to enter the university. Their intention, according to PFP officials, was to simply clear the 1 km of Avenida Universidad from the intersection with Periferico at Cinco Señores south to Plaza del Valle.

This could be true but I don't think too many people believe it. I walked around for about 2 miles to see what had happened to all the barricades. What I see is not so depressing at first glance. The PFP managed to remove all of the burned out trucks and buses from the main thoroughfare. These vehicles are now either hauled away or sitting on the side of the road. What is depressing is that the PFP is nowhere in sight and all of the barricades will be replaced.

What happened is this: The PFP are riot policemen. The vast majority of them are not armed with anything more than a baton. For protection they carry a shield and wear protective padding and helmets. Many also wear gas masks. The few PFP officers and commanders who carry weapons are not allowed to use them until they begin receiving fire from firearms - that is, from guns that are shooting bullets.

What the PFP is facing in Oaxaca are large mobs armed with rocks, slingshots, Molotov cocktails and homemade rocket launchers. The PFP officers, unless allowed to protect themselves with gunfire, are no match for the mobs. In the city's center, where the streets are narrow and there is an intersection every 75 or 100 meters, the PFP has the advantage. Even in yesterday's clearing of Brenamiel, once the PFP had removed the barricades from the main highway and entered into the narrower side streets, they held the advantage.


Firing a rocket towards belt buckles. The police are not allowed to respond.


A thug chases a bleeding policeman, hammering him with the officer's own baton.

This pretty much sums up the day.