Mexico: Current Campaigns in Defense of Mother Earth

from Defensa Madre Tierra

translated by Earth First! Journal

On April 10, 179 towns and organizations from 17 states publicly launched the National Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and Territory. Today, that figure has grown to 215 registered communities and towns in total, including 43 academics, musicians, theatrical and religious actors–all together making up the Committee for Mother Earth.

So-called “progress and development” are permanent threats to the people and their natural assets. There are 97 conflicts which our communities face: Power Generation Projects 34%; Mines and mining project 32%; Privatization of water 15%; Transport infrastructure 12%; Construction 11%; Water extraction 7%; tourist developments 7%; Environmental pollution 6%; Logging 4%; Lack of land regularization 4%; Water management 4%; and GMO Soy 1%.

Since the launching of this campaign, the following 11 campaigns have grown more tense:

1-In San Salvador, Atenco: against the New Airport of Mexico City project, specifically the construction of the highway “Pirámides-Texcoco” in Tocuila.

2-The Papagayo river, in Guerrero: against gravel extraction and the possible reactivation of arrest warrants against spokesmen Council of Ejidos [communal land] and Communities Opposed to La Parota Dam.

3-In Tecámac and Coyotepec: threats to the integration of Autonomous Systems of Potable Water.

4-In neighborhoods of Santo Domingo and towns of Pueblos La Candelaria and Los Reyes, in Mexico City: defending the wellspring which is affected by real estate.

5-In the Otomí community of San Francisco Magú: fighting the real estate development in the Paradise Forests (Bosques del Paraíso).

6-In Xochicuautla: against the plunder, home demolition, destruction of infrastructure for the Naucalpan-Toluca highway.

7-In Amilcingo, Morelos: judicial harassment of Eleazar Zamora and Samir Flores, land defenders.

8-The San Pedro river: resisting attempts to construct the hydroelectric dam “Las Cruces” after an alleged consultation to the Náyeri people.

9-In the Maya de Chablekal, Yucatán community: a police sweep results in four people arrested and one family evicted.

All these actions are systemic violations of human rights, with heavy impact on the social culture. Without land, there is no culture, there is no life!

Six weeks since its launch, there have been diverse activities developed:

April 12– Declaration of Chipaneca towns and communities joined the campaign.

April 13– Protest in support of Xochicuatla.

April 21– Presentation of National Campaign in Oaxaca

April 23– Film screening in National Cineteca

April 29– Protest in the neighborhoods of Pedregales in south Mexico City in defense of a spring

May 2– Presentation of book “Common Struggles” in UACM

May 3-4– Activities on tenth anniversary of San Salvador Atenco’s repression

May 6– Occupation of mining installation by United Towns in the Ocotlán valley

May 7-8– “Rodada” by Atenco [?]

May 8– Festival for Neighborhoods in Resistance 2016 in Carrasco, Mexico City

May 21– Launching of Campaign in Western Region of Guadalajara, Jalisco with Leonardo Boff, First Nations, and Fighters in Resistance

Facing the violence and plunder of the State and the large capitalist companies, the Campaign for the Defense of Mother Earth and Territory begins a new phase of producing diffusion materials [propaganda], a result of intense work by investigators and professional artists who accompany them. We invite you to be on the look-out for these activities and the materials which we will soon publish.

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Campaña en Defensa de la Madre Tierra y el Territorio y el Comité por la Madre Tierra

Contacto: defensamadretierra@gmail.com