the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation will rule on the amparo in the case of Miguel Peralta
community organizer and ex-political prisoner from the community of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón
The Supreme Court will decide whether or not to put a definite end to the nearly ten years of political imprisonment and persecution faced by Miguel Peralta
Miguel is one of 35 members of the community assembly of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón criminalized in case number 02/2015
following a socio-political conflict in December 2014
The conflict was a consequence of mounting tension between the community assembly and the interests of a cacique group
who’ve sought to maintain control of the municipal government
and the exploitation of natural resources in the community
the assembly was violently attacked by the cacique group led by Manuel Zepeda Cortés as they gathered in the town plaza to elect a community authority
fabricating crimes and using positions of political power in the municipal and then state government to influence the legal processes
Miguel Peralta was arrested in April 2015 on charges related to the events on December 14
he was sentenced to fifty years in prison for homicide and attempted homicide
his fifty-year sentence was absolved and his case returned to the final hearing
for the fact that he was denied his right to be at his first final hearing
Prison authorities had used the excuse that they didn't have gas money to transport him from prison in Cuicatlán to the court in Huautla de Jiménez
he was acquitted of the charges and released after spending almost 4.5 years in prison
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Following an appeal from the accusing party
the fifty-year sentence was reaffirmed and a warrant put out for his arrest after less than two years of freedom
the collegiate court in Oaxaca returned his legal process back eight years
seeking again for Miguel to face this process from inside prison
his legal team filed a request to the Supreme Court of the Nation for a review
Photo: Anti-prison activity in Oaxaca in January 2023
the Supreme Court of the Nation took up the amparo with case number 6535/2023
they will discuss and release their decision
The lead opinion has been presented by Justice Loretta Ortiz Ahlf
The other justices—Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá
and Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena—will debate that opinion on June 19
The final decision must be made by a majority of the five justices
“The court has a historic opportunity” explained Miguel Peralta’s lawyer
The court has the opportunity to set a different precedent in the relation between Indigenous peoples and the Mexican state; a relation that has historically been stained by oppression
and marginalization against Indigenous peoples
the court has the opportunity to begin undoing these historical wrongs perpetrated against Indigenous peoples
Photo: Resistance art made of plasticine and other materials created by Valentin Peralta and David Peralta
there are two legal protocols they are encouraging the court to consider when analyzing the amparo in Miguel’s case
the protocol for an intercultural perspective in cases related to Indigenous communities
That Miguel’s case must be contextualized in the political
and cultural context of the Mazatec people of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón
“What we want to say to the court is that they look at the Mazatec people
that they listen to the people of Eloxochitlán.” This isn’t a simple case of perpetrator and victim
but a complicated conflict which involves an entire community
and is directly related to a strained historical relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Mexican nation-state.
The second legal protocol Miguel’s lawyers are encouraging the Supreme Court to consider is that of minimum intervention
Rather than responding with criminalization
the state has the opportunity to “attend to the causes
promote alternative mechanisms…the answer isn’t always prison
This protocol can be applied in various circumstances
and has been applied previously by the court in cases related to community conflicts and Indigenous peoples
Miguel’s lawyers argue that the previous resolution from the court in Oaxaca was insufficient in that it didn’t consider these different factors
It didn’t contextualize Miguel’s case within a much larger and much more complicated political
and cultural context in Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón
The need for an intercultural perspective and minimum intervention is evident in Miguel Peralta’s case
The Mazatec people of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón are one of 68 ethnic groups that inhabit the territory now dominated by the Mexican state
their own forms of internal organization and decision-making
Their self-determination is protected in the Mexican constitution as well as various international agreements signed by the Mexican government in relation to Indigenous peoples
Miguel’s case is directly related to this fraught relationship between the Mexican nation-state and Indigenous peoples
is a consequence of attempts to impose political party and cacique interests against the internal forms of community organization of the community
Miguel’s case is a question of Indigenous self-determination and autonomy
and the capacity for a community to resolve conflicts through their own internal processes
The negative effects on the community of Eloxochitlán as a consequence of the conflict and the criminalization have been extensive
“My community has lost all of its customs following what happened in December of 2014,” explains Miguel’s mother
our teachers have abandoned their classes because of everything that has happened in Eloxochitlán
Even while their legal processes have been filled with irregularities and judicial delays
the politically imprisoned and persecuted of Eloxochitlán have slowly regained their freedom
the court in District Court in Huautla de Jiménez changed the pretrial detention orders
releasing Jaime Betanzos and Herminio Monfil
two community members from Eloxochitlán who had been in prison since December 2014 without a conviction or a sentence
They were released not in complete freedom
but to continue their legal processes on the outside
the tribunal in Huautla de Jiménez ordered the release of Francisco Duran
allowing them to continue their legal cases outside of prison form inside their communities
Photo: Miguel’s final hearing in the Mixed District Court of Huautla de Jiménez in 2019
Miguel’s family and support crew hope that Miguel’s definite freedom follows these recent court victories
so that the community can continue to walk toward freedom
to continue to heal from the wounds of cacique and state repression
“We want to see Miguel Ángel Betanzos free
so that he can be amongst the mountains and coffee fields.”
