Rural Responses to Political Unrest in Oaxaca City, Mexico: Preliminary Findings

Strikes, violence and economic crisis characterized life in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico from the spring through late fall of 2006. Demonstrations began around the efforts of striking teachers and grew throughout the summer to include many groups critical of the state's governor. The confrontations led to blockades, violence and several acts of murder along with the cancellation of important events that had negative implications for the city's tourism economy. Nevertheless, little has been said about the rural response to these events. In this paper I present preliminary results interviews in three rural villages to better understand the impacts of political and economic unrest on rural communities.