Mexico: Forest Defenders’ Camp Being Destroyed by Soldiers

from Centros de Medio Libres

translated by Earth First! Journal

At 9 AM [on April 11] Grupo Higa arrived with 800 heavily armed Mexican military police to the community of Xochicuautla to destroy the camp which residents set up in defense of the Otomí forest. In the same operative, machinery was introduced to continue the illegal construction of the Toluca-Naucalpan highwas which would destroy a large portion of the forest. The highway was cancelled by a judge in the fifth district on accounts of protection.

Grupo Higa and its owner Juan Armando Hinojoso are contractors assigned by the administration of president Peña Nieto and the governor of the Mexican state, Eruviel Ávila. The corporation and its owner are enveloped in famous scandals, like the sale of the residences for Angélica Rivera, wife of Peña Nieto and for Luis Videgaray. Recently it was made known of $100 million being sent por Hinojosa to tax havens.

The police presence is absolutely illegal since the protection accounts definitively shut down the construction works in the Otomí. Throughout the day we are being informed of homes being demolished, without previous notification, nor judicial order to those affected.

These are their communications and interviews [in Spanish] from the Xochicuatla community emitted from the morning through 14:30 [2:30 PM].

10:41

#‎AlertaMáximaXochicuautla‬ | Comunidad indígena de San Francisco Xochicuautla , 11 de abril de 2016

To the mass media

To the Indigenous Congress

To national and international civil society

To the Human Rights centers

To the students and academia

To the National Commission for Human Rights and Amnesty International Mexico

We inform that Grupo Higa, staff of Governor Eruviel and his corrupt ally Angel Valdez Ramírez (representative of common goods for the indigenous community of San Francisco Xochicuautla), have come to our mountains accompanied by six military trucks and several cars.

We hold Ángel Valdez Ramírez and Eruviel responsible for whatever act of repression may be caused, as well as for the harassment they are committing to this indigenous community.

We ask that you be ‪#‎Alerta‬ [Alert] since they intend to continue clearcutting for the construction of the private highway Toluca – Naucalpan. We will be informing via this account : ‪#‎FavorDeDifundir‬‪#‎XochicuautlaNoEstaSolo‬ 11:56 URGENT MESSAGE ‪#‎AlertaMáximaXochicuautla‬ Grupo Higa machinery has entered illegally, our place is full of military soldiers, they are set up at main access points throughout town. The machines have started to work in an ILLEGAL manner in two extreme points in the Otomi forest [despite having] recently won protection status. 12:25 We wait for the CNDH to start working […] ILLEGAL operations like those of Eruviel Ávila to destroy the sacred Otomi-Mexica forest in the community of Otomi de San Francisco Xochicuautla, intent on continuing to impose their Highway of Quota to connect the Toluca airport to Naucalpan. 13:10 To the @CNDH we demand their presence in San Francisco ‪#‎Xochicuautla‬ since this is becoming ridiculous. Military soldiers like Eruviel Ávila have hit an otomi senior citizen woman and abused an indigenous minor of under 10 years of age, they have entered a private residence and are looting it because they plan on demolishing it since it is in the way of their ILLEGAL work for the Quota Highway Toluca-Naucalpan. 13:34 Interview [in Spanish] by Radio Zapote [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258489238″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] 13:50 Interview with Noticias de Abajo Medios Libres. Repression in Xochicuatla State of Mexico. Urgent, please spread!!!

#AlertaXochicuautla

In these moments they are destroying our compañero Armando Garcías home, he is ex-delegate of Xochicuautla, there are people in this community here but they are surrounde by CES police, they have ransacked their homes, taken their things, with impunity and violating the [court] order to definitively suspend [the construction] since February of this year, destroying our compañeros home, his children’s patrimony, sacred places in this area.

14:32 Interview with Frente Autónomo Audiovisual Dr. Armando García’s home [is being] demolished, despite not having previous notification or court order to realize a demolition while a state functionary who said his name was Luis Enrique García presented the expropriation decree, which lacked the name of the family being evicted.

UPDATE from Centros de Medios Libres

translated by Earth First! Journal

April 12.- For the second consecutive day Grupo Higa has continued with illegal demolition of homes in the Ñatho (otomí) community of San Francisco Xochicuautla in the Mexican State. Despite the fact that residents are backed by definite suspension of the highway construction Toluca-Naucalpanm, having won protection status by court, one thousand heavily-armed military police are allowing the illegal excursions of President Peña Nieto’s favorite construction company.

So, the Federal and Mexican state government are allowing the Grupo Higa’s security forces to do as they please; furthermore, the governments of Eruviel Ávila has allotted one thousand police to act as illegal shock forces against the people who resist peacefully.

At noon it was reported that some people of Xochicuautla would be praying in the communal chapel to avoid its demolition.

The community of Xochicuautla forms part of the National Indigenous Congress and is gathered in defense of the Otomí-Mexica forest which would be partially destroyed by the construction of the highway Toluca-Naucalpan, contributing drastically to the reduction of natural aquifers that provide potable water to Mexico City and the city of Toluca,

It’s time to announce ourselves and fight for Xochicuautla with whatever type of action each person wishes.