my buddy, carlos montes, the author of this commentary below, is one of the founders of the Brown Berets.
hatem abudayyeh
chicago
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August 29, 2009
39th Anniversary of Chicano Moratorium - The Struggle Continues
Commentary by Carlos Montes
Los Angeles, CA - Today, Aug.
29, 2009, shows that our people are continuing the fight for equality
and self-determination. It was demonstrated by the many groups that
were present today at Salazar Park, including the student group MECHA
and the new Brown Berets, to commemorate the historic day in 1970 when
over 20,000 Chicanos marched down historic Whittier Boulevard in East
L.A. to protest the war in Vietnam and the high casualty rate of Chicanos.
The mass peaceful rally in 1970 was attacked by the Los Angeles Police
Department and the sheriffs. Ruben Salazar, news director for KMEX,
was killed, along with Angel Diaz and Lynn Ward. A similar example of
repression took place on May 1, 2007 when the LAPD attacked a pro-immigrant
rights rally at MacArthur Park.
This year's event was organized
by the local Chicano Moratorium Committee and had the backing of the
East L.A.-based Latinos Against War. In Latinos Against War, we organize
against the war in Afghanistan and against the military recruiters in
our high schools. We support self-determination for Chicanos in the
Southwest, the Chicano nation of Aztlan. Our strategy is working with
community-based groups like the CSO to organize poor and working class
Chicanos in our community to fight for our rights. This means fighting
for better education, living conditions, for the rights of our people
displaced by poverty in Mexico and Central America now living here and
for full legalization.
The campaign "Escuelas Si,
Guerra No," (Schools Yes, No War) of CSO recently won the opening
of a new high school in Boyle Heights. The Mendez Learning Complex had
an open house today, and will open September 2009. The new school is
a concrete victory won after years of struggle to relieve overcrowding
at Roosevelt High School and to stop the U.S. military recruiters on
high school campuses in East L.A. This is the way to build the annual
Chicano Moratorium event that recently has had less participation, especially
from the community.
Latinos against War also condemns
and exposes the long history of U.S. military and political intervention
in Mexico, Central and Latin America. For example many people do not
know that U.S. Army General Pershing led an intervention during the
Mexican Revolution to attack the forces of our famous hero General Francisco
Villa; of course the U.S. failed.
In Central America the U.S.
supported the brutal military regimes that killed many of their own
people, who were struggling for democracy and self-determination. Now
we have the example of Venezuela and Bolivia whose people have supported
and elected leaders who defend sovereignty and work to improve the lives
of the many poor in their countries. But U.S. intervention continues
to sneak in - like in Colombia, which will allow the U.S. military to
use several bases under the guise of fighting the war on drugs. But
we all know it's a war against the revolutionary forces in Colombia
like the FARC, and to attack the independent and sovereign nations like
Venezuela. The U.S. is also giving billions to the Mexican army under
the Plan Merida to fight the drug war, but the army commits many human
rights violations against the Mexican people.
So on this anniversary of the
Chicano Moratorium, we commemorate a proud past of struggle and stand
committed to a future where our people achieve liberation and self-determination.
Carlos Montes is a veteran
fighter in the Chicano Liberation movement. He was a founder of the
Brown Berets and the Chicano Moratorium. Montes is currently active
in the Southern California Immigration Coalition, the East L.A.-based
Latinos against War and with CSO, which organizes parents in the East
Los Angeles area to fight against the privatization of public education
in Los Angeles Unified School District.
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