Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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Monday, August 7, 2000
The Team discussed the situation of non-payment to the Abejas' (the Bees') Coffee Cooperative for coffee delivered in May. Duane tried to check with Padre Pedro about more of the details.

Wednesday, August 9, 2000
The team prepared for the Abejas March scheduled for August 10 and discussed a number of situations which indicated that tensions are rising because of the upcoming August 20 elections.. The team talked with Vicar Oscar Salinas about the situation in the diocese as it undergoes transition of leadership and opened the possibility for the team to meet with Bishop Felipe Arizmendi.

Thursday, August 10, 2000
Tracy Hughes, Matt Schaaf and Esther Ho joined the Bees as they marched through the city of San Cristobal de las Casas in a one kilometer long procession. The Bees publicly denounced the government's inaction with regard to disarming the paramilitary groups and their withholding of indemnification monies for the damages done to their property during their displacement almost 3 years ago. (See August release, "CHIAPAS: Abejas request international faxes demanding disarmament of paramilitaries and compensation for massacre."

Sunday, August l3, 2000
Schaaf, Hughes and Ho traveled to X'oyep, one of the Abejas' refugee communities. After a hour hike up the muddy trail they were welcomed into the cabin for internationals just as a downpour of rain began. In the evening they visited with Jose Vasquez. He reported that the camp still has no electricity and the only water they have now is from catching rain water and from a small spring. Bathing and washing clothes must be done in a stream. He expressed the community's hope that if a new government is elected in Chiapas on August 20 they will receive more services.

Monday, August 14, 2000
The CPTers took a walk around the camp and visited the school of the Yibeljoj community. (Each of the five communities which make up the camp have a primary school of their own.) The structure consisting of a tin roof and walls of plastic sheeting was divided by plastic into four rooms, each of which was filled with children crowded around wooden tables. The community gathered twice in the morning at the open-air church to pray about the upcoming election

Wednesday, August l6, 2000
An organizing team meeting was held and follow-up activities were carried out on the matter of the payment to the Abejas coffee coop.

Friday, August 18, 2000
Tracy Hughes, Anne Herman and Matt Schaaf went to Acteal to meet with the coffee coop. They were asked at the meeting to accompany them on a visit to the coffee buyer on Tuesday, August 22.

Saturday, August l9, 2000
Schaaf, Herman and Ho went to Acteal in order to accompany the Abejas as they returned to vote in the home communities from which they had previously been displaced.

Sunday, August 20, 2000
CPTers spent the day in Majomut, Canolal and Pantelho, informally observing the elections and accompanying Abejas in the first two locations. There were no overt acts of fraud or violence reported anywhere in the state, and the results were that the opposition candidate, Pablo Salazar, won by a wide margin. According to his statements, one of his priorities is working for the return of the displaced people to their homes.