Both Canada and Mexico said that they would step up border security to slow the flow of drugs into the United States. But this will likely do little to help the fentanyl crisis in the United States, as the causes of the demand for narcotics have not been addressed. Further, only a tiny amount is coming in from Canada. As for Mexico, the post of 10,000 Mexican National Guards on the border will have little impact, when most of the fentanyl from Mexico is actually carried in by U.S. citizens, who are able to cross the border with less scrutiny.

What remains are Trump’s 10% tariffs on all goods from China. This will have an impact on consumers, especially for goods such as cell phones, of which over 75% are imported from China. The same is true for video game consoles and toys. Even for industries where Chinese imports make up a smaller percentage of sales, this will offer an opportunity for other businesses to raise their prices.

Another impact on consumers, especially lower-income ones, is the elimination of the “de minimus” exemption, where packages with less than $800 in value don’t have to pay any tariffs. The average value of these packages is only $52 each, but they are the mainstay of discount retailers found on Amazon, Temu and Shein.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Trump #Tariffs #International #Canada #Mexico

Together Canada, China and Mexico are about 40% of the United States’ total trade, so that this is the biggest increase in tariffs since the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930. Those tariffs and other countries’ responses made the worldwide economic recession even worse and were a factor in turning a bad recession into a depression. Economic studies show that Trump’s tariffs could push Canada and Mexico into recessions, while economic growth and employment would slow, and prices rise in the United States.

The immediate impact will be higher prices here in the United States. Some of it is predictable, as imported maple syrup from Canada and imported tequila from Mexico go up in price because of these taxes on imports. Other fruits and vegetables like avocados will also become more expensive, raising grocery prices even more.

Gas prices could go up, not only in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, where U.S. gasoline refineries rely on imported oil, but also in places like California that uses imported Canadian oil. Car production will be hit too, as many cars sold in the United States, including U.S. brands such as Ford and GM are either produced in Canada or Mexico and/or use parts made in our two neighboring countries.

The biggest burden of Trump’s tariffs, estimated to be about $830 per household, would be on lower income households.Lower income folks would lose about four times as much of their purchasing power as those in the highest income households. This fall in purchasing power would lower demand for goods and services and slow economic growth and job creation.

But these estimates only count the direct cost of tariffs. There are two types of indirect costs. First of all, U.S. producers could maximize their profits in the short run by raising their prices.This is what happened when Trump slapped 25% tariffs on steel in his first term – U.S. steel producers raised their prices by 22%, padding their bottom line, but causing even bigger overall price increases.

The second type of cost to Americans is retaliation by other countries. The prime minister of Canada has ordered 25% tariffs on more than a $100 billion of imports from the United States in retaliation. Mexico’s president ordered her economy minister to prepare both tariff and non-tariff responses to Trump’s tariffs. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that China will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization or WTO and take “countermeasures” against the United States.

China is actually better positioned than either Canada or Mexico because it has been able to diversify its trade away from the United States since Trump’s first term in office. Both Canada and Mexico send 70% or more of their exports to the United States. However, China’s biggest export market is now ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Brunei and Indonesia), with the European Union not far behind the United States.

While Trump has threatened to increase tariffs if any of the countries retaliate, an escalating trade war could push Canada and/or China to “go nuclear” by putting export taxes or restrictions on key exports such as oil from Canada or rare earth metals from China. In the long run, both Canada and/or Mexico could follow China’s path and try to reorient their trade to Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Trump’s tariffs are moving the United States to “decouple” its economy from the rest of the world. This response to the relative decline in U.S. economic power, from 40% of world GDP afterWorld War II to only around 15% today (as measured by “purchasing power parity,” which compares the actual prices of goods and services). However, these tariffs, along with Trump’s escalating deportations, and anti-education and anti-health moves, will just accelerate the rate of U.S. decline.

#SanJoseCA #Trump #Tariffs #Economy #China #Canada #Mexico #WTO

Los Angeles, CA – The historic June 2 elections in Mexico resulted in a win for Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo of the MORENA party as the country’s first female president. Dr. Sheinbaum Pardo studied engineering and environmental science and was previously mayor of Mexico City. Her parents were activists in the 1960s student movement. She vows to continue the MORENA political program.

Mexicans turned out in large numbers for elections for president, state governors, congress and local municipal positions. Early results show Dr. Sheinbaum ahead with 60% of the vote. The MORENA Party won a majority in congress. The elections are considered fair and democratic as observers did not find any irregularities except for some incidents of violence at polling sites.

In the U.S., Mexican embassies were overwhelmed by thousands wanting to vote but unable to, due to lack of ballots.

The electoral alliance of MORENA (National Regeneration Movement) , PT (Workers Party) and PVEM (Environmental Party) won its second presidential campaign.

The current president and founder of MORENA, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO, represents a progressive nationalist movement. Six years ago, MORENA defeated the right-wing conservative, pro-capitalist parties PRI/PAN. The PRI/PAN parties in the past had privatized major Mexican industries such as oil, electricity and railroads. They pushed the neoliberal agenda of privatization and fewer public services, and fostered corruption by working with the powerful drug cartels.

The MORENA party program with AMLO as president began with funding income for education, healthcare, the youth and seniors. MORENA also nationalized key industries. The Mexican peso is stable with a higher value. The party developed large infrastructure projects like a new modern oil refinery, a new large airport near Mexico City and the Maya Train into the Yucatan Peninsula. MORENA also acknowledges the past government crimes of repression like the 1968 massacre at Tlatelolco Plaza in Mexico City and the 43 disappeared students from Ayotzinapa.

The current MORENA movement is popularly referred to as the fourth transformation in the historical development of Mexico.

AMLO has denounced the U.S. sanctions on Nicaragua and Venezuela and the blockade of Cuba. He refused to attend the U.S. Summit of the Americas called by President Joe Biden. At a large rally in Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square, he declared that Mexico is not a colony or subject of the U.S. government, after some U.S. Republicans talked about invading Mexico.

