La Otra Campaña in Oaxaca at the teachers' auditorium

Catching up with Delegado Zero is like catching up with migratory birds – on purpose. Marcos and the Zapatistas, like the birds, have a route and eventual destination, but on an hourly basis his location remains undisclosed, to avoid the main stream media and the gawkers.

It’s the adherents to the Sexta that he wants to talk with.

Today, when Marcos was scheduled to be at various locations such as the Law School and the Office of Indigenous Human Rights of Oaxaca (OIDHO), he appeared at the gymnasium located in the Casa del Maestros. On two sides of the “auditorium” basketball hoops hang, one side holds the bleachers. Under one of the hoops is a huge sign: LOS TRABAJADORES DEL INSTITUTO MEXICANO DEL SEGURO SOCIAL ESTAMOS COM LA SEXTA DECLARACION DE LA SELVA LACANDONA.

On the far side a table and some audio-visual equipment stood ready.

I arrived by bus with Tiks Didxadra Juarez, a university-age student whose father is a teacher in Oaxaca. He explained that in addition to avoiding mainstream press antics, the Otra Campaña also wants to avoid intrusion by the political parties, whose members  can also provoke mischief and misrepresent.

In Oaxaca, it is the PRI that buys most towns and most votes.

In some towns on the route, Tiks tells me, extra security is useful. It’s offered by youngsters who belong to collectives, like himself.

In fact, much to my surprise, everyone I spoke to – all young men – were members of collectives who have joined the Sexta, and are performing fill-in security duty when needed. Tiks’ group cannot do all six months of the Otra Campaña, he’ll run out of money. One group, La Guillotina, from Mexico City, can afford to do the whole thing because they sell a magazine they publish in order to bring in cash.

Tiks knew here he was going, and I followed. At the Casa, he signed in with the men manning the entry tables –pretty tight security there; we were peeking around closed doors. I signed in right behind him: Narconews reporter.

Inside the auditorium the different venue had worked to prevent a huge crowd from gathering. Most of the bleachers were unoccupied, and the seats on the floor were not all filled. My guess was that about 400 -500 people were present, divided among workers, students and teachers. Nothing was happening, some noise background of speeches which rolled along like the noise of a superhighway. Tiks went off, and I sat down in the bleachers next to a likely-looking youngster who sported an orange Mohawk, cradled a bright guitar on his lap,  and wore boots to mid-calf. The boots did it for me – one black bootlace and one red. “Ah,” says I, “you must be an anarchist.” He told me his name is Emmanuel. In addition to himself, three other members of his collective were present. A well-disciplined group, Kolectivo Rinkon Rupesto is from Cancún and expect to accompany the Otra Campaña for five months more, providing ad hoc security as needed in the local communities. Emmanuel said, “We understand the Other Campaign, we see it alive and well. We see it as it is horizontally and broadly sowing resistance and winning workers (with its message of) the respect for indigenous rights, equity and well-being socially, economically and mentally. Viva Land and Liberty!” Emmanuel reminded me that Ricardo Flores Magón was born in Oaxaca, and I reciprocated by reminding him that Ricardo Flores Magón died in Leavenworth Prison in the United States.

While I was chatting with a member of the La Guillotina collective the noise level altered. With no fanfare or introduction, Delegado Zero began to speak. He wore his black pasamontañas covered by a  fatigue cap, and the cap crowned with the usual headset and microphone. “The future of Oaxaca is the future of Mexico,” he said. He referred to the states’ lowest salaries nationally for teachers and workers, and the destructive activities of the state government headed by Ulisise Ruiz.

Marcos in his half-hour speech called for respect for the struggles of others, saying that everyone should come together in one grand sindicato (union movement) – workers with students, teachers and others. “We are millions in the same situation,” he said.  "Gains are not a gift," he reminded the audience; "they are the results of a struggle."   National unionization is the solution, demanding the restitution of labor rights, with workers replacing owners in a grand national upheaval. Marcos quoted Comandante Ramona, who died last month, “Nada mas un México sin nosotros”  – no more a Mexico without us.

His presentation concluded with a brief outburst of applause. The entire event was very low-keyed, and yet highly charged by his presence. A handful of people approached the speakers’ table briefly and dispersed. Marcos left,  as invisible as when he arrived.