Originally published in Spanish by the Sixth Committee of the EZLN
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Translated by irlandesa

Zapatista Army of National Liberation

Mexico

December 26, 2005

To the Alternative Media of the “Other”

To those persons, collectives and organizations of the “Other” who are proposing to make films, videos, photographs, reports, research, etcetera concerning or during the first trip by SubDelegado Zero of the EZLN’s Sixth Committee:

Compañeras and compañeros:

Zapatista greetings from compañeros in struggle. I am letting you know that several letters have been received at our post office proposing, or asking for authorization for, projects having to do with Alternative Communication and independent artistic productions. We have the following to say about this:

1. - Neither the EZLN nor its Sixth Committee (including SubDelegado Zero), have any objection to your work. The “Other,” as we have said time and again, belongs to everyone, and, to our way of thinking, it should also be a place for promoting and consolidating the different alternative communication projects which exist below and to the left in Mexico. We think the same way about artistic productions. In this regard, the only thing we should do is welcome your proposals and do everything we can to not be an obstacle to their being carried out.

2 - This first stage of the EZLN’s Sixth Committee’s trip throughout Mexico will concentrate primarily on making direct contact with the greatest possible number of supporters of the Sexta and the “Other.” In some cases it will be possible for us to participate in public events. Given how full the agendas in each state will be, it appears that it will be difficult for us to participate directly in the projects you are proposing. Even so, we will make an effort to participate at some point in something jointly with all the compas who are working in alternative media and in artistic productions.

3 - Given that you are compas, and we need to also make the “Other” a place for communications, dissemination and art, the EZLN’s Sixth Committee is recommending to the committees or coordinators which are being formed in each state that they give preferential treatment to the compañeros from the “Other” who will be “covering” this trip, given that the alternative media are at a disadvantage to the mass media, and, if this is the “Other,” then we should also be “otherly” as regards communication and artistic productions. This preferential treatment does not refer just to their being given access to the meetings and activities in each location, but also that the space be organized so that the alternative compas who record, take photos, films, videos, etcetera, can do their work of news, documentation, research, artistic production, etcetera, with the greatest possible ease.

4 - In return, we are asking you, in turn, to respect the decisions and regulations made on this matter by the committees or coordinators in each state or region.

That’s all for now then, compañeros and compañeras. I hope that, when we pass through the state where you live and work, we will be able to see you and talk to you without a lens-microphone being involved.

Un abrazo.

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

SubDelegado Zero of the Sixth Committee of the EZLN

Mexico, December of 2005