[please read on even if you can't attend the benefit. important
information about how to help below]

Celebrate the Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe!
Support the Peoples’ Struggle in Oaxaca!

December 12th : Event to benefit CACTUS!!!!!

Chaz’s Bull City Records
1916 Perry Street (next to Cosmic Cantina)

film screening/teach-in @ 8pm
benefit show @ 9pm
Bands:
Scene of the Crime Rovers-Durham marching band
The Drowsies-Raleigh punk
Something’s Wrong-Asheville punk
Feast Upon Thy Brother-Durham metal

oaxacan style tamales and horchata! cheap and super delicioso!
all proceeds go to benefit CACTUS!!!!!!!

CACTUS (Centro de Apoyo Comunitario Trabajando Unidos—Center for
Communal Support) is a grassroots organization based in the
La Mixteca region of Oaxaca, home to Mexico’s poorest municipalities.
CACTUS works to resist oppressive economic and political policies that
leave the people of La Mixteca impoverished and marginalized. Many of
CACTUS’s organizers do solidarity economy work, community banking and
popular education. They mostly work with women seeing as most of the
men have migrated either to the US or the agricultural fields of
Northern Mexico that 100% export to the US. But they are not
powerless! CACTUS has been participating in the assemblies of the
Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca, APPO (Popular Assembly of the
People of Oaxaca).

On November 25 CACTUS and other organizations from La Mixteca were
traveling to Oaxaca City to participate in the seventh mega march of
the APPO when their buses were stopped by paramilitaries. One bus was
offloaded and then set on fire. Over 20 people were arrested and are
still being detained Nayarit. CACTUS organizers have received death threats
and have been in hiding for the last two months to avoid arrest,
disappearance and assassination. Furthermore, their offices have been
broken into and vandalized. They are being treated like criminals
when all they are doing is exercising their right to live with
dignity.

Much international attention has been focused on the amazing popular
rebellion that is happening in Oaxaca City. However, llittle has been
passed onto the more rural and outlying regions of the state, even
though these activists, workers, and farmers are also facing
institutional and violent repression. Emily Posner and I will be
traveling to La Mixteca on December 15th for two weeks. Our
solidarity mission is multi-faceted. First, we will act as human
rights observers in La Mixteca. Second, we will document as much as
we can about what is happening in La Mixteca. Third, we will help set
up documentation infrastructure, so that when we leave, this region’s
residents will be able to continue documenting these turbulent times.
Finally, to we will deliver much needed supplies and money to help
CACTUS continue its imperative work. We will bring things like cell
phones and money for phone cards to improve CACTUS communication network
in case of another paramilitary attack. We will donate video and audio
recording equipment and digital cameras for CACTUS. We will supply
needed funds so that CACTUS can get their comrades out of jail and
continue to participate APPO general assemblies.

If you can’t make the show, but wish to donate a cellphone that is sim card
compatable, digital camera, audio recording equipment or video recording
equipment please send it to Tennessee Watson before December 15th. If
you are interested in donating funds to purchase any of this equipment
or to take directly to Oaxaca (so we can avoid wiring costs) please
send to Tennessee Watson. We are hoping to raise at least $1,000 to
purchase equipment and to help get CACTUS organizers and residents of
La Mixteca out of jail. Your help is greatly appreciated at this
pivotal time.

Tennessee Watson
1317 West Pettigrew
Durham, North Carolina
27705

585.739.9143
tennessee.watson@gmail.com

For folks in NYC, I will be mailing some things to Durham later this week. If you wish to donate anything to CACTUS, email me and I can send it with my package!
k.see@graffiti.net