Big mouth Manu Chao not welcome in Mexico

Franco-Spanish musician and political activist Manu Chao found himself under investigation by the Mexican interior ministry last week after the 47-year-old singer referred to a 2006 police crackdown as "state terrorism".

Our Observer in Mexico Gabriel Infante, who alerted us to this story, compiled the following information.

Image: Gabriel Infante

The singer was referring to a controversial police intervention that took place in 2006. On May 4 of that year, around 2,000 federal and local police occupied San Salvador Atenco, a town northeast of Mexico City, after a group of anti-capitalist demonstrators held 11 officers hostage (a move that came after a protest led by flower-sellers against the construction of a Wal-Mart became violent). According to an investigation by the Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (the National Human Rights Committee), over 200 people were injured, two killed, and 27 women raped by officers during the intervention.

In a press conference at the Guadalajara International Film Festival last Tuesday, Chao said that "what happened in Atenco was, in some way, state terrorism. [The authorities] are saying ‘don't say a word when we seize your land, because you better watch out, the same thing will happen to you as happened in Atenco'".

On Thursday the interior ministry told reporters that they were investigating the singer, who subsequently didn't turn up to a concert that evening. According to article 33 of the Mexican constitution "foreigners cannot in any manner interfere in internal political affairs" and the government has "the executive power to force them to leave national territory" immediately and without trial. The next day however, the authorities denied considering to expel him from the country.

Some members of the local media criticised the ministry of interior for "wasting time" over the affair. Radio host Denise Maerker commented on Friday during her show, that the measures the ministry took reminded her of the behaviour of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. On Friday the Mexican film actor Diego Luna and British singer Peter Gabriel came out in defence of the French-Spanish songwriter. Manu Chao's political comment has generated a wide variety of opinions within Mexico. One reader of daily news online Milenio Diario said that "Manu is right, the thing is, that he's a foreigner. I have the same opinion concerning Atenco, but  as a Mexican I can say it. He is not authorised to talk about something that doesn't concern him as a foreigner."

Manu Chao during the concert given at the Guadalajara film festival

Posted by "DjRaLiUgA" March 23, 2009.

Footage from the Atenco intervention

Video posted May 7, 2006 by "bonham".