Seeing protests in a whole new way

We all get frustrated with our government, whether we live in a small town in Chiapas or in a big city like Chicago. Fortunately, we also live in countries with governments and cultures that recognize the importance of free speech, so when we get frustrated, we are free to complain without fear of imprisonment or worse. But in Mexico, I learned this week that certain forms of protest that would never been allowed in the US are not uncommon here.

Our friend, Albert, Pablo's son-in-law and Amalia's husband, is now an employee of the city government. One day last week, local citizens took Albert and 11 of his colleagues hostage for about 18 hours. They were held against their will by those who were upset with the mayor for not fulfilling promises made during the campaign. These citizens also blocked off streets and disrupted local traffic by requiring passers-by to pay an unofficial toll to continue on the street --- all as a form of protest. Albert and his colleagues were released about midnight that night, unhurt but not unaffected by the experience. There were no consequences or penalties for those citizens involved, in large part, because there were too many to jail!

Certainly we have come to understand more about the Zapatista protests since their rebellion began in the early 1990's, and we know that similar forms of seemingly unlawful behavior were allowed then as well. How can a government and a people function this way? Pablo has shared more about how political campaigns work, and that has been hard to understand too. Generally speaking, the people will only come to hear what a candidate has to say if the candidates bring them something (ie. pass out food, bring loads of gravel to improve a road, etc.) and promise them something. The giving out part seems strange, but the promising part does not. Most people want to know that voting for one candidate over the other will benefit them personally in some way -- and I don't think that is unique to Mexico. On the other hand, as is evidenced by Albert's recent experience, failure to deliver on those promises has much different ramifications.

Things that make you go "hmmmm."