Mexican newspaper surrounded in standoff

[struggle4progress]

OAXACA, Mexico, June 19 (Reuters) - Dozens of workers holed up in the offices of a Mexican newspaper managed to publish on Sunday despite what they say is a fake strike organized by politicians to silence the daily for its criticism of the state government.

The standoff at Noticias, the largest daily circulation newspaper in the state of Oaxaca, began before dawn on Friday when hundreds of people, including police in civilian clothing and other outsiders, surrounded the newspaper and declared a strike seeking a 25 percent pay raise, the newspaper's directors say.

Genaro Altamirano, the assistant director of Noticias, said the newspaper's 102 union employees had no desire to strike and had agreed to a 6 percent pay raise. He said the "strike" was organized by a union headed by state Deputy David Aguilar Robles from Oaxaca's ruling PRI party. <snip>

Noticias has written about corrupt practices under the PRI and criticized public works such as a controversial renovation of Oaxaca's historic central plaza. It also has charged officials with trying to buy off newspapers with advertising dollars and does not accept government advertising itself.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19477145.htm

[Dover]

1. Were this only the case in THIS country!

Unfortunately, most have already been bought off in this country.

But we might consider surrounding them to apply pressure!