Mexico: Plan to Boycott Sunday’s Elections

The atmosphere of violence and disorder continues in Mexico as the country prepares for local elections. Nine candidates have already been killed along with twelve campaign workers. In Oaxaca, members of the 75,000 strong teachers’ union have carried out a series of actions in the buildup to a boycott of Sunday’s elections. Today teachers blockaded a Pemex oil refinery in the central part of the state, forcing gas stations to close. Some taxis and motorists have surrounded the teachers, increasing the tensions. Yesterday teachers shut down the state international airport and took over toll booths on the region’s major highways. In addition to opposing widespread corruption, the teachers are protesting the national education reform that they argue is an attack on their labor rights and a means to privatize the education system.