The Zapatista Good-Government Council (JBG) “Towards Hope,” located in the jungle border zone of Chiapas, of the caracol La Realidad denounced in an April 30 communiqué that “Calderón is planning new evictions in Zapatista communities, thus opening a breach that would enclose the Montes Azules biosphere; these are the plans of the three types of bad government: municipal, state, and federal.” The JBG added, “We love the Earth; we work it, care for it, and defend it. For these reasons, we are ready to defend it all costs.”
In an article in the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, Hermann Belinghausen referred to the context referred to by the JBG communiqué, explaining: “On April 28th, the state delegate of the Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa), Ricardo Alonso Frías, announced that an ‘inter-institutional commission’ was working with ‘seven settlements to achieve their relocation, through dialogue–to leave the Lacandon Jungle Community and the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve.” Profepa told the press-agency Notimex that these villages “constitute less than 3000 hectares and are made up of the settlements Salvador Allende, Ranchería Corozal, San Gregorio, Nuevo Limar, Agua Dulce, Ojo de Agua La Pimienta and Nuevo Villaflores.” “Among other offers or proposals” was mentioned a “counter-offer–namely, the granting of financial assistance for their departure from the site.”
In their communique, the JBG states that “for us, the land is for s/he who works it; therefore, this JBG publicly condemns the events that are taking place. In light of this situation, we announce that, as the EZLN, we will not allow a single other eviction; we will not tolerate these actions, much less stop. We will defend our land whatever happens because for us, the land is not for rent, let alone to be made an object of sale.”
Evictions involving both police and military units took place earlier this year, in January. During the forced evictions of the communities of Laguna El Suspiro (also known as El Semental) y Laguna San Pedro (known as San Pedro Guanil), both located in the municipality of Ocosingo, several violations of basic rights were committed against the children, women and men who have occupied this area since ancient times.
For more information:
It is claimed that more evictions will take place in Zapatista areas (La Jornada 3 de mayo)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Chiapas: New evictions in Montes Azules (3 February 2010)
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