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Cover photo: Family members of Miguel Peralta demand an end to the political persecution against him
and freedom for the political prisoners of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón
Miguel Peralta’s freedom hangs in the balance
Peralta is one of thirty-five members of the community assembly of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón who have faced political persecution and/or imprisonment following violence in the Indigenous Mazatec municipality in 2014
a campaign of cacique repression and terror came to a head when the community assembly was attacked by an armed group as they gathered to elect a municipal authority in the town center
The ensuing violence left various people injured
one person was pronounced dead in uncertain circumstances
Thirty-five members of the community assembly were charged with different crimes related to that day’s events
The charges don’t correspond to those responsible for the violence
but rather signal out those who have actively participated in the community assembly
resisting cacique and political party influence
and fighting for autonomy and collective decision-making
eight members of the community assembly remain imprisoned in different prisons in the state of Oaxaca: Herminio Monfil
the majority of whom have been held for years without a sentence
thirteen active arrest warrants against members of the community assembly remain
who has already received a condemnatory sentence of fifty years in prison
As an active member of the community assembly
and a vocal opponent of the cacique-political party influence in Eloxochitlán
Miguel Peralta was swept up in the wave of repression following the events on December 14
nearly five months after the attack in December of 2014
He was held incommunicado for nearly 20 hours before eventually being booked in Tlaxiaco
Oaxaca on charges of homicide and attempted homicide
From Tlaxiaco he was transferred to the prison in Cuicatlán
after over three years in prison awaiting a verdict
Miguel Peralta was sentenced to fifty years
thirty for homicide and twenty for attempted homicide
The sentence was handed down by Judge Juan Leon Montiel of the Mixed District Court of Huautla de Jiménez
in what Miguel Peralta’s support group has argued to be a clear case of judicial corruption
He was the first of the thirty-five charged from Eloxochitlán to actually receive a condemnatory sentence
that fifty-year sentence was thrown out as Peralta was not afforded his right to be present at his final hearing
Miguel’s second final hearing was held on September 19
That day he released a statement launching a hunger strike demanding his freedom:
“Once again I use my body as a weapon of struggle against injustice
after growing calls from the streets for his release
Miguel was absolved of both charges and released from prison in Cuicatlán
He had spent just over four years and four months in prison
following an appeal from the accusing party
Peralta’s freedom was again revoked on March 4
and an arrest warrant issued for that same fifty-year sentence
His freedom was overturned in the Third Criminal Court
by the Magistrates Humberto Nicolás Vázquez
Sonia Luz Ireta Jiménez and Sofia Altamirano Rueda
his legal team filed an appeal to this latest resolution
the appeal was assigned to Judge Elizabeth Franco Cervantes in the First Collegiate Court of the State of Oaxaca
the judge has 90 business days to rule on the case
which puts the legal time frame to rule on the appeal sometime in the coming months
The case of Eloxochitlán and Miguel Peralta exemplifies the unmistakable links between local caciques
including Manuel Zepeda Cortés and his daughter Elisa Zepeda Lagunas
with the backing of the political party Convergence
Manuel Zepeda Cortés launched a campaign for municipal president
and making political alliances in order to capture power
Zepeda won the municipal presidency with a third of the votes
Zepeda refused the integration of the municipal government with the second and third place candidates
Manuel Zepeda carried out a campaign of repression against members of the community assembly
seeking to disarticulate the community organization which threatened his hold on power
Zepeda was also involved in the extraction of sand
and rocks from the local river to benefit his companies
he left an account of more than 20 million pesos missing from municipal coffers
Manuel Zepeda and his group occupied the municipal palace
running out the newly elected municipal president and establishing themselves in power in the community
Their principle intention was to avoid being held accountable for the disappearance of municipal funds
The occupation of the municipal palace led directly to the attack on December 14
Taking advantage of the political persecution against members of the community assembly
along with the disarticulation of the community fabric as a result of the repression
In a community election completely foreign to the traditional decision-making forms in the community
Zepeda was elected municipal president of Eloxochitlán in April of 2016
in a clear sign that her intention wasn’t to serve the community of Eloxochitlán
but to use the public position as a political trampoline
Zepeda postulated for state congress as local representative for the political party MORENA
Zepeda also served as President of the Permanent Commission of Justice of the State of Oaxaca
Elisa had relations with the District Attorney
with judges and magistrates of the State Judicial Power.” She was rubbing shoulders with the very same people who would overturn Miguel’s freedom not long afterwards
Following a loss in her reelection bid in June 2021
Zepeda had already established her position in the MORENA political party apparatus
She was appointed the Secretary of Women of the Salomón Jara government which took power in Oaxaca on December 1
Elisa Zepeda has flexed her political power and judicial connections to maintain the repression and persecution against members of the community assembly
The ongoing repression and persecution of members of the community assembly of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón exemplifies not only the corruption of certain public officials
but a more general hostility of the Mexican nation-state towards Indigenous communities
State power is able to disarticulate community organization
struggles for self-determination and territorial defense
caciques acquire the economic and political resources to dominate their communities and scale the structure of state power
all these forces intersect in the figure of Elisa Zepeda
the Support Group for the Freedom of Miguel Peralta launched a solidarity campaign
“Neither Condemned nor Persecuted: Actions for Freedom,” demanding the revocation of the fifty-year sentence against Miguel Peralta and a sentence of complete freedom
The campaign also seeks to draw attention and support to the eight remaining political prisoners of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón
along with other struggles against prisons and state repression both nationally and across the globe
Indigenous Yaqui political prisoner Fidencio Aldama released an audio statement from prison in Ciudad Obregón
Sonora expressing his solidarity with Miguel Peralta
who is spending fourteen years in prison for resisting the construction of a natural gas pipeline in Yaqui territory
makes the connection between his case and that of Miguel Peralta’s:
“In the face of this sentence and political persecution
I want to express my solidarity with my compañero Miguel Peralta
calling on everyone to resist this case of injustice
For the defense of our territories and self-determination
Through the intervention of those in power
those allied with money can carry out their objectives.”
Political prisoner support groups and independent media projects are organizing a collective radio transmission on June 3
with the intention of shining light on Miguel’s case
and articulating different cases of political repression and persecution
Miguel Peralta’s support group is calling for solidarity actions
Their message is clear: Revocation of the fifty-year sentence
Cover image: Members of the Union de Pueblos y Fraccionamientos contra el Basurero blocked main avenues in the south of Mexico City to denounce the irregular operation of a landfill in the Choluteca region of Puebla
Inhabitants of 27 communities of the volcanos region of Puebla
in front of the offices of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA)
to demand the definite closure of the intermunicipal landfill in San Pedro Cholula
members of the Union de Pueblos y Fraccionamientos contra el Basurero blockaded the main avenues in the south of Mexico City to denounce the operation of the landfill which for sixteen years has contaminated the air
The protestors point out that there is an increase in diseases such as leukemia in the municipalities of Puebla
its been shown that there are “brutal” levels of contamination in water sources near the landfill
Residents of the region referred to a report published at the beginning of April elaborated by academics from the National Council of Humanities
revealing that these municipalities in Puebla
have the highest mortality rates for acute leukemia in the country
the protestors demand that environmental authorities permanently close the landfill to protect the health of the inhabitants
as well as the water sources of the region
organized residents have maintained a protest encampment at the entrance to the landfill
they have daily prevented 680 tons of trash from being deposited in the landfill
This trash comes from places as far away as Mexico City and Oaxaca
Operated by the company PRO-FAJ Hidro Limpieza
residents argue that that landfill continues its operations due to the political influence of Cuauhtémoc Ochoa Fernández
recently elected Senator of Hidalgo with the support of the MORENA party
to whom they point out as the owner of the facility
after denouncing the high levels of contamination with the results of a water analysis carried out by the National Autonomous University of Mexico
PROFEPA officials temporarily closed the landfill
local authorities tried to reopen the landfill
Police officers from the municipalities of Calpan
Chiautzingo and Domingo Arenas escorted a convoy of trash trucks seeking to enter the landfill
the protestors of Pueblos Unidos managed to repel the aggression and prevent the reopening of the facility
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and due to the inaction of the three levels of government
agrarian and traditional community authorities of the 34 communities announced the “First Assembly of the Cholulteca People Against the Killer Land Fill and the Megaprojects of Death.”