The MORENA campaign held a rally in Los Angeles October 21, 2023, at the famous downtown Million Dollar Theater. Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, or Claudia, as she is affectionately known, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd. I attended with Sra. Martinez, a Boyle Heights resident, who stated, “We are finally going to have a woman as president of Mexico. I feel so proud, I will vote for her and MORENA party.”

The U.S. The State Department has recently been critical of the policies of MOREA and AMLO.

Due to the high increase of immigrants entering Mexico and traveling to the U.S., the Mexican government last year started to enforce its own immigration laws. Among other things it increased deportations of migrants to their home countries and disrupted networks run by cartels.

The millions of Mexicans living abroad are inspired by the victory of the MORENA Party.

#International #Mexico #MORENA

The governments of the United States and Mexico have expressed, through the U.S. State Department, a reinforcement of the anti-immigrant policy, after a sainete (comic opera) in which tariff measures were feigned on the one hand, and a wave of patriotism on the other. At the end, after this staged farce, the real objective of the negotiation became clear.

On the same day that the Mexican Senate began the final discussion on the approval of the T-MEC or USMCA (a new version of NAFTA in force since 1994), President Trump announced that in retaliation for the Mexican government's weakness on the migration issue, tariff measures would be imposed on Mexico's exports. The issue of making Mexico a “safe third country” (an agreement that would require migrants to ask for asylum in the first country that they enter) has been on the agenda since December.

From that moment on, the government and President López Obrador himself made calls for “national unity” in defense of sovereignty, which is pure demagoguery, since the T-MEC and other collaborative measures, such as sending Mexican troops to participate with the U.S. Southern Command in the Tradewinds 19 exercises, are still in progress.

Sovereignty for the López Obrador government means defending the interests of the Mexican monopolies, while it does not care about the rights of the workers who are injured by this imperialist treaty.

But the talks between Pompeo, head of the U.S. State Department, and Ebrad, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, have finally shown that what is being worked on is an interstate pact against migrants. Subject to the facts that may be disclosed in the next few days, the application of the “safe third country” policy cannot be ruled out, although we know that through the facts in the public part of the migratory policy is that several of its characteristics are already present.

The U.S. State Department announced that Mexico's National Guard will contain the migratory flow on Mexico's southern border, and our country will become – for those who manage to pass (the border) – a kind of detention camp in which migrants will have to wait before knowing their migratory status. The U.S. will support the Mexican government's measures in the following domains: judicial, police and “social”. The National Guard immediately mobilized 6,000 troops to the southern border to militarize it, and some solidarity activists were detained with the migrant caravans, for whom we demand their immediate release. The spectacular deployment of the National Guard is added to the permanent presence of the National Army, the Federal Police and the agents of the National Institute of Migration. This aggravates the situation of migrant workers, already brutalized by an increase in detentions and deportations, raids in hotels and parks, the use of paramilitarism and the separation of families.

This anti-immigrant agreement is celebrated by all the monopolies, chambers’ of commerce, and all the bourgeois parties. The “national unity” is declared in defense of the interests of the bourgeoisie and the announced rally in defense of sovereignty, held in Tijuana, is to fly the flag of “free trade”, to sing the praises of the T-MEC and the Integral Development Plan, a euphemism for the export of capital from the Mexican monopolies to Central America. Thus, this agreement renders an important service at the beginning of the campaign for Trump's re-election.

Such measures by both governments are contrary to the interests of the working class throughout North America: be they Canadian, U.S., Mexican, or migrant workers, mostly from Central America. So it is not only up to us to fight against such an anti-immigrant policy, to exercise the broadest solidarity with workers of other nationalities as they pass through Mexico, but also to coordinate actions with the communist and workers' parties in the region to fight against the USMCA and in defense of the interests of the working class.

Workers of all countries, unite!

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee

#Mexico #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #AndresManuelLopezObrador #DonaldTrump #PartidoComunistaDeMéxico

El mismo día que en el Senado de México inició la discusión final, para la aprobación del T-MEC o USMCA (Nueva versión del TLCAN en vigor desde 1994), el Presidente Trump anunció que como represalia a la debilidad del gobierno mexicano en el tema migratorio se impondrían medidas arancelarias a las exportaciones de México. Desde diciembre está colocado el asunto de hacer de México un “tercer país seguro”.

El gobierno, y el propio Presidente López Obrador efectuaron a partir de ese momento llamados a la “unidad nacional” en defensa de la soberanía; lo que resulta demagogia pura, pues al tiempo se sigue en curso con el T-MEC y otras medidas de colaboración, como la de enviar tropas mexicanas a participar con el Comando Sur de los EEUU en los ejercicios Tradewinds19.

Soberanía para el gobierno de López Obrador significa defender los intereses de los monopolios mexicanos, en tanto que no le importan los derechos de los trabajadores que son lesionados en ese tratado imperialista.

Pero las conversaciones entre Pompeo, titular del Departamento de Estado de los EEUU, y Ebrad, Secretario de Relaciones Exteriores de México, han finalmente mostrado que lo que está en curso es un pacto interestatal contra los migrantes. A reserva de los hechos que puedan discernirse en los próximos días no se descarta la aplicación de la política del “tercer país seguro”, aunque por la vía de los hechos en la parte pública del migratorio están ya presentes varias de sus características.

El Departamento de Estado de los EEUU anuncia que la Guardia Nacional de México contendrá el flujo migratorio en la frontera sur de México, y nuestro país se convertirá-para los que logren pasar- en una especie de campo de detención en la que los migrantes deberán esperar antes de conocer su situación migratoria. EEUU apoyará las medidas del gobierno mexicano en esa dirección: judiciales, policiales y “sociales”. De inmediato la Guardia Nacional moviliza 6000 elementos a la frontera sur para militarizarla, y se detienen algunos activistas solidarios con las caravanas migrantes, para los cuales exigimos su inmediata libertad. El aparatoso despliegue de la Guardia Nacional se suma a la presencia permanente del Ejército Nacional, la Policía Federal y los agentes del Instituto Nacional de Migración. Agravando la situación de los trabajadores migrantes, de por sí brutalizada por incremento de detenciones y deportaciones, redadas en hoteles y parques, uso del paramilitarismo y separación de familias.

Este acuerdo antiinmigrante es festejado por todos los monopolios, las cámaras empresariales, todos los partidos burgueses. La “unidad nacional” se manifiesta en defensa de los intereses de la burguesía y el tal anunciado mitin en defensa de la soberanía, efectuado en Tijuana, es para ondear la bandera del “libre comercio”, para lanzar loas al T-MEC y al Plan Integral de Desarrollo, eufemismo para nombrar la exportación de capitales de los monopolios mexicanos a Centroamérica. Así se presta un importante servicio al inicio de campaña por la reelección de Trump.

Tales medidas de ambos gobiernos son contrarias a los intereses de la clase obrera de toda América del Norte: sean trabajadores canadienses, de los EEUU, de México, o migrantes, en su mayoría de Centroamérica; por lo que no solo nos corresponde luchar contra tal política antiinmigrante, ejercer la más amplia solidaridad con los trabajadores de otras nacionalidades en su paso por México, sino además coordinar con los partidos comunistas y obreros de la región acciones para luchar contra el USMCA y en defensa de los intereses de la clase obrera.

¡Proletarios de todos los países, uníos! El Buró Político del Comité Central

#Mexico #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #AndresManuelLopezObrador #DonaldTrump #PartidoComunistaDeMéxico

Tucson, AZ – On March 30, the Legalization For All Network completed the first day of an immigrant rights delegation to Arizona and the U.S.-México border.

Members of immigrant rights organizations and a Palestinian liberation movement organization from the Midwest are participating in the delegation.

The first day of the trip was in Tucson, Arizona, where the delegation learned about the history of the U.S.-México border and the struggles of the Chicano people in the Southwest, which was the top half of México until the U.S. invasion of México in 1848.

In the morning, the delegation participated in the 19th annual Cesar Chavez rally in Tucson, led by the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition. The annual rally honors and celebrates Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers union’s legacy and brings attention to the current Chicano community struggles and immigrant rights and labor struggles. This includes the sharp struggles over the U.S./ México border in the context of President Trump’s declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ and his recent threats to entirely close the U.S.– México border.

The Legalization for All Network delegation members marched together as a contingent in the march that was led by a group from the Tohono O’odham Nation and included many Chicano and labor organizations. After marching about a mile, the delegation arrived at Rudy Garcia park for a rally. Speakers emphasized the importance of not only learning about the history of the Chicano movement, but continuing its legacy by carrying on the struggle today in the workplace, high school and college campuses, and on the streets. For 19 years, the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition has been fighting to create a paid holiday in Pima County in honor of Cesar Chavez.

After the march, the delegation arrived at Global Justice Center, which houses several important organizations, such as the Alliance for Global Justice, No More Deaths, and Coalición de Derechos Humanos.

There, the delegation heard an engaging presentation from long-time activist Isabel Garcia of Coalición de Derechos Humanos (Coalition for Human Rights). They have been struggling against the injustices at the border and attacks on immigrant rights for decades. Garcia emphasized the roots of the oppression of immigrants in the capitalist system and corporations’ changing needs over time for cheap, exploitable labor. Garcia also talked about the need to fight against militarization of the border and to connect the immigrant rights struggle to the struggles for Black liberation and against police brutality, among many other things.

After meeting with Garcia, the delegation met with Saulo Escamilla, a leader in the struggle over Chicano Studies in Arizona, who works in culturally responsive pedagogy instruction. The Chicano Studies struggle has been very sharp in Arizona, with the state legislature banning all ethnic studies in 2010 – an attack on Chicano Studies in particular – leading to mass struggles for years until the law was recently overturned in the courts. Escamilla’s presentation was on the history of the Chicano movement, with a particular focus on lesser-known women leaders in the Chicano struggle, and also on Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, a key Chicano movement leader of the 1960s who organized the conference that led to the founding of the Chicano student group MEChA, which still exists today. Escamilla ended his presentation with an emphasis on the youth’s role in the struggle, reminding us that although change is slow, with continued struggle and youth empowerment, change is bound to come.

After the meetings, the delegation took a tour of some of Tucson’s Chicano street art, seeing an artistic representation on the streets of the struggles of the Chicano community. Street art the delegation saw included the mural “La Pilita” and the “Barrio Anita” mosaic. Members of the delegation also had a chance to drive through some of the historic barrios of Tucson, which are currently being subjected to gentrification.

The Cesar Chavez march and the presentations about the immigrant rights struggle in Arizona and the history of the Chicano movement provided a good framework for the rest of the delegation.

#TusconAZ #International #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Mexico #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #LegalizationForAllNetwork #CesarChavez #DonaldTrump #USMexicoBorder

Tampa, FL – In the wake of President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to get increased funding to the border wall, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of South Florida (USF) held a rally to respond to the attacks on immigrants. The rally, held on campus on February 19, called for a halt to the preparation of a border wall, as well as pushing for more protections for immigrants across the country and at USF.

“This state of emergency is an abuse of power that has resulted from the implementation of racist ideas from the Trump administration. The wall is a symbol of white supremacy meant to scare immigrants and the people living in Central and South America,” said Tampa Bay SDS member, Taylor Cook.

The rally also drew comparisons of the federal administration with the university’s administration.

“USF was compliant in repressing Mehdi Zeyghami from speaking about his experiences during the travel ban, and nothing has changed. USF is still compliant with federal agencies like DHS, ICE and the FBI, agencies that have attacked immigrants around the country and on this campus,” said Tampa SDS member Kareem Hessen. Mehdi Zeyghami was an Iranian student at USF who was prevented from returning to his studies during Trump’s travel ban, while campus administration cut off his communication outlets to local news agencies.

Tampa Bay SDS’s current campaign is to make the USF noncompliant with various federal agencies to provide more protection for undocumented and international students in the time of the Trump administration and beyond.

#TampaFL #International #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Mexico #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #TampaSDS #DonaldTrump #borderWall #stateOfEmergency

El 25 de enero, el presidente Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva que da inicio a la construcción de un muro fronterizo entre México y los EE.UU., incrementa el número de agentes de patrulla fronteriza, y aumenta la cooperación entre las autoridades federales de inmigración y las agencias locales de policía. Esta es la primera orden ejecutiva de Trump contra los inmigrantes y sin duda alguna no será la última.

La orden ejecutiva de Trump parte de mitos racistas que culpan a los inmigrantes indocumentados mexicanos de ser la causa de crímenes y actos terroristas. De hecho, solamente una de cada cinco personas arrestadas en los EE.UU. son inmigrantes, significa una persona nacida en los EE.UU. tienen más probabilidades de ser arrestadas que un inmigrante.

Esta orden ejecutiva ordena iniciar la planificación y construcción de un muro entre los EE.UU. y México. Este muro puede costar hasta $20 billones y requiere que el congreso federal designe fondos para su construcción. Trump ha prometido que México pagará por el muro, y parte de la orden ejecutiva busca indagar sobre la asistencia internacional que recibe México de los EE.UU. Sin embargo, aunque los EE.UU. elimine toda asistencia a México, esto tomará alrededor de 50 años para pagar por el muro. Además, la mayoría de la asistencia de los EE.UU. hacia México es mayormente para programas anti-drogas y asistencia militar, cuestiones supuestamente de importancia para Trump.

Otro componente de la orden ejecutiva es agregar miles de agentes nuevos a la agencia de patrulla fronteriza. La orden ejecutiva también reinicia el llamado programa de “comunidades seguras”, conocido en inglés como Secure Communities – 287(g) program. Este programa obliga a las autoridades estatales y locales a cooperar con los agentes de ICE y otras agencias federales de inmigración. La misma orden ejecutiva también busca expandir los centros de detención en toda la región fronteriza.

La construcción de un muro fronterizo entre los EE.UU. y México, y la expansión de agentes de la patrulla fronteriza han sido política bipartidista desde 1996, cuando la administración del presidente Bill Clinton aprobó el Acta de Reforma de Inmigración Ilegal y Responsabilidad Migratoria. La expansión del muro fronterizo y el incremento de agentes de inmigración también fueron partes de las propuestas de ley del 2005, 2006 y 2007, llamadas Reforma Integral de Inmigración (CIR por sus siglas en ingles), apoyadas todas tanto por los Republicanos como por los Demócratas del Senado.

La realidad es que, aunque desde 1996 se ha promovido la construcción de un muro fronterizo y la incrementación de la “seguridad fronteriza” entre EE.UU. y México, esto no ha detenido la inmigración indocumentada de México, la cual se multiplicó entre 1995 y 2007. Al contrario, durante este periodo la inmigración indocumentada proveniente de México incrementó más rápida que la inmigración indocumentada de otros países.

De igual forma se espera que Trump apruebe otras órdenes ejecutivas contra la Acción Diferida Para Llegados en la Infancia o DACA, como también contra personas musulmanes y ciudades santuario. La orden ejecutiva del 25 de enero fue tan solo el primer golpe de su política anti-mexicana, anti-inmigrante y anti-musulmana. El movimiento de defensa por los derechos de los inmigrantes debe organizar un amplio movimiento popular para apoyar y defender a las personas indocumentados y musulmanas. Debemos todos oponernos y luchar contra los planes racistas y xenófobos de Trump.

Traducción por Edward C Tolentino

#SanJoséCA #ImmigrantRights #Mexico #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Elections #2016Elections

Since the economic crisis of capitalism in 2008, the rights and gains of the workers of Mexico, and of the world, have been sacrificed to maintain the super-profits of the monopolies.

With the labor reform it was the exploiters who benefited, while the masses of laborers and workers have been thrown into slave-like conditions in the workplace with days that exceed 8 hours, wages that are barely enough to survive, with the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen when one reaches the age of retirement, living with daily uncertainty, without housing, without vacation, and without a future. To top it all off, now comes the issue of the privatization of health care.

Millions of our brother proletarians have been thrown into unemployment, with hunger and poverty hanging over the working class and the popular sectors in Mexico. There is not enough for the rent, for transport, medications, to send the children to school, and not even enough to eat.

But the monopolies are insatiable, the capitalist class is only interested in making more and more, and that's why his government has imposed the gasolinazo and the increase in prices.

The popular economy of the workers, and of working-class families, is quickly deteriorating. The miserable salaries aren’t sufficient with the high cost of living, the rising prices of food, public transport, and other necessities.

If we want to stop this suffering, we have to struggle, it is not easy, but it is essential! No one will do it for us, because the emancipation of the workers can only be the work of the workers themselves, and we have to stand up now. As always there will be false proposals, they will tell us that we should wait for the elections of 2018, sign a petition, that we dress in white, that we remain peaceful and do not upset the established order... But in this critical time there are only two sides: the side of the laborers and workers, and the side of the exploiters and their governments.

The Communist Party of Mexico calls on the organized struggle, to rise up, to stand up, to rebel. Let us join together to confront the power of the monopolies that is headed today by Peña Nieto, but to which ALL the bourgeois parties are accomplices. Let’s organize to confront these measures and the repression with which they seek to hold us back. Let’s organize to change this country, and implement the radical measures that are required, to form a power where the majority that produces, that works, that with their sweat and effort produces everything: let’s form a workers and popular power.

We salute all those who are occupying gas stations, roads, streets, squares and taking other measures. We need to transcend spontaneity. Rebellion is legitimate and necessary. The only law we recognize is that which gives justice to the workers and to the people, and we don’t defend laws that defend the property of the billionaires and their system of exploitation and death.

To fight, against the gasolinazo and the increase of prices, against hunger and poverty, against the power of monopolies, for workers and popular power …

Proletarians of all countries, unite! Communist Party of Mexico

#Mexico #gasolinazo #CommunistPartyOfMexico #Americas

Desde que inició la crisis económica del capitalismo en 2008, los derechos y conquistas de los trabajadores de México y del mundo han sido sacrificados para mantener las superganancias de los monopolios.

Con la reforma laboral fueron beneficiados los explotadores, y lanzados a condiciones de esclavitud laboral el conjunto de los obreros y trabajadores, con jornadas que rebasan las 8 horas, y salarios que apenas alcanzan para sobrevivir, con la incertidumbre de no saber qué pasará al llegar a la edad de la jubilación, en la angustia del día a día, sin vivienda, sin vacaciones, sin futuro. Encima viene también el asunto de la privatización de la salud.

Millones de nuestros hermanos proletarios han sido arrojados al desempleo, y el hambre y la miseria se ciernen sobre la clase obrera y los sectores populares en México. No alcanza para la renta, para los pasajes, para los medicamentos, para la escuela de los hijos, incluso ni para comer.

Pero los monopolios son insaciables, pues a la clase de los capitalistas sólo les interesa ganar más y más, y por eso su gobierno impone el gasolinazo y el aumento de precios.

La economía popular, de los obreros y de las familias populares, se deteriorará rápidamente. Para nada alcanzará con un salario miserable y con la carestía de la vida, con el aumento de precios de alimentos, de transporte público, de artículos de primera necesidad.

Si queremos poner alto a este sufrimiento tenemos que luchar, y no es fácil pero es indispensable! Nadie lo hará por nosotros, pues la emancipación de los trabajadores sólo puede ser obra de los trabajadores mismos, y tenemos que levantarnos ya. Vendrán con falsas propuestas los mismos de siempre, nos dirán que esperemos a las elecciones del 2018, que firmemos una petición, que nos vistamos de blanco, que seamos pacíficos y no alteremos el orden… Pero en este momento crítico sólo hay dos lados: el de los obreros y trabajadores, y el de los explotadores y sus gobiernos.

El Partido Comunista de México llama a la lucha organizada, a levantarse, a ponerse de pie, a rebelarse. Unámonos para confrontar al poder de los monopolios que encabeza hoy Peña Nieto, pero del que son cómplices TODOS los partidos burgueses. Organicémonos para confrontar estas medidas y la represión con que buscarán frenarnos. Organicémonos para cambiar este país, con las medidas de raíz que se requieren, para formar un poder donde mande la mayoría que produce, la que trabaja, la que con su sudor y esfuerzo hace todo: formemos el poder obrero y popular.

Saludamos a todos aquellos que están ocupando gasolineras, carreteras, calles, plazas y tomando otras medidas. Necesitamos trascender lo espontaneo. Rebelarse es legítimo, necesario. La única ley que reconocemos es la que sirva con justicia a los trabajadores y al pueblo, y no la que defienda la propiedad de los millonarios y su sistema de explotación y muerte.

A luchar, contra el gasolinazo y el aumento de precios, contra el hambre y la miseria, contra el poder de los monopolios, por el poder obrero y popular…

¡Proletarios de todos los países, uníos! Partido Comunista de México

#Mexico #PartidoComunistaDeMéxico #gasolinazo #Americas

New York, NY – On June 22, about 150 people rallied and marched in solidarity with the teachers of Oaxaca, Mexico. Facing the Mexican Consulate, protesters gave speeches and chanted to decry the Mexican government’s response to protests in Oaxaca, Mexico.

In Oaxaca, a state in south Mexico, teachers have been protesting against the neoliberal education reforms being pushed by President Nieto. This past Sunday, June 19, teachers and protesters set up blockades protesting the reforms and to stand in solidarity with two union leaders who were arrested the earlier in the week.

The Mexican government sent hordes of police to stop the teachers in the community of Nochixtlan. The cops outnumbered the protesters and immediately, without warning, resorted to violent means to break up the demonstration. The violent and murderous police onslaught lasted four hours. This resulted in nine people dead and more than 100 wounded.

The group, Unidos Con El Pueblo, called the New York action to stand in solidarity with the teachers and against the Mexican government. Throughout the rally, chants such as “Presidente Nieto! Asesino!” “Who did it? The state!” and “Los puercos fascistas son terroristas!” As officials left the consulate, protesters chanted and pointed after them “Asesino!”

An indigenous woman from Oaxaca spoke about how these reforms negatively affected her community, “There are three indigenous languages in Oaxaca and we need teachers who know them to teach the children of our community. These teachers don’t have the resources to pass the government’s evaluations. These reforms are indicative the elite bourgeoisie that is in power.” She ended her speech by saying that this isn’t the first time that the government has used violent means to shut down protesters and she recalled the 46 Ayotzinapa protesters kidnapped by the Mexican authorities.

Towards the end of the rally, the names of the dead were spoken and protesters responded with “Presente!”

Two woman, organizers of the rally, tried to approach the doors of the consulate to have their statement demanding an end to the violent response and justice for the teachers signed by officials. However, before the women were able to reach the door, around five NYPD officers crowded them and jostled them away from the entrance. Protesters, furious, began shouting, “NYPD you have no jurisdiction in Mexico.” After several tense minutes, the officers moved aside and let the two women in. They emerged with a signed paper and determined look on their faces. One of the women told the cameras, “This signature isn’t from the actual consulate. It’s from the Consulate of Justice. They have no authority. This means nothing. We continue on.”

The rally turned into a protest as the crowd marched through Bryant Park and ended in Times Square, telling curious onlookers of the plight of the Oaxaca teachers and urging them to take action.

#NewYorkNY #Mexico #teachers #Oaxaca #TeachersUnions #Nochixtlan #UnidosConElPueblo #Americas

This latest outrage follows other incidents of harassment of Communist Party of Colombia (PCC) members who traveled internationally. On March 20, 2015, two leaders of the Communist Party of Colombia, General Secretary Jaime Caycedo, and former senator for the Polo Democratico, Gloria Inés Ramirez, were detained in the Mexico City International Airport. The two were taken to an immigration office, questioned for some hours, and then their belongings were searched. Eventually they were allowed to enter Mexico.

In another incident on June 4, 2015, Gloria Inés Ramirez, Jaime Caycedo and another member of the PCC were separated from their traveling companions in Tucumen Airport in Panama City, Panama, where they were stopping over on their way to the International Forum for Peace in Colombia, taking place in Montevideo, Uruguay. These distinguished political figures were questioned and photographed by officials who were not in uniform, one who of whom spoke Spanish with a North American accent. After other members of their group protested their detention, they were allowed to continue to travel.

This harassment is in contravention to norms of international law that protects the freedom of conscience and the right to travel. The Communist Party of Colombia remains undaunted by this harassment, stating in its newspaper Seminario La Voz: “No sir, we are not embarrassed to be communists! If they arrest and deport us for this reason, it is out of fear, because the future is ours, on to the victory of socialism! We call on all Colombian and international organizations to mobilize against this international policy of persecution against popular organizations and social movements.”

#DenverCO #Colombia #Mexico #PeoplesStruggles #politicalRepression #CommunistPartyOfColombia #Americas

Oscar Hernandez, a Y.E.S member at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, stated, “We can't forget that the U.S. government supplies the Mexican government with weapons and military training. In turn, Mexican police and military use those weapons to repress students, workers and unions.”

The vigil and march began at Walker Square Park, located on the southside of Milwaukee. Students from both universities were attendance along with community members to stand in solidarity with those seeking a response.

Tyler Evans, a Y.E.S member from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said of the vigil, “It was uplifting to see so many community members show up and speak out against government repression. We need more of this kind of international solidarity.”

#MilwaukeeWI #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #Mexico #YouthEmpoweredInTheStruggle #PoliticalRepression #Ayotzinapa #Americas

Tampa, FL – On Sept. 26, Raices en Tampa hosted a vigil and rally on the anniversary on the kidnapping and disappearance of 43 Mexican students. Approximately 20 activists gathered holding signs that read, “Activism is not a crime!” and “They thought they could bury us, but they didn’t realize that we were seeds.”

On Sept. 26, 2014, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. The students were on their way to a protest. Sometime during the trip, local police intercepted them and kidnapped them. A year later, the families of the 43 students and Mexican activists demand that the culprits be brought to justice.

The rally was led by Daisy Garcia, who gave a background on what occurred a year ago. She spoke about the importance of the event, “It is important to understand that the 43 students were more than activists, they were students, sons, brothers, they were loved ones. The injustice caused by those that wanted to silence these 43 activists also destroyed many families, but it backfired on them because now we have all united to make their voice stronger than ever. We are here to remember those 43 students and salute them for their struggle and demand that justice be served! We are all Ayotzinapa!”

Garcia introduced speakers from Tampa Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Tampa Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and Raices en Tampa. In between speeches she led chants such as, “When activists are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

Chrisley Carpio, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Students for a Democratic Society, spoke about how the U.S. oppresses Mexico. Carpio stated, “To show solidarity for the Ayotzinapa 43 and the Mexican people -what does this really mean for us, for FRSO, as Communists in the U.S.? We see our own imperialist government that helps create militarized walls, whether on the Mexican border or within Palestine, that drives indigenous people from their lands and into oblivion, to make way for Coca-Colas, Walmarts and SodaStreams. We can talk about holding people accountable, we can talk about decolonizing land, we can even talk about breaking down walls and ending inequality. But it is through revolution that the people of Mexico, the peoples of the U.S. and Aztlan, and the oppressed peoples of the world become free.”

The rally ended with a round of chants and with the attendees remembering the struggle that the Ayotzinapa students waged.

Alicia Gazga, an organizer with Raices en Tampa, summed up the rally, stating, “As Raices in Tampa it was very important to us to show solidarity with Ayotzinapa and also with all the other thousands of people that disappear each year. It is not only happening in Mexico but also in my country Honduras where activists are killed all the time because of them trying to expose the government.”

Raices en Tampa will continue organizing the Tampa community to win drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants and will be hosting more events in the near future.

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #Mexico #PoliticalRepression #RaicesEnTampa #Ayotzinapa #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – Forty students and community members gathered in front of Coffman Student Union at the University of Minnesota, Sept. 25, to mark one year since 43 Mexican student activists from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College in Guerrero, México were forcibly disappeared at the hands of the Mexican government. A year later the students still have not been located.

The protesters at the University of Minnesota held posters with the names and pictures of the 43 disappeared Mexican students. As the emcee called out each missing student’s name, the protesters responded with a strong chant of “¡Presente!” The vigil was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

The Mexican government has still not carried out a credible investigation of what happened to the Ayotzinapa students. Their disappearance is not an isolated incident, just one particularly egregious example of thousands of such disappearances and brutal murders carried out with impunity in recent years in México. The rallying cry of the Ayotzinapa students’ families and the huge movement in Mexico and around the world supporting them is “Fue el estado!” (“It was the state!”), clearly putting the blame on the Mexican government’s corruption and impunity.

A statement read at the vigil called for an end to U.S. military aid to Mexico while the Mexican government flagrantly violates the rights of the Mexican people with impunity. The U.S. government is not a passive bystander to the systemic violence and corruption in Mexico, but rather provides institutional support for it. Washington has given massive funding – around $2.5 billion – to México through the Merida Initiative during the Obama administration. Washington also strongly backs right-wing Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto’s efforts to privatize key sectors of the Mexican economy in the interest of multinational corporations and against the interests of the Mexican people, refusing to hold the Mexican president accountable for crimes committed against the people by the government, police and military.

#MinneapolisMN #Mexico #PeoplesStruggles #Ayotzinapa #Missing43Students #Americas

The local community of ELA still faces bad conditions and poverty. The local LAUSD public schools are under attack by the forces of privatization. Charter schools – private schools that are funded by the public – are taking over and replacing public schools. Charter schools are nonunion, and exclude English learners and special needs students. Rich business owners, like Eli Broad, are pushing for more charter schools.

In the parade, members of the United Teachers of Los Angeles, many of whom are Chicanos themselves, chanted, “Maestros, y padres, unidos, jamas seran vencidos” (Teachers, and parents, united, will never be defeated.) UTLA is one of the largest and progressive unions in Southern California.

UTLA handed out flyers to parade viewers urging them to support teachers at their upcoming Sept. 20 protest rally against billionaire Eli Broad, who is pushing for 50% more charter schools in Los Angeles. Broad is set to open up an art museum in Los Angeles on Sept. 20 and the teachers are ready. More information about the protest can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/UTLAnow.

On Mexican Independence Day, we unite with the students and teachers fighting for liberation and equality in Mexico as well as those fighting for liberation and equality here in the U.S.

#LosAngelesCA #International #ImmigrantRights #Mexico #PeoplesStruggles #teachers

Minneapolis, MN – Con mantas diciendo “Minnesota es Ayotzinapa” y “Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos”, varios líderes y miembros del Comité por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (MIRAC) marcharon en el desfile del Día de Independencia de México el 13 de septiembre en la calle Lake en Minneapolis. El 26 de septiembre 2014, 43 estudiantes de Ayotzinapa fueron desaparecidos por el estado mexicano. Esto provocó un movimiento poderoso en México y a través del mundo exigiendo un alto a la represión, la violencia estatal, la corrupción y la impunidad en México. También en Estados Unidos muchos cuestionan porque el gobierno estadounidense sigue apoyando el gobierno y ejército mexicano con $2.5 mil millones de dolares con la Iniciativa Merida. Después de casi un año las familias de los estudiantes siguen luchando por la verdad de lo que paso con sus hijos, y no han logrado respuestas o justicia.

En México muchos están planificando protestas y un boicot contra las celebraciones del Día de Independencia porque dicen que no hay verdadera independencia en un México controlado por intereses financieras poderosas al norte y no hay nada que celebrar en un país donde 43 estudiantes pueden ser desaparecidos por el estado con impunidad. En varias ciudades en los Estados Unidos hay desfiles para también celebrar el Dia de Independencia de México, y en muchos de estos desfiles han marchado grupos exigiendo justicia para los 43 estudiantes de Ayotzinapa.

En Minneapolis marcharon por Ayotzinapa en el desfile y también intentaron pedir al cónsul mexicano Alberto Fierro a que anunciara un minuto de silencio desde la tarima para los 43 estudiantes desaparecidos pero él negó hacerlo. Entonces pidieron al Maestro Mingo que lo hiciera porque él fue uno de los organizadores del desfile y del grito y también rehusó.

En Minneapolis hay dos actividades más planificadas para marcar un año desde la desaparición de los 43 estudiantes y para seguir exigiendo justicia. Los estudiantes de la Universidad de Minnesota de MIRAC van a organizar una acción el 25 de septiembre a las 12:00 pm para mostrar solidaridad entre los estudiantes estadounidenses y los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa y el pueblo de México. Próximamente se les darán los detalles de esta actividad muy pronto. Y El Frente Unido MN Ayotzinapa está también organizando una vigilia frente al consulado mexicano en San Pablo el sabado 26 de septiembre a las 8:00 p.m.

El papel de Washington en Mexico

El gobierno estadounidense no es un observador inocente cuando el gobierno de México comete abusos de derechos humanos sistemáticos como lo de Ayotzinapa, lo cual es un sólo ejemplo de muchos casos más. Washington es el poder detrás del escenario financiando y dirigiendo la política militar y económica en México. Washington ha gastado más de $2.5 mil millones de dolares en ayuda militar en México desde el 2008 a través de la Iniciativa Mérida. También ha sido la fuerza clave respaldando el actual gobierno mexicano en su intento de privatizar industrias como el petroleo, la energia y la educación. La represión y la impunidad en México no son aisladas de esa agenda económica de Washington en México. Al contrario, la ayuda masiva militar precisamente intenta atemorizar la población para no resistir las políticas regresivas como las privatizaciones de industrias claves, las cuales serían vendidos a corporaciones en los mismos países ricos como los Estados Unidos.

#MinneapolisMN #ImmigrantRights #Mexico #MIRAc #Ayotzinapa #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – With banners reading, “Minnesota is Ayotzinapa,” and “They took them alive, we want them alive,” members of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) marched in the Mexican Independence Day parade on Lake Street in Minneapolis on Sept. 13. Last year on Sept. 26, 2014, 43 students from Ayotzinapa, México were ‘disappeared’ by the Mexican state. Nearly a year after the 43 students disappeared, their families continue struggling for the truth of what happened to their children, and they haven’t gotten a response or justice.

This provoked a powerful movement in México and throughout the world demanding an end to repression, state violence, corruption and impunity in México. Also, here in the U.S., many question why the U.S. government continues supporting the Mexican government and military with $2.5 billion through the Merida Initiative.

In México, protests and boycotts were planned against the Mexican Independence Day celebrations. Protesters say there isn’t true independence to celebrate when México is controlled by powerful financial interests in the U.S. and there’s nothing to celebrate when 43 students can be disappeared by the state with impunity. In many cities in the U.S. there are Mexican Independence Day parades and celebrations, and in many of these events groups have marched to demand justice for the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa.

In Minneapolis the contingent marched for Ayotzinapa in the parade and also tried to get the ambassador from the local Mexican consulate, Alberto Fierro, to announce a minute of silence from the stage for Ayotzinapa, but he refused to do so. They then asked one of the parade organizers, Maestro Mingo, to do so and he also refused.

In Minneapolis there are two more activities planned to mark a year since the 43 students disappeared and to continue demanding justice. Students from MIRAC at the University of Minnesota are organizing an action on Sept. 25 at 12:00 noon to show solidarity with the students from Ayotzinapa and the Mexican people. More details about this action will be available soon. Also, the MN Ayotzinapa United Front is also organizing a vigil in front of the Mexican consulate in Saint Paul on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 8:00 p.m.

The role of Washington D.C. in México

The U.S. government is not an innocent observer when the Mexican government commits systematic human rights abuses like in Ayotzinapa, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Washington is the behind-the-scenes power financing and directing the military and economic policies in México. Washington has spent $2.5 billion in military aid in México since 2008 via the Merida Initiative. The U.S. has also been the key force backing the current Mexican government’s attempts to privatize massive sectors such as petroleum, energy and education. The repression and impunity in México aren’t separate from Washington’s economic agenda in México. On the contrary, the massive military aid precisely serves to instill fear in the population so they don’t resist the regressive policies like privatization of key industries, which are then sold to corporations based in rich countries such as the U.S.

#MinneapolisMN #ImmigrantRights #Mexico #MIRAc #Ayotzinapa #Americas

Milwaukee, WI – The case of the forced disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa students in Iguala, Mexico continues to draw immense support from communities across the nation, including Milwaukee, where over 150 students and community members participated in the Caravana 43 event on the UW-Milwaukee’s campus April 2.

The Caravana 43, a caravan named after the number of disappeared students, is composed of family members and fellow Ayotzinapa comrades who are touring the U.S. to share the truth about the incidents that occurred in Mexico the night of Sept. 26, 2014, as well as other issues affecting Mexican communities internationally.

The Caravana delegation brought the mother and uncle of two of the 43 disappeared and a fellow student who survived the night that Iguala police cowardly attacked the Normalistas (rural student teachers). The panel discussion shed light on the Ayotzinapa incidents as well as on what could be considered the roots of the problem.

U.S. foreign policy was discussed throughout the program. The panelists discussed the importance of speaking about the Merida Initiative, as it has contributed to the violence now widely spread in Mexico. The Merida Initiative is a bilateral economic agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that pours millions of dollars per year into the Mexican state to 'combat' organized crime and criminal organizations. The initiative also sends U.S. arms into Mexico.

According to the delegation, the more the U.S. supplies the Mexican government, the more they help the drug cartels, as they are the ones that in part enjoy the benefits of the Merida Initiative. They also expressed anger with this policy and the overall U.S. backed neo-liberal efforts, such as NAFTA, which has further marginalized poor and indigenous communities, has spread more violence to Mexican communities, and has expanded the cartels.

The delegation asked the audience to call and write letters to members of congress demanding the U.S. end aid to Mexico through the Merida Initiative.

According to the panelists, this is not the first time the Mexican government has carried out large scale attacks on students. These events have continuously occurred and have been covered up by Mexican authorities. The most infamous precedent is the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre, the event which the Normalistas were preparing to commemorate before their 2014 disappearance.

The Caravana delegation expressed frustration with the Mexican authorities for their lack of cooperation with the families of the 43. According to the delegation, the Mexican state has denied reports to the families, including reports on telecommunications and forensics.

The Mexican state has stated that they have found the bodies of 28 of the disappeared in a mass grave, which was proven false by outside forensic teams. The surviving Normalista, Omar Garcia, stated, the government offered the families “chicken and cow bones” claiming that they were remnants of the 43.

“It opened my eyes and exposed me to the truth,” said Eric Corona, who attended the Caravan event. “Hearing the atrocities happening to students like me in Mexico gave me goose bumps,” said Yoselin Colorado, who attended the panel as well.

The panelists asked the public to look for alternative modes of obtaining news. They asked the public to stop watching Televisa and TV Azteca as these mainstream news sources are bought by the Mexican state and only misinform the people about what is occurring with the Ayotzinapa case.

The Caravana 43 delegation closed by stating, “We must stand our ground and not give up,” and “We must lose fear to be strong.” As a final request, they asked the public to continue spreading the word about Ayotzinapa as well as participate in international solidarity actions happening the 26th of every month.

The event was organized by Youth Empowered in the Struggle-UWM in collaboration with Voces de la Frontera and Caravana 43.

Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos!

#MilwaukeeWI #Mexico #VocesDeLaFrontera #Ayotzinapa #Caravana43 #YouthEmpoweredInTheStruggleUWM #Americas

Milwaukee, WI – On Dec. 18, nearly 100 people gathered at a local art studio on the South Side of Milwaukee for a fundraiser dedicated to the ongoing struggle of the Mexican masses against their corrupt government. With $5 admission at the door, all money raised was donated directly to the Comité de Padres de los Desaparecidos, an organization established by the parents of the 43 students from Iguala, Guerrero whose kidnapping and disappearance sparked the powerful mass movement that is gaining strength across México.

Since the disappearance of the 43 students, Milwaukee’s Mexican community has been moved and outraged by the repression occurring in their home country. The week of the disappearance, members of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) organized a candlelit vigil attended by dozens of people. Similar vigils and rallies have followed across the city, as the movement against the Peña Nieto government gathered steam. This fundraiser, organized by members of YES and allies in the community, brought together those forces in Milwaukee that have stood up with the people of México.

While the event had a somber tone as the 43 revolutionary students who had been taken from their families were remembered, there was also an air of festivity as the community gathered together. Local artists auctioned off paintings, the mariachi group Rondalla Voces y Guitarras de Milwaukee played for the audience, and Mexican restaurants along with the Riverwest Co-Op donated food for the attendees.

“The fundraiser was a huge success,” said Valeria Gonzalez, one of the event’s organizers. “We raised over $800 and we brought together many community members throughout Milwaukee who really care for our brothers and sisters in México. At this event, we showed the true value of solidarity — not just with money, but with the powerful conversations and the presence of caring people in our community.”

A series of speakers included labor activist and former candidate for Milwaukee County sheriff Angela Walker, event organizer Jorge Maya, and YES member Luscely Flores. Also in attendance were organizations in the city that have supported the struggle against the Peña Nieto government, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Workers World Party.

“I spoke tonight as a member of the Mexican immigrant community, as a student, as a worker and as a member of FRSO,” said Luis Gonzalez, who spoke for his group during the event. “With the Ayotzinapa comrades who lost their lives, a whole country has risen to demand justice. The continuous protests are moving towards ending the ‘War on Drugs’, ending the rule of the PRI and the other main political parties. In the U.S., it is our duty to support our comrades morally and materially and to demand an end to the War on Drugs and the U.S. government’s supply of weapons and training to the Mexican government.”

Based on the response of the community, more fundraisers will be planned for the future.

#MilwaukeeWI #Mexico #solidarity #Ayotzinapa #Americas