On the surface, Oaxaca appeared to be almost back to "normal" when we arrived in the city early in August. Certainly the obvious presence of the thousands of Federal Preventive Police who had greeted our Emergency Delegation in Decemberñcomplete with full riot gear, "little tanks", high-powered riflesñhad disappeared. Fresh paint covered nearly all the political graffiti and protest art in the central tourist section of the city, and the zocalo was once again filled with local families and a substantial number of returning tourists.

Underneath the apparent calm, however, we learned that less had changed than we might have thought: fear of arrest hangs over the heads of many activists and human rights organizers, people seem to be careful of what they say and to whom, and little progress seems to have been made in resolving the legal cases of the many victims of violence and police abuses since the peak of the unrest almost a year ago.
Also unchanged is the determination to oust the stateís governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, accused of corruption and massive repression. The deep roots of centuries-old resilience and resistance continue to fuel the peoples of Oaxaca in their struggle for social, economic and political equity in the state, where disparity between the minority of well-to-do and a growing majority of poor citizens has increased under NAFTA and other U.S.-initiated policies.

For our August delegationñ made up primarily of teachers, most of them working in inner-city schoolsñ the ongoing demands of Oaxacaís teachers for teaching materials, school supplies and repairs (including such things as toilets and sinks), breakfasts for students who arrive at school unfed, and salary parity with teachers in other areas of Mexico had special resonance. And throughout our time in Oaxaca, from our discussions with educators, human rights workers and community members young and older, we learned that both the hope and the despair that triggered last yearís uprising are still presentñ la lucha sigue and retreat is not likely to be an option.