those who attended described the landfill as “an ecocide where impunity cannot continue,” declaring its definite closure
they announced the prohibition of all extractivist projects in the zone
particularly related to the Integral Morelos Project “a regional energy megaproject that affects the Nahua peoples of the Popocatépetl Volcano region of the states of Morelos
at the end of the meeting with the environmental authorities
Juan Carlos Flores of the Union de Pueblos communicated that PROFEPA promised to carry out an inspection and verification of the landfill this week
according to the commitment made by the federal government agency
is to verify two points that the residents of the Choluteca region have denounced
that the landfill has not complied with measures to prevent contamination derived from their operations
the residents will be waiting for them to return seals marking the definite closure of the landfill and the elaboration of a closure plan
the lawyer detailed that the federal officials didn’t commit to the closure
in spite of having been shown evidence of the saturation of the landfill
he called on the residents to maintain alert in the face of any possible repression
Cover image: Community authorities during a press conference denounce the mining exploitation
in the northern sierra mountains of Oaxaca
declared a maximum alert after identifying two dump trucks transporting minerals extracted from the bowels of those beautiful mountains
the Zapotec community blocked the exit of the community
retaining one of the trucks while the other managed to escape
The stopped truck contained 22 tons of ground rock
Studies were done and it has high levels of gold and silver,” said Francisco García López
president of the communal lands commission of the municipality
In accordance with a decision made by the community assembly
they blocked the roads between Capulálpam and Ixtlán
as well as the federal highway that connects Oaxaca and Tuxtepec
The community also prevented the state from installing voting booths in their territory for the election
“If the government doesn’t pay attention to something legitimate and just
what’s the point of installing voting booths
the voting booths were not installed,” said the commissioner
Complaints against Compañia Minera de Natividad and Anexas
for the exploitation of minerals without the permission of the community are not new
“On two occasions the governor of the state (Salomón Jara) visited the community
We let him know that the mining activities need to be suspended
we were told that the company wasn’t operating.”
the community agrarian authorities decided to take matters into their own hands
the assembly retained the truck with the minerals
It is evident that they are working late at night and in the early morning hours
Following the measures taken by Capulálpam
with support of other communities who also began to set up blockades at the entrances to their communities
the state government promised to receive a commission of local authorities on Monday
Those who were to attend on part of the government were the Secretary of Government
the Commission of Peace and federal authorities
“We decided to lift the highway blockade and attend the meeting,” says García
they decided to cancel the dialogue because “unfortunately they are once again mocking our communities
bringing 2nd and 3rd level officials to resolve the problem
we decided to cancel the dialogue requesting instead that it be directly with federal authorities.”
The communities again installed the highway blockades
they would be received by federal authorities from the Secretary of Economy
the same authorities who have already received countless complaints
the community of Capulálpam won an injunction in relation to three mining concessions pertaining to Compañia Minera de Nativdad y Anexas
they didn’t specify which concessions they are because
they are still in litigation.They explain that the judge ordered the mining concessions in Capulálpam be rendered invalid
and other communities declared in a press conference that since 2003 they have filed multiple complaints against the company without any response from state or federal authorities
“They haven’t acted in supervising and applying the laws for the protection of the environment and the protection of the rights of our community and the communities of the Sierra Juarez that have been directly impacted by the Natividad mining operation,” they pointed out
Among the impacts mentioned are the depletion of thirteen aquifers
contamination of the soil and water sources with mining waste
and the collapse of three toxic waste tailings deposits in 2010
The communities also pointed out that the mining company is responsible for the emission of different pollutants
like Polychlorinated biphenyl from abandoned electrical transformers
that are a mix of chemical compounds which
according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
cause neurological and immunological alterations in children and cancer in animals
They also denounced the contaminants such as arsenic
and cadmium in the soil and bodies of water
the community demands that the federal government close the mine and that the company take responsibility in repairing the “damages caused by the contamination.”
