The Mex Files

I haven’t checked in with Jennifer Rogers in a while.  When it comes to Oaxaca, and to Mexican traditional agriculture, she’s da (wo)man.  Apparently not being physically in Oaxaca right now is a challenge she’s been able to work around.

Strike in Zocalo Oaxaca:

I wish I was there to give you my own firsthand account. But, for now, here is a post from libcom.org.

Oaxaca in revolt again: the Zócalo reoccupied, motorway tollbooths “liberated”, roads blockaded
May 22nd, 2008 by Alan
A 21 day series of strikes and occupations by the radical Sección 22 in Oaxaca of the Mexican teachers’ union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores en la Educación kicked off in earnest on Tuesday. As of Thursday, the strike appears to be spreading – with popular support, solidarity and an increasing volume of activity.<!–

The teachers’ strike has various demands, although it’s mostly calling for the freedom for all political prisoners, an end to the arrest orders and ongoing intimidation by the judicial authorities against the movement, new elections within the SNTE, and the handing over of all Oaxacan schools controlled by the pro-government Sección 59.

Tortilla Inflation:

From a blog at the Wall Street Journal:

More Tortilla Inflation?

Posted by David Gaffen

Annelena Lobb has this report on how rising corn costs continue to affect Mexico.

As the price of food staples continues to rise around the world, some in Mexico are worrying about another flare-up of the tortilla wars.

Corn prices, which impact the price of tortillas, have been rising.

Earlier this week, a tortilla industry group warned of looming price increases for the maize tortilla. The rising price of corn worldwide has fueled inflation in Mexico, causing the central bank to maintain high interest rates in an effort to head off a wage-price spiral in other goods and services.