AMERICA/MEXICO - Church asks to intervene in social security emergency

Oaxaca (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops' Conference of Mexico has sent Fides the letter from the Archbishop of Oaxaca, Archbishop Jose Luis Chavez Botello, launching an appeal to participate effectively in responding to the social security emergency in the area.
As the local press has reported, all the citizens condemn the murder that took place in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca of Catarino Torres Pereda, leader of the Defense Committee of the Citizen (Codeci) and Heriberto Pazos Ortiz leader of the Triqui Movement for Unification (MULT) in the city of Oaxaca, both political leaders being assassinated during their activities for the social movement and in defense of the indigenous movement in the country.
"We need the authorities to take control of the situation by demonstrating leadership and responsibility in this fight, because it is a true social security and survival emergency for many citizens of Oaxaca," reads the letter from Archbishop Chavez Botello.
"As the bishops of the dioceses of the State of Oaxaca - the text continues - we see three priority areas that are the root causes of the different sides of manipulation, corruption, injustice, and violence: the grinding poverty of social injustice, the shameful low quality of education, division, and constant clashes between communities, groups, and sectors of our society."
The Archbishop of Oaxaca added: "The Bishops of the Diocese of Oaxaca are committed to working in these areas of our mission as Church and urge all Catholics to participate actively and constructively with their skill and experience, each in his own area." "It is impossible to enjoy freedom and democracy and grow as a society if we do nothing to reduce poverty, increase the quality of education, and promote social reconciliation in Oaxaca," said Archbishop Chavez Botello.
Violence in Mexico has increased tremendously in recent years, yesterday, 14 young people were buried after having been murdered by a group of gunmen in Ciudad Juarez, perhaps the most violent city in the country. In the last three years alone, it has seen more than 6,000 murders by organized crime groups. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2010)