mhoops

Has anyone heard on the news of the revolts and uprisings in Oaxaca that went on this week? Is the city safe for tourists? We plan on being there the first two weeks of July. Any info or advice is welcomed and much appreciated!

Pausanias

Haven't heard a thing. Got a link?

mhoops

Here's a link I found on the internet. I'm not sure how reliable of a link it is, but my friend saw a TV news story on it yesterday. So I'm still learning myself. http://ww4report.com/node/2083

marilynl

My daughter was in the city the week of May 21-28, and said that the thousands of teachers had taken over all the area around the zocalo. The proprietor of her B&B was quite unsympathetic to the teachers, saying that they were not local, and were destroying the tourist business that Oaxaca depends on. I don't have any information on any actions the government may have taken/be taking.

Laurelle

I not only heard the news. I was there at a hotel a few blocks from the zocalo the morning of June 14th when the much vilified governor of the state of Oaxaca ordered state police to clear the streets of the peacefully demonstrating TEACHERS who had been camped out in many blocks surrounding the center, planning to stay until after Mexico's presidential election July 2nd. They did this by destroying the encampments before dawn and began the tear gas assault. Although we never felt in personal danger at our hotel on the Av. 5 de Mayo, all visitors in the area had to have been affected by the tear gas. The sheltering tarps and other personal belongings in our block lay scattered on the pavement.
While avoiding being decapitated by the lines of the multicolored tarps strung across the streets interfered with our appreciation of the Oaxaca's colonial ambience, it was a minor inconvenience. The teachers from all over the state of Oaxaca have been
requesting better support for education. The teachers make 2200 pesos/15 days; members of congress make 30,000 for the same period. It is widely believed by locals that the governor stole the vote from the legitimately elected candidate and has been lining his pockets ever since.
Along with marilynl we found people of a certain class unsympathetic to the plight of the teachers, although I'd think subjecting visitors to tear gas would be more detrimental to tourism than any number of legitimate peaceful protestors.
As part of a college group and with a giant march planned for Friday we were advised by a subsecretary in the department of tourism to depart.
That being said, I never felt in personal danger, even when trailing luggage through the rubble (police and people threw stones back and forth) to a hotel about a mile farther from the center of the conflict.
We expect things to settle down after the election. Until then there is a great deal of uncertainty among the populace. We haven't heard from our local contact, a university professor for three days.
Reporting in the Oaxaca papers is very much slanted in favor of the authorities.
You may read some personal accounts at blogger.com, entering "Oaxaca Service-Learning Program" in the search space. I'll write later with the web address where you can view some video.

WLS

My children and I have reservations to be in Oaxaca for a month starting July 8. Our experience at language school there last year was wonderful and we hoped to repeat the experience. The current uprisings, violentpolice and political response, and tensions due to the elections, have me concerned for our safety. With the additional thousands that arrive for Guelaguetza (along with riot police for the event) I am seriously considering changing plans to another Mexican location. I don't want to be an alarmist but I also don't want to put my children in harms way. Any input would me much appreciated.

hopefulist

I would be interested in hearing which language school you attended and what you liked about it; I'm planning to visit/study there sometime in the next few years and I'm grateful for personal accounts. I'm heading back to Honduras again this summer - let me know if you want school recommendations there. Hope things work out for the best, whatever you decide!

MikeT

What a great non-Disneyland view of life in the Third World if you went back to Oaxaca with them. It sounds like the unrest is basically resolved and was mostly at the Zocalo. I don't think you have much to worry about and it would be great opportunity for your children to learn some history, politics, and a non-sanitized sense of life in Mexico.

WLS

MikeT: We spend time as a family doing things like language school in central Mexico( as opposed to Disney World) in order to expose our children to history, politics, and the beauty of different cultures and languages. Due to the nature of these trips they are aware of poverty, economic and cultural struggles, and many different views on how to live ones life. I agree with you that this is important in the development of thinking, caring, world citizens. At the same time, as their parent, I don't feel the need to bring them to places where they may be in danger. I continue to read about riot police with guns and tear gas being deployed to Oaxaca City. I am worried that the current issues with the protesting teachers added to the potential unrest following the elections, may be not a learning opportunity but a dangerous situation. I appreciate your encouragement and look forward to hearing from anyone with up to date input about the situation.

