According to an 11 February 2003 article, the Peasant Torch (Antorcha Campesina, AC) group has 500,000 members in 27 Mexican states and is affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI) (Pacificar.com). For more information on the AC, please see MEX42164.E of 20 November 2003.

Leaders in Puebla

According to several sources, the AC leader in the state of Puebla is Juan Manuel Celis Aguirre (Depuebla.com 7 Mar. 2004; El Sol de Puebla 13 Apr. 2004; Antorcha Campesina 2004a). The AC's Website indicates that three of the main national leaders come from Puebla (ibid. 2004b).

Conflict in Huitzilan between the AC and the Union of Independent Peasants (UCI)

No information about a group called Unión de Cazacas Independientes or on a conflict over this group's appropriation of land at extremely low prices could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, tensions between the AC and the Union of Independent Peasants (Unión Campesina Independiente, UCI) over two assassinations in the Huitzilan region were reported in articles on the killings.

The details are as follows: On 29 February 2004, a long-time AC activist, Máximo de la Cruz, was assassinated in the village of Xinachapa (La Jornada de Oriente 14 Mar. 2004; El Sol de Puebla 13 Apr. 2004). In its report on the assassination, La Jornada de Oriente reported that the two perpetrators of the crime were [translation] "thought to belong to the UCI" and that they were wearing the uniform of the Puebla state police (14 Mar. 2004).

On 14 March 2004, La Jornada de Oriente reported that two suspects had been identified in the 29 February 2004 murder of Máximo de la Cruz. On 13 April 2004, a radio announcer indicated that two suspects had been arrested (Revista105.com). This information could not be corroborated among the other sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Several sources indicated that, on 4 April 2004, Ramírez Velázquez Gobierno was also shot to death (El Sol de Puebla 13 Apr. 2004; Antorcha Campesina 5 Apr. 2004). He was the first AC member to head the department (municipio) of Huitzilan, from 1984 to 1987 (ibid.). An article in Diario Cambio also indicated that Ramírez Velázquez Gobierno was no longer associated with the group when the crime was committed (10 Apr. 2004). The AC indicated that he had been the target of death threats by the UCI since the beginning of his political career (5 Apr. 2004).

Although the information on the results of the investigation into the two assassinations in February and April 2004 is incomplete, a senior official with the Office of the Attorney General (Procuraduría General de Justicia, PGJ) for state of Puebla indicated, following the April 2004 assassination, that it was too soon to say whether the two crimes were linked and whether they were political (Diario Cambio 10 Apr. 2004).

According to a 13 April 2004 article in El Sol de Puebla, Bartolomé Melchi Santiago is the UCI's representative. The article indicated that, in his opinion, the assassinations of Máximo de la Cruz and Ramírez Velázquez Gobierno can be attributed to the power struggle between the AC and the National Peasant Confederation (Confederación Nacional Campesina, CNC).

March by AC supporters in Puebla

A march by AC supporters did occur on 7 June 2004 in the city of Puebla (Antorcha Campesina 7 June 2004; La Jornada de Oriente 7 June 2004). According to an AC press release, 25,000 people participated in the annual march to honour their [translation] "martyrs" (7 June 2004). La Jornada de Oriente, however, reported that the figure was 10,000 and stated that AC's national leader, Aquiles Córdoba Morán, had attended (7 June 2004). The same source indicated that the group's demands were directed at the governor of the state of Puebla, Melquiades Morales Flores, and that they wanted to pressure him to complete some construction projects and to move ahead in the investigation of the assassination of the two AC members (La Jornada de Oriente 7 June 2004; Antorcha Campesina 7 June 2004).

No information on the threats against AC members following the march on 7 June 2004 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

AC activities in Puebla in 2004

According to La Jornada de Oriente, for at least 21 days in May and June 2004, the AC staged a sit-in in front of the state government building in Puebla, in order to draw attention to the organization's demands (7 June 2004). According to the AC, it ended the protest after 57 days, once an agreement had been reached with the state government on the work to be done in the departments under the responsibility of representatives affiliated with the AC (9 July 2004).

The 25 February 2004 edition of La Jornada de Oriente indicated that the AC was involved in [translation] "disputes" for control of certain churches and their funds and that a march was held in Puebla on 25 February 2004 to ask the state government and the archbishop of Puebla to hand over the keys to the church of San Bernardino Chalchiuapan. Some protesters came from the Huitzilan region (La Jornada de Oriente 25 Feb. 2004).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Antorcha Campesina (AC). 2004a. "Dirigencia Estatal/Direcciones Estatales." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/direstatal.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 2004]

_____. 2004b. "Dirigencia Nacional." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/dirnacional.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 2004]

_____. 20 September 2004. "Importantes Avances en Seguridad Pública en Huitzilan de Serdán." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/estados/pue/notas.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 2004]

_____. 9 July 2004. "En Puebla, Conluye Plantón Antorchista." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/noticias/nota090704a.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 2004]

_____. 7 June 2004. Miguel Angel Cacique. "Puebla: Marchan 25 Mil Antorchistas. Exigen a Melquiades Morales Cumpla Compromisos." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/noticias/nota080604a.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 12004]

_____. 5 April 2004. "Asesinan a otro Antorchista en Huitzilan." http://www.antorchacampesina.org.mx/comurg.html [Accessed 14 Oct. 2004]

Depuebla.com. 7 March 2004. "Encontrarenos a los Autores del Crimen del Antorchista." http://www.depuebla.com.mx/07032004/locales/4antorcha.html [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004].

Diario Cambio [Puebla]. 10 April 2004. Miriam Espinoza. "Sin Tintes Políticos Crimen de Antorchista en Huitzilan: PGJ." http://www.diariocambio.com/10042004/poder/06archundia.html [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004]

La Jornada de Oriente [Puebla]. 7 June 2004. "Exigen Antorchistas a Morales Flores Cumplir Obra Pública en 60 Municipios." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2004/jun04/040608/033n2est.php?origen=estados.php&fly=2 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004]

_____. 14 March 2004. "Demandan que la FEMOSPP Investigue a Antorcha Campesina." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2004/mar04/040315/031n2pol.php?origen=politica.php&fly=2 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004]

_____. 25 February 2004. "Antorchistas Disputan un Templo con Perredistas." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2004/feb04/040226/035n2est.php?origen=estados.php&fly=2 [Accessed 15 Oct. 2004]

Pacificar.com. 11 February 2003. Jesús Ramírez Cuevas. "Movimiento Campesino: las Razones de la Furia." http://www.pacificar.com/vernota.hlvs?id=707 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004]

Revista105.com [Puebla]. 13 April 2004. "Detenidos dos Presuntos Asesinos de Antorchista." http://revista105.com/policia/0003.htm [Accessed 15 Oct. 2004]

El Sol de Puebla. 13 April 2004. "Se Desinda la UCI de los Asesinatos en Huitzilan de Serdán." http://www.elsoldepuebla.com.mx/elsoldepuebla/040413/local/2local.asp [Accessed 13 Oct. 2004]

Sites Internet, including: Amnesty International, Procuraduría General de Justicia de Puebla, United States Committee for Refugees (USCR), United States Department of State.