Chiapas: Civil Observation Mission to the Coast one year after the earthquake of September 7, 2017

dscf0101 — Civil Observation MIssion to the Coast (@SIPAZ)

From September 4 to 6, a Civil Observation Mission made a visit to communities of the municipalities of Arriaga, Tonalá and Pijijiapán one year after the earthquake of September 7, 2017. It was organized by the Network All rights for all, the Human Rights Center “Digna Ochoa”, the Human Rights Center “Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas”, the Human Rights Center “Fray Matías de Cordova” as well as Mesoamerican Voices, Action with Migrant Peoples in addition to the Service and Consultancy for Peace (Serapaz); and accompanied by SIPAZ and the Swedish Movement for Reconciliation (SweFOR). It should be remembered that this earthquake left damages in 97 municipalities of Chiapas and that, according to official data, more than 46 thousand families suffered damages to their homes, mainly in rural areas. There were also affectations in more than 800 schools, 184 hospitals, clinics, health centers and public buildings; as well as in 462 churches and historical monuments.

In the main conclusions after this visit, the Mission affirmed that the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (Sedatu) left more than 8 thousand victims of the Coast of Chiapas outside the censuses of damages, and without the possibility of receiving any resource for reconstruction. Another 2 thousand 769 families that were registered didn’t receive the resources for the reconstruction that were given via BANSEFI cards. Those who obtained cards only received 70 percent of those resources for reconstruction since the government of Chiapas has not deposited the remaining 30 percent, which it was supposed to contribute. More than 90 percent of the families affected continue to live in adverse conditions, under tents and tarps, renting or living in semi-destroyed houses. Others had to request loans from banks to carry out the reconstruction.

Among the activities realized by the Mission, a meeting was held with the elected governor of Chiapas, Rutilio Escandón Cadenas, in which he was told about the serious damage suffered by the affected people, a situation that was aggravated by the ineffective action of the different levels of government : neither attended to all the people affected, nor made an adequate use of the resources. For this reason, the organizations of the Mission called on him to make changes in public policies as soon as he takes office. Escandón Cadenas reported that one of his first actions on the subject will be to elaborate what he called a “true census”.

The main recommendations of the Mission include: to guarantee the right to a decent life and housing in favor of the thousands of victims in Chiapas due to the earthquake of September 7, 2017; to investigate and sanction all kinds of acts of corruption in the use of public funds for the reconstruction process; to urgently conclude the reconstruction of schools and health centers, as well as water and sanitation services; to create a program that allows the more than 8 thousand families of the coast of Chiapas that have not been considered within the reconstruction programs, to be granted support without any conditioning; and to guarantee the right to defend the human rights of the defenders and defenders in Chiapas.