WLS

hopefulist: I would love to hear about your language school experiences in Honduras! This will be the fourth year that my family and I are attending language school. My husband and kids started out as total beginners and I am at an advanced or intermediate level. Our school choices were very much determined by the approach of the school(emphasis on aural/oral communication over book work) and the quality of the children's program (my son was 9 our first year). In Cuernavaca we attended Chac-Mool(2 weeks the first year and 3 weeks the second year). Our teachers were excellent, the materials helpful, and their systematic approach to grammar very effective. Their enrollment doubled our second year and our conversation teachers were not as experienced as we would have liked but we still found the school offered a great deal. In Oaxaca we went to ICC (Instituto de Comunicacion y Cultura) for 3 weeks (the plan is 4 weeks this year). They excel in promoting listening and communication skills. There are no printed materials and grammar takes a back seat. Beginners definately start speaking sooner when not preoccupied with the need for constant correct grammar. Two very different schools with different strengths. We had planned to return to Oaxaca this year because it is a beautiful place and we really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, easy walking, and excellent food.
I look forward to reading about your experiences and why you chose Honduras.
Hopefully, our plans will be resolved very soon. I hope someone will provide an accurate update to the situation there.

hopefulist

Ironically, I found out about the Ixbalanque school

www.ixbalanque.com

in Copán Ruinas, Honduras through Central Am. Spanish School with bases in LaCeiba, and on Utila and Roatán from a reference on the Belize Forum several years ago. Honduras has everything we hope for in our trips in a fairly small area - great flyfishing, diving, inland adventures, indigenous villages, majestic ruins. I had planned a couple of weeks with Ixbalanque followed by a couple with CASS on Utila (they work together), but our trip was cut short after my time in Copán when one of our sons was in a serious car accident back home. We're heading back to finish where we left off this year (leaving in less than 3 weeks!) Here's a link to a quick trip page the Sidewalk Mystic guy made from my write up for the Thorntree Forum:

http://sidewalkmystic.com/CopanRuinas.htm

Copán Ruinas was a fabulous base for study, and my 2 weeks there helped me pull together all the 100's of data bits I'd acquired through a year of community college Spanish. Instruction was 1-on-1 and I enjoyed my time - very little written work other than books to take home to guide my out-of-class study. A few times when I was confused about a grammar piece it was a sort of frustrating that the teachers spoke little English, but overall the program was excellent - fun and really motivating with lots of games and interesting trips and visits for a cultural element and more practice. Let me know if I can answer more specific questions. Happy trails!

hopefulist

Link to the Central American Spanish School:

www.ca-spanish.com

mhoops

WLS:
Depending on how the conflict is resolved, my boyfriend and I will see you at Instituto Cultural Oaxaca. We will be there July 3-15. We are hesitant though due to the recent violence. We too are interested in experiencing local cultures, politics, etc., but are worried about putting ourselves in danger. From what we hear, the city is safe, as long as you do not hang out in the Zocalo. However, having never been to Oaxaca and reading all about it, we planned on spending a lot of time in the Zocalo. We decided we'll arrive in Mexico City on June 29, stay there for two nights, and decide what to do then. We figure we'll get better, more dependable news in Mexico. So that is what we are doing.

mikemo

Mexico has performed very poorly in the World Cup, but don't count them out just yet.
Smart money says if they make it to the semi's, the (almost democratic) election on 2 July will see a very low voter turn out and be a non event relative to futbol.
Too bad, 'cuz, for perhaps the first time, Mexicanos have a real choice for their future.
M

WLS

Laurelle, any further news? In addition to the violence, are there sanitary concerns with that many people camping in the streets?

mlizcano

I was actually there in Oaxaca on June 14th. I was with my college in the Oaxaca Service Learning Program. We were evacuated from our hotel and finally our contacts recommended we come back to San Antonio. Since then my class and I have been keeping up with the teachers protesting. It was an experience we brought home with us. You can read about our journey at www.blogger.com.
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