December 24th, 2019

Members of our El Mayor village of Indigenous Cucapá faced challenging odds when police arrived on Christmas eve to arrest chapaay (tribal members) known to resist the state and re-appropriate from capitalists. Fifteen Municipal units two Ministerial units arrived in force with dozens of officers.

Word spread through the community that a snatch job was underway. Under the coordination of the El Mayor Cucapá Community Defense & Surveillance Committee, our chapaay sprang into action.

“For us, the women, we cover and cover them [the men]. Nobody intimidates us, even when it comes to defending our own people from home invasion by the police. They tried to arrest a Cucapá without any order and / or authorization,” said one member of the committee.

Community members strategically closed the roads at both ends before the police could leave, trapping their expensive vehicles. With this leverage, representatives from El Mayor demanded the release of our imprisoned family and comrades.

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We are forced to do this because they rig investigations without evidence, they do not work for Cucapá interests, they only pretend to listen to our concerns, and they only really want bribes. With unity and direct action, our voice becomes much louder and had actual effect.

The judge relented and the Cucapá were released. We kept our end of the bargain. They got their police trucks back. ¡Viva Cucapá!