The community authorities mention that in their territory there exists only three concessions that were suspended through a writ of amparo
The Avispa Midia team reviewed the cartographic database solicited from the Secretary of Economy
proportioned by the Unidad de Coordinación de Actividades Extractivas in February of 2024
We were able to identify that in the municipality of Capulálpam
there are thirteen concessions: seven concessions with exploitation titles
at least nine belong to the Compañia Minera de Natividad y Anexas
are original concessions granted to Fausto Calvo Sumano and Judith Patricia Underwood
who own Sociedad Underwood and Calvo Compañía
copper and lead deposits—exceed 5,000 hectares
One of the mining concessions called “Providencia 1” covers part of the urban center of the community
another mining concession called “Providencia 2” covers three municipalities
it expands into the municipalities of Natividad and Santiago Xiacuí
The communities lack clear information regarding the location
and status of the concessions which are permitted until 2050 and 2060
The tropical forest of the Chimalapas is burning
The election noise is drowning out the struggles of the communities fighting for life
and floods are nothing more than expressions of what in recent years has been called a climate emergency; that which has roots dating far back
associated with long centuries of colonialism
For decades Indigenous peoples have been warning of the environmental catastrophe caused by mining extraction and fossil fuels
It is undeniable that both are increasing the temperature on earth
leading us closer and closer to the dreaded 1.5 decree Celsius increase
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2019 (IPCC)
the effects of such an increase will be irreversible for agriculture and for human life on earth
the fossil fuel and extractivist sectors are pillars in the political and economic programs of the presidential candidates of this 2024 election
The climate emergency and the rights of Indigenous peoples
whose territories are home to between 70% and 80% of the country’s biodiversity according to data from the National Agrarian Registry
do not fit into the electoral ballot boxes
The Zoque people of Santa María Chimalapa are currently fighting a number of fires that are destroying one of the most biodiverse regions in Mesoamerica: the tropical forest of the Chimalapas
The fires have been burning for more than a week and the state institutions haven’t provided an effective response to put them out
Community brigades led by communal land commissioners are those who are fighting the climate emergency
the communal assembly of San Miguel Chimalapa is demanding the federal government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the state government of Oaxaca of Salomón Jara to comply with an expert appraisal so that the Local Agrarian Court can emit a resolution on the nullity lawsuits filed by San Miguel Chimalapa to delimit their communal lands
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The demand of the assembly of San Miguel Chimalapa makes sense when we see that the fires throughout Chimalapas are being fed by agrarian conflicts with neighboring ejidos
There are 26,000 hectares of land in dispute between San Miguel Chimalapa
There are 160,000 hectares of communal lands in dispute between Chimalapa
While the Supreme Court of the Nation emitted a resolution in favor of Oaxaca in 2023
as well as the fires that have been burning for weeks
the government of the so-called fourth transformation is more occupied with promoting its successor than attending to the demands of those who are continually being displaced from their lands: Indigenous and campesino peoples
Agrarian conflicts throughout Mexico are not a minor issue
There are around 500 agrarian conflicts in the country
The existence of agrarian conflicts exhibits the racism with which the Agrarian Attorney General’s Office treats Indigenous and campesino peoples
and the disregard for communal authorities and security councils are just some of the most common characteristics
agrarian conflicts are worsening as extractivist
and industrial megaprojects push their infrastructure onto the lands in litigation
they generate confrontations between neighboring agrarian communities
These conflicts are often portrayed to be between communities
thus erasing the responsibility of international corporations and the Agrarian Attorney General’s Office in the unfortunate outcomes of these conflicts often resulting in violence
the extractivist megaprojects associated with fossil fuels
the institutional racism and the violence exercised against Indigenous peoples
The challenge to solve them has nothing to do with the electoral agenda
The struggle of the Zoque people of Chimalapa to put out the fires and resolve the agrarian conflicts is a concrete
and necessary action in times of climate catastrophe
Before the ears deafened by electoral noise
let’s listen to the cries of the tropical forest and the running water of the river
Now more than ever solidarity is necessary between communities and cities to put out the fire that is overtaking us
Cover image: Residents of Unión Hidalgo peacefully protest against the cutting down of trees on communal lands for the renovation of Line K of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
