Chiapas: Huitepec reserve under threat

Since the beginning of 2008, the Zapatista Community Ecological Reserve of Huitepec (Reserva Ecológica Comunitaria Zapatista de Huitepec) has been threatened with removal. The new municipal president of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mariano Diaz Ochoa (PRI, Revolutionary Institutional Party), stated to the press that the reserve would be removed on January 3, 2008 supposedly due to ecological damage incurred by the zaptista community residing there.

Diaz Ochoa later repeated his intention to dismantle the reserve, changing the date to January 17. The following day some five delegates from various governmental entities were sent to the area.

There was fear that the visit implied further study of the area by the government and the planning of a police operation to force out the Zapatista communities there. Since then, several unknown individuals have been seen inside the reserve, some were found taking photos without the permission of the zapatista guard. Moreover, the municipal president has continued to threaten removal via radio stations in San Cristóbal.

The reserve was established in 2006 by the Good Government Council (JBG, Junta de Buen Gobierno) of Oventik in order to “protect the forests from transnational corporations because the forest is our water, our air and everything.” Almost simultaneously, an official governmental decree announced the creation of protected natural area known as Huitepec-Alcanfores, whose territory includes that of the zapatista reserve as well.

In order to strengthen their control over the area, the JBG put in place civil observation camps soon after the opening of the reserve. Since then, the zapatista members of the community located on Huitepec have been charged with informing the others members of the community (the majority of which adhere to the PRI) of the necessity for environmental protections.

Members of the SIPAZ team visited the Zapatista Community Ecological Reserve of Huitepec on three separate occasions starting January 18, 2008 to further investigate the situation there. During the visits, members of the team spoke with individuals at the zapatista camp who stated that though there have been no further incursions by government agents, armed or otherwise, the situation continues to be a precarious one. Members of the SIPAZ team made a brief tour of the reserve which includes pristine forests through which only a few paths mark a human presence.

For more information:

Zapatista eviction imminent (La Jornada, 19/02/2008)

State Congressional decree, petition to the governor of Chiapas, to establish six new “Protected Natural Areas” is illegal (FRAYBA, 14/03/07) [in Spanish]

Inauguration (see Point 7) of the Community Ecological Reserve of Huitepec (JBG, 29/09/06) [in Spanish]