Activist is beaten, her brother killed and her house burned by mayor and municipal police

Borderland Beat posted and translated by DD republished from Sin Embargo

DD note;   It doesn’t just happen  in Guerrero.

The home of activist Elisa Zepeda was burned.

 On Dec. 14^th, In the municipality Eloxochitlán de Flores Magon, Oaxaca, during an Assembly to elect a mayor, human right  activist  Elisa Zepeda Lagoon was struck by a stick, dragged 20 meters by her  hair, whipped and kicked.   In the attack  her  brother, Manuel Zepeda Lagunas, was murdered and  his mother turned out to be hurt and her house and her mothers set on fire,  detailed the National Commission of Human rights (CNDH). 

According to the testimony of the victim, she was attacked for “meddling in the affairs of the people ”

 The CNDH denounced the attack and issued a statement which says that it is investigating the facts.

“Allegedly, the Mayor Alfredo Bolaños licensed Pacheco and three other men,  threatened her with a shotgun placed to her head.  beat her with a stick, dragged her 20 meters by her hair, beating her to the ground and kicking her in the ribs'.  ”.

The agency said the attackers went to the home of the Mazatec activist to burn it with petrol bombs and arrested her brother, Manuel Zepeda Lagunas. Then he was taken to the public square to torture and kill, without any authority intervening to contain the violence.

The commission said that the investigations will follow up promptly, monitor the performance of the Attorney General of Oaxaca to investigate those responsible and punished according to law, and in due course issue a determination in accordance with applicable law.

The Witness Testimony

 "Women and men came together at 11:00 am near the municipal park, but minutes later we heard screams of men who approached the park. There were about 100 men who were armed with machetes, sticks, guns, rockets and Molotov cocktails, "said Elisa told local media.

The woman reported that men, women and children ran "for fear of being killed." They hid in a grocery store, and while they were there, "heard how they were destroyed a restaurant and parked cars."

'Look for Elisa, find her, she has to be here!', cried Jaime Betanzos Fuentes, who - according to the activist - for more than two decades has sought to remain in the municipal power.

Elisa escaped to her home where shortly Betanzos Jaime Fuentes, Alfredo Pacheco Bolanos, Jacob Betanzos Zepeda and Omar Morales arrived at her home accompanied by about 50 people, who burned a gas tank, her home, and her  parents home  and 11 vehicles that were in the shop of her  brother Manuel Zepeda Lagunas.

By trying to defend me, Gustavo [family friend] was attacked with pipes and machetes, tossed into a pond and then killed with the coup de grace by the municipal police Omar Morales', she told the state press.

"We were all severely beaten. Simultaneously they released about eleven petrol bombs and caused both houses to catch fire. "

When the activist decided to go out to face him, she was  attacked by Jaime Jacob Betanzos Zepeda, Ruben Cerqueda, Francisco Betanzos Ordaz and Alfredo Bolaños Pacheco, the latter who the mayor had authorized, struck me blows to the head with a stick," she explained the to the  local press.

"Betanzos Francisco Ordaz buried me the tip of the shotgun in my front, pulling me about 20 meters; I was surrounded by about 40 men."

According to her testimony, the councilman Jaime Betanzos threatened: "'here were your dreams asshole, you do not ever get into the Affairs of the people,' he said while he beat her.

Then Jacob Zepeda Betanzos, Betanzos Jaime Vargas Terán Fuentes and Genaro dragged her brother Manuel to the public square, where he was stripped and publicly presented as "provocateur of aggression".

He was subsequently transferred dead to the Public Ministry of Huautla de Jiménez.

The human rights activist and advocate, Elisa Zepeda stated that violence could have been avoided.

According to the local media, during the events there was present at least one patrol car of the State Police (PE), which saw the beatings and murders, but did not intervene.

Elisa reported that the municipal and state governments try to ignore her role as a defender of human rights and her community work with the Mazatec people, through which she has promoted the political participation of women and pushed for transparency and accountability in the town of Eloxochitlán.