Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez @ Informador.com.mx
Different communal, civil, and social organizations protested on 21 March in front of the Canadian embassy to demand that the governments of Felipe Calderón and Gabino Cué clarify the murder of Bernardo Vázquez Sánchez, which occurred on 15 March near San José del Progreso, Oaxaca.
Just before the death of Vásquez Sánchez, he had spoken with the independent Canadian journalist Dawn Paley. He spoke of the rise of the opposition to the Cuzcatlán mine, which is associated with Fortuna Silver, in the communities, and how it is that the company came to enter the community, negotiating in isolation with the ejidatarios instead of in assembly. He indicated that the ejidatarios lacked information regarding the plans of the company before they began operations.
The members of the organizations Services for an Alternative Education (Educa), as well as Flor y Canto, have demanded the suspension of work in said mine, which is located in San José del Progreso, Ocotlán.
In other news, the State Attorney General’s Office of Oaxaca (PGJE) detained Carlos Sánchez Muñoz on 20 March for the crime of homicide of Bernardo Méndez Vásquez, who was killed on 18 January of this year, when supposed members of the municipal police of San José el Progreso opened fire against him, taking his life away from him.
For more information (in Spanish):
Asesinato de indígena oponente a minera canadiense provoca protesta en la embajada de Canadá en la Ciudad de México (Cencos, 21 de marzo de 2012)
En fotos: Protestan organizaciones por asesinato de activista Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez (Oaxaca en pie de lucha, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Protestan ante Consulado de Canadá por muerte de activista(Proceso, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Exigen organizaciones esclarecer homicidio de activista oaxaqueño(Proceso, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Por asesinato de activista, protestan frente al consulado de Canadá(Noticiasnet, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Minera Cuzcatlán sólo ha dejado encono y muerte a Ocotlán, y 36 mdd anuales a dueños (Pagina 3, 22 de marzo de 2012)
Detienen a presunto asesino de tío de activista de San José del Progreso (Oaxaca en pie de lucha, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Cae presunto asesino de Bernardo Méndez (Noticiasnet.mx, 21 de marzo de 2012)
¡No más ataques ni amenazas contra los pobladores del Valle de Ocotlán! (Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos-Todos los Derechos para Todas y Todos, 21 de marzo de 2012)
Convocatoria: toma del consulado de Canadá en Oaxaca (EDUCA)
Sangre por Plata y Oro: El Asesinato de Bernardo Vásquez por su lucha contra la Mina Fortuna Silver en Oaxaca, México (EDUCA, 18 de marzo de 2012)
Bloquean Consulado canadiense en Oaxaca: Fotoreportaje (EDUCA, 22 de marzo de 2012)
Colectivo Contra la Tortura y la Impunidad AU: Asesinato de Bernardo Sánchez en Oaxaca (Enlace Zapatista, 22 de marzo de 2012)
AU: Ataque y amenazas contra miembros de un pueblo indígena – Amnistía Internacional (Cencos, 21 de marzo de 2012)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Oaxaca: Murder of the spokesperson of the Coordination of the United Peoples of the Ocotlán Valley (25 March 2012)
Oaxaca: Two opponents of mining in San José del Progreso are fired on (8 February 2012)
Mexico: “Mined land, the defense of the rights of communities and of the environment” (14 December 2011)
Oaxaca: Coordination of United People of the Ocotlán Valley close entrance to silver mine in San José del Progreso (14 March 2011)
Oaxaca: Civil Mission of Observation “Water is Life; Let us Defend its Existence” (8 September 2010)
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