Chiapas: San Cristobal de Las Casas Authorities “Accomplices” in Destruction of Wetlands – CSO 

@ Red TDT

On October 8th, the Red TDT, CEPAZDH C.A. and the Citizen Council for Water and Territory in the Jovel Basin published a letter exposing the situation of the defense of the San Cristobal de las Casas wetlands. They said that for more than ten years they have carried out different actions to counteract the environmental impact that afflicts wetlands and yet “the destruction of wetlands does not stop.”

They emphasized the omission of the authorities who “are not implementing urgent and effective measures to prevent it.” In addition, they said that the filling practices that are a crime continue, they dry out the wetlands, but also urbanization and the omission of the authorities that makes them “complicit in their destruction.”

They spoke in particular of the recommendation issued last year that was not accepted by the former municipal president Jeronima Toledo, nor by the Secretary of Environment and Natural History of the State of Chiapas (SEMAHN), Maria del Rosario Bonifaz Alfonzo, without explaining the reason for their refusal.

Given this, the organizations hope that with the entry of the new municipal administration 2021-2024, “the issue will be put back on the table and taken as the opportunity to do something for the municipality”, and they called on the commissions of state and national human rights, as well as environmental authorities to assume their tasks and “carry out prevention actions.”

For more information in Spanish:

Carta pública en defensa de la zona de humedales en Chiapas (RedTdt, 8 de octubre de 2021)

No hay tiempo para más mesas o convenios, destrucción de humedales no se detiene (Chiapas Paralelo, 10 de octubre de 2021)

Urgen atender deterioro ambiental (Diario de Chiapas, 11 de octubre de 2021)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: March/Pilgrimage in Defense of Wetlands in San Cristobal de Las Casas (May 4, 2021)

Chiapas: Protest in Defense of Wetlands in San Cristobal de Las Casas (December 21, 2021)

Chiapas: Múltiples amenazas ponen en peligro los bosques de niebla de la reserva El Triunfo (June 16, 2021)

Oaxaca: comunidad zapoteca de San Antonino Castillo Velasco protege el agua con reglamento interno (July 6, 2021)