17 December 2002
MEXICO URGENT ACTION FOLLOW UP
This morning's La Jornada confirms the reports contained in the previous Urgent Action. The newspaper has been confirmed by the Ministry of the Environment (SEMARNAT) that the families in the "irregular" settlements in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve will be evicted from their homes by government personnel during the present week.
This measure, which has been planned for several weeks, is supported by the government's commissioner for dialogue and negotiation with the Zapatatistas, Luis H. Alvarez; he sees it as oriented to protect an ecological area that is what is left of the lungs of the continent and that therefore has a lot to do with climate. He expressed concern that the eviction be carried out with due care in order not to unleash a new source of conflict.
The delay of several weeks referred to above was reportedly requested by Governor Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, in order that there would be more time to negotiate and discuss the relocation of the affected communities.
In the newspaper report, the use of the word "relocation" by government officials is frequent. However, the only details that are given are the alleged request by the twenty–person settlement of Arroyo San Pablo to be allotted approximately $100, 000 per family in exchange for agreeing to move. (Without knowing more details, including the price of usable land in Chiapas, it is obviously impossible to comment on this allegation.)
Officials from PROFEPA (the government body responsible for the enforcement of environmental law) have stated that the eviction will be carried out without violence. According to La Jornada, because of personnel limitations, PROFEPA usually turns to the Mexican army and the Federal Preventive Police for support in carrying out operations of this type.
For its part, the independent campesino Coalition of Autonomous Organizations of Ocosingo (COAO) has declared its intention of beginning a mass community mobilization towards Montes Azules to support the people who are to be evicted. Coalition spokesman Mario Hernández Pérez stated, "We will defend these families. The authorities have not understood that we do not destroy nature. Furthermore, the majority of these settlements have been there for more than two years and they were part of the environmental discussion table that was set up during the Zedillo administration." Referring to the nine communities that are on the immediate list to be evicted, Sr. Hernández indicated that only three of them are very recently establlished. After making it clear that COAO is not seeking a confrontation with the Mexican army or the Federal Preventive Police, he went on to say that "We cannot accept the use of force or the pretexts for militarizing the region. Neither are we going to hand over our natural heritage to foreigners."
The present situation cannot be understood without remembering that the government has its own plans for the region. These include the construction of luxury hotels, the commercial use of the region's rich bio–diversity, and – as part of the Plan Puebla Panama – the building of three hydro–electric dams. The dams are to be built to the south of the Montes Azules Reserve. In the words of La Jornada, if the plans for the dams come to fruition, thousands of hectares of exuberant natural growth and dozens of indigenous communities will be wiped out for ever. (These commercial development plans are creating discord and discontent even in the Lacandon communities. The latter strongly support the government's eviction plans – because they believe, or have been led to believe, that their own land rights are threatened by the settlements.)
It would perhaps be accurate to describe the position of the government and those who support its present policy as a blend of cynicism and the kind of conservative environmentalism that believes that environmental protection and private profit should go hand in hand. Such an outlook leaves no room for the role and right of indigenous communities to plan and carry out their own environmental protection programmes.
Please express to the Mexican government, politely but in the strongest possible terms, your rejection of the forced eviction of the indigenous communities in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. Please point out that many of the families who have settled in Montes Azules were driven from their homes by military and paramilitary violence, and that the problems that exist in Chiapas can only be solved by the putting into effect of the San Andres Accords and by full respect for the provisions of Covenant 169 of the International Labour Organization.
Please write to the Chiapas state government asking for discussions to be started in 2003 leading to the setting up of community–managed protected areas, in which all decisions pertaining to the use of their lands and territories are taken by the indigenous peoples in accordance with the provisions of Covenant 169 of the International Labour Organization.
Canadian residents, if you have time to write to the Canadian government, please follow the recommendations in the previous Urgent Action.
ADDRESSES:
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850, MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 55 522 4117 or 516 9537 or 515 1794 vicente@fox2000.org.mx or
radio@presidencia.gob.mx or go to
www.gob.mex and from there to interactivo@ to send a message. If you have access to a fax machine and are able to get through, the fax method, being less impersonal, is probably more effective. If you live in Ottawa or in a city where there is a Mexican consulate, they will almost certainly be willing to forward a fax to President Fox's office on your behalf.
Lic. Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía
Gobernador del Estado de Chiapas
Palacio de Gobierno, Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Chiapas, MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 961 20917 salazarp@prodigy.net.mx
Please send copies of your letters to:
Her Excellency Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor St, suite 1500, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4
FOX 613 235 9123 info@embamexcan.com
FOR CANADA:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca
MEXICO URGENT ACTION FOLLOW UP
Confirmation of emergency situation in Monte Azules Biosphere Reserve
This morning's La Jornada confirms the reports contained in the previous Urgent Action. The newspaper has been confirmed by the Ministry of the Environment (SEMARNAT) that the families in the "irregular" settlements in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve will be evicted from their homes by government personnel during the present week.