In the Zapotec community of Unión Hidalgo in the municipality of Juchitán in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
residents have denounced the negative environmental impacts caused by the renovation of Line K
Line K is one of three train lines of the Interoceanic Corridor which will connect to other megaprojects like the Maya Train in the Yucatan Peninsula
The train lines were originally built at the beginning of the 20th century becoming very important in the transportation of commodities
Use of the train was interrupted in 2005 because of damage wrought by Hurricane Stan
the train lines are being renovated by the organizational body of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT)
pertaining to the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR)
work on Line K has been done by Grupo Ferrocarrilero del Sureste (GFS)
responsible for the renovation work of 472 kilometers of train line connecting Ixtepec
Map elaborated by the GeoComunes collective
Residents of Unión Hidalgo perceive this work as major renovation
as it involves the replacement of all the materials that make up the tracks
explains that they are even proposing the construction of military detachments run by the Secretariat of the Navy
The details regarding these detachments are very slowly coming to light as authorities have not informed the local population
Martín says that members of the community have solicited information in relation to the scale and possible negative effects of the proposed projects
which is an indispensable document to authorize environmental permits and give the green light for construction
The community organizer recalls that at first they appealed to the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
community member and representative of the communal lands of Unión Hidalgo
details that during a meeting with SEMAR at the beginning of 2024
the military refused to share the environmental impact report arguing that it must be solicited directly from the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)
Martín explains that the response from the environmental authorities was a surprise
They argued that SEMAR was exempt from presenting an environmental impact report
this is alarming because this section of the train line is the longest of the Interoceanic Corridor extending over a coastal plain
where there is a very real threat to ecosystems like mangroves
“We discovered that there is no environmental impact report
because the only exception possible is when there was already a previous environmental impact report
it is not possible for SEMAR to be exempt,” claims the community organizer
The Mexican government has announced that it seeks to finish the work in June in order to carry out tests in August
following the agenda of the President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
who plans to inaugurate the first phase of the project with a visit to the Isthmus in September
just a month before finishing his term in office
Response from SEMARNAT to the petition from the Zapotec community of Unión Hidalgo for the environmental impact report
Line K passes through 26 kilometers of communal lands in Unión Hidalgo
this represents 6% of the total amount of train line in one single community
where the impacts would affect bodies of water
Beyond the lack of an environmental impact report
the everyday work such as welding the bridges leaves metal residues
and other toxic wastes which SEMAR has refused to clean up
The community member also highlights the deforestation being carried out by SEMAR and GFS
“Since the beginning of their renovation work
they’ve destroyed all the trees around the train tracks,” he says
there have been more than 10,000 trees cut down
residents of Unión Hidalgo noticed the removal of hundreds of trees in the El Palmar communal forest—common use lands of great importance for the Indigenous community—which caused indignation and action to block the workers’ camp and stop the extensive deforestation
Environmental defenders block the path of the renovation work on Line K due to the indiscriminate cutting down of trees on communal lands in Unión Hidalgo
SEMAR made an agreement with the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development in Oaxaca to carry out the production and reforestation of more than 16,000 trees
SEMAR solicited the intervention of the state authority to “mitigate the environmental impact in the renovation of Line K in the community of Unión Hidalgo.” The population still awaits the finalization of the renovation works to carry out the reforestation with native species
the greatest effects occurred in the hills to the south of the community
The insufficient gravel material to replace the entire embankment led SEMAR to extract gravel material from an area known as “El Barrancón,” damaging communal lands of the Zapotec community
Residents of Unión Hidalgo surveil their territory so that SEMAR doesn’t continue extracting gravel materials
“There was a moment in which they were operating with 400 double capacity dump trucks
They were attacking two hills at the same time
with an impact that is impossible to repair,” he sustains
after discovering