The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) has called for people to protest against forced displacements and violence suffered by indigenous communities in Chiapas state, south of Mexico.

EZLN warns Chiapas is on ‘the verge of civil war’.

In a statement signed by 1,000 leading figures, including Noam Chomsky and Diego Luna, the EZLN say that they are coming under attack from paramilitary groups, who act with the ‘passive and active complicity’ of the authorities.

The group — which for years has been hesitant about public announcements — has denounced the rise in violence in Chiapas, and called an international day of protest on June 8.

According to a May report from the human rights group Frayba, Chiapas has become overrun by organized crime and armed groups, with “evident links to government and companies.”

The document highlighted the same problems raised by the Zapatistas and their allied groups: forced displacements, arbitrary detentions, torture, and attacks on human rights defenders and journalists.

The EZLN statement argues that the Orcao attack is part of the systematic dispossession of lands controlled by Zapatistas and other indigenous communities.

According to the group, this is happening to make way for government projects such as Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life), an initiative from López Obrador that provides economic funds in exchange for certain types of crops, like fruit trees or timber.

Aljazeera.