This measure, which has been planned for several weeks, is supported by the government's commissioner for dialogue and negotiation with the Zapatatistas, Luis H. Alvarez; he sees it as oriented to protect an ecological area that is what is left of the lungs of the continent and that therefore has a lot to do with climate. He expressed concern that the eviction be carried out with due care in order not to unleash a new source of conflict.
The delay of several weeks referred to above was reportedly requested by Governor Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, in order that there would be more time to negotiate and discuss the relocation of the affected communities.
In the newspaper report, the use of the word "relocation" by government officials is frequent. However, the only details that are given are the alleged request by the twenty–person settlement of Arroyo San Pablo to be allotted approximately $100, 000 per family in exchange for agreeing to move. (Without knowing more details, including the price of usable land in Chiapas, it is obviously impossible to comment on this allegation.)
Officials from PROFEPA (the government body responsible for the enforcement of environmental law) have stated that the eviction will be carried out without violence. According to La Jornada, because of personnel limitations, PROFEPA usually turns to the Mexican army and the Federal Preventive Police for support in carrying out operations of this type.
For its part, the independent campesino Coalition of Autonomous Organizations of Ocosingo (COAO) has declared its intention of beginning a mass community mobilization towards Montes Azules to support the people who are to be evicted. Coalition spokesman Mario Hernández Pérez stated, "We will defend these families. The authorities have not understood that we do not destroy nature. Furthermore, the majority of these settlements have been there for more than two years and they were part of the environmental discussion table that was set up during the Zedillo administration." Referring to the nine communities that are on the immediate list to be evicted, Sr. Hernández indicated that only three of them are very recently establlished. After making it clear that COAO is not seeking a confrontation with the Mexican army or the Federal Preventive Police, he went on to say that "We cannot accept the use of force or the pretexts for militarizing the region. Neither are we going to hand over our natural heritage to foreigners."
The present situation cannot be understood without remembering that the government has its own plans for the region. These include the construction of luxury hotels, the commercial use of the region's rich bio–diversity, and – as part of the Plan Puebla Panama – the building of three hydro–electric dams. The dams are to be built to the south of the Montes Azules Reserve. In the words of La Jornada, if the plans for the dams come to fruition, thousands of hectares of exuberant natural growth and dozens of indigenous communities will be wiped out for ever. (These commercial development plans are creating discord and discontent even in the Lacandon communities. The latter strongly support the government's eviction plans – because they believe, or have been led to believe, that their own land rights are threatened by the settlements.)
It would perhaps be accurate to describe the position of the government and those who support its present policy as a blend of cynicism and the kind of conservative environmentalism that believes that environmental protection and private profit should go hand in hand. Such an outlook leaves no room for the role and right of indigenous communities to plan and carry out their own environmental protection programmes.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please express to the Mexican government, politely but in the strongest possible terms, your rejection of the forced eviction of the indigenous communities in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. Please point out that many of the families who have settled in Montes Azules were driven from their homes by military and paramilitary violence, and that the problems that exist in Chiapas can only be solved by the putting into effect of the San Andres Accords and by full respect for the provisions of Covenant 169 of the International Labour Organization.
Please write to the Chiapas state government asking for discussions to be started in 2003 leading to the setting up of community–managed protected areas, in which all decisions pertaining to the use of their lands and territories are taken by the indigenous peoples in accordance with the provisions of Covenant 169 of the International Labour Organization.
Canadian residents, if you have time to write to the Canadian government, please follow the recommendations in the previous Urgent Action.
ADDRESSES:
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850, MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 55 522 4117 or 516 9537 or 515 1794 vicente@fox2000.org.mx or
radio@presidencia.gob.mx or go to
www.gob.mex and from there to interactivo@ to send a message. If you have access to a fax machine and are able to get through, the fax method, being less impersonal, is probably more effective. If you live in Ottawa or in a city where there is a Mexican consulate, they will almost certainly be willing to forward a fax to President Fox's office on your behalf.
Lic. Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía
Gobernador del Estado de Chiapas
Palacio de Gobierno, Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Chiapas, MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 961 20917 salazarp@prodigy.net.mx
Please send copies of your letters to:
Her Excellency Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor St, suite 1500, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4
FOX 613 235 9123 info@embamexcan.com
FOR CANADA:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca