Right to Autonomy
The history and current state of Oaxaca is consistently marked by government corruption and control. The constant struggle between the people and the state government is the primary way in which corruption is fleshed out. Oaxacans desire and demand autonomy or self rule while the government tries to remain in power over them. Since Oaxaca is largely an indigenous state due to a lack of convenient transportation and mobility, they want to run the community in their own way according to the customs in which they are used to. Oaxacan officials are known for paying people off in order to avoid uprising and rebellion to accomplish their purposes. If that tactic is unsuccessful, they inflict repression upon the people such as brutal arrests and shootings. If one is uncooperative, the government may blacklist them or put a warrant out for their arrest. [1]
Threats for Silence
Professor Robinson gives an example of one Oaxacan citizen he encountered while visiting the state. This Oaxacan had a warrant out for their arrest due to participation in the rebellious movement. Police officials knew that this man had a warrant and while in the same vicinity the officer chose not to arrest him. This example shows how the government uses certain threats to repress and quiet any type of uprising. Blacklisting citizens so they are unable to work is another way in which the government tries to keep rebellion at a minimum. The people are more restricted in this way because they are afraid of the government’s power over them. They are less inclined to perform protests or other acts of disagreement if they think the government can kill them, arrest them or prevent them from getting jobs. As of now, approximately 23 people have been killed and many have “disappeared” as they say in Latin America, which could mean they have moved out of the state, have been captured by the government, or killed. [2]
Photo by James Daria
Bridging the Gap
The teachers' strike in May 2006 was an important bridge between Oaxaca and the rest of the country. The teachers are involved in the CMPIO, the Oaxacan Coalition of Indigenous Teachers and Promoters as well as Section 22 of National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) which takes them outside of their community and gives them a place in the rest of the country and not just Oaxaca. Their involvement gives them the capacity to communicate with outsiders and gather support for their efforts. From one perspective the teachers do not seem self interested in their efforts since there are not many benefits in it for them. They do fight for a wage increase but they also fight for necessities such as better building conditions, food, learning materials, etc. Also, a wage increase for the teachers would benefit students as well. The teachers would be more available for help outside of the classroom before and after school because they would not have to search for another job in order to support their own lifestyle. A wage increase would allow them to be focused solely on teaching.[3] What the teachers were fighting for offered benefits to many different groups of people which is why the strike has accumulated a lot of support.
Educational Inequity
Professor Robinson discusses an interesting idea of why it has been so hard for the indigenous people in Oaxaca to receive equitable education. In the United States there are certain elite universities in which the upper-middle class members are able to attend. The government decides if they can give the top 15 to 20 percent of the population the best available education that is sufficient. They expect this group of people to be the most influential in the economy and it is not so essential that the rest of the population receive the same caliber of education. They can do medial jobs that those with Ph.D.s would not do, such as landscaping, construction, agriculture, cashier at a grocery store, etc. In the same way, the Mexican government may be concerned with giving the best education to the elite citizens. They may feel the indigenous population is not even worth educating due to their long history of poverty. For the government, it is easier to write off a large portion of the population instead of worrying about every group having the same level and quality of education. [4]