Chiapas: Tila ejido denounces “paramilitary cell and government lies”

@La Otra Ejido Tila

In a public statement on January 5, 2016, the Tila ejido, adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, reported the names and surnames of those who form “a small cell of paramilitary groups who have been organizing inside” their ejido. They also claimed that, “the political landscape is full of lies” on the part of the “current mayor of Tila, Chiapas Prof. Edgar Leopoldo Gómez Gutiérrez,” and that “on a number of occasions the removal of the town council had been requested and this request had not been heeded.” As a result, on December 16, 2015, they noted that, “the general assembly that makes the agreements has tired of so many problems that the town hall brings us, and decision making was being done by the assembly, which was working peacefully, formed by thousands of ejidatarios (communal landholders). The ejidatarios also publically denounced “Oscar Sánchez Alpuche, government undersecretary […] as being one of those responsible for reorganizing and regrouping the paramilitary groups to attack the social organizations that struggle in defense of land and territory […] jailing and disappearing as a strategy to subdue social campaigners.”

In spite of the difficulties within their ejido, they assured that they will continue to demand respect and we will not tire, because here is an ejido community and head of the non-municipal Ch’ol people of Tila, it [the town hall] does not certify its legal possession so to find a solution it must respect our rights because we have all our documentation. Our highest authority, which is the general assembly of the ejidatarios as a people, expelled the town hall council and it was not the decision of the Commissioner for Communal Lands as the bad government is saying, let that be clear.” They asked that, “the various non-government organizations and defenders of human rights be alert to what is happening in the Tila ejido.”

For more information in Spanish:

Denunciamos celula paramilitar y mentiras del gobierno (La Orta Ejido Tila, 6 de enero de 2016)

Chiapas: “Denunciamos celula paramilitar y mentiras del gobierno”, Ejido Tila. (Radio Pozol, 6 de enero de 2016)

Ejido Tila, Chiapas: Denunciamos célula paramilitar y mentiras del gobierno (Red contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad, 7 de enero de 2016)

Contra las acciones paramilitares del gobierno hacia las Abejas, respeto para San Isidro los Laureles y agradecimiento a Bachajón (2 de enero de 2016)

Chiapas: San Sebastián Bachajón alza la mano para apoyar al ejido Tila. (Radio Pozol, 30 de diciembre de 2015)

Presentan “Juntos defendemos nuestra madre tierra”, documental sobre la lucha del ejido Tila en Chiapas. (Radio Pozol, 29 de diciembre de 2015)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Indígenas Ch´oles toman la alcaldía de Tila tras décadas de no haber sido atendid@s (17 de diciembre de 2015)

Chiapas: Ejido Tila denunció operativo “militar policiaco y paramilitar” en Tila (20 de noviembre de 2015)

Chiapas: Los ejidatarios de Tila denuncian enfrentamiento entre PVEM y PRI, se reportan 4 heridos (10 de julio de 2015)

Chiapas: Disparan a ejidatario de Tila y acusan de reactivación del grupo paramilitar Paz y Justicia (28 de diciembre de 2015)