Dr. Armando Navarro is Ready to Lead U.S. National Delegation on Zapatista March
La Voz de Aztlan
Riverside, Alta California
February 22, 2001
(ACN) Dr. Armando Navarro has informed La Voz de Aztlan that plans for a National Chicano/Mexicano Delegation to participate in the Zapatista March to Mexico City have been finalized. Professor Navarro and a contingent of Raza national leaders will join Subcomandante Marcos, 23 Comandantes, indigenous groups from Mexico and supporters from around the world on the march into El Zocalo at Tenochtitlan.
The main part of the delegation will depart from the International Airport in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico which is located across from San Ysidro, Alta California. The delegation will depart in the morning of Thursday March 8th in order to arrive in Mexico City with enough time to join the Zapatistas at their encampment in Milpa Alta which is within the federal district of the Mexican capital (Please see map). Those who want to join the main part of the delegation are encouraged to make travel arrangements with Norma of the Quetzal Travel Agency at (909) 889-5551 and then contact Dr. Navarro at navarro@ucrac1.ucr.edu or La Voz de Aztlan at Zapatista@Aztlan.Net The U.S. National Chicano/Mexicano Delegation will be staying at the Hotel Catedral which is one block from El Zocalo, behind the Cathedral. The address is Calle Donceles 95, Mexico D.F 06010. Telephone and fax are PH: 52 5/518-5232 FAX: 52 5/512-4344 .
Because of strategic limitations, the delegation will be joining the Zapatistas as they near Mexico City. The Zapatistas will be leaving San Cristobal de la Casas, Chiapas on February 25 and march northward along a predetermined route but on Wednesday March 7 they will be marching to Iguala, Guerrero after staying the night in Tepotzlan, Morelos (Please See Map) and then to Cuautla, Morelos to arrive there in the evening of the same day. They will stay in Cuautla, Morelos for the night. On Thursday March 8 they will travel to Milpa Alta, D.F. and it is here where the U.S. Chicano/Mexicano delegation will join the caravan. The marchers will stay in Milpa Alta, D.F. on Friday March 9 and on Saturday March 10 will march to Xochimilco, D.F. (Please See Second Map). On the morning of Sunday March 11 the Zapatista will then march from Xochimilco into El Zocalo.
The U.S. Chicano/Mexicano delegation will be utilizing the Hotel Catedral as a base of operations and some will not be staying overnight in the Zapatista encampments but will travel to the locations each morning to march with them during the day. Anyone wishing to stay overnight with the Zapatistas should take a sleeping bag and other gear to assure a comfortable overnight stay.
Dr. Armando Navarro will schedule meetings with Cuauhtemoc Cardenas and other officials of the Partido Revolucionario Democratico (PRD). It is anticipated that the Chicano/Mexicano Delegation will meet with the PRD on the morning of Friday March 9 and then join the march in the afternoon. Anyone wishing to participate in the meetings is encouraged to contact Dr. Navarro. The purpose of the meetings will be to express to the PRD solidarity for the human rights of all indigenous groups in Mexico, to coordinate efforts to call for amnesty for all undocumented workers in the United States, to coordinate efforts in opposing the Senator Graham Bracero Program as it is being proposed and to form an alliance to stop the violence along the US/Mexico border and particularly in the Douglas, Arizona region which is a hot spot for racist vigilante actions by ranchers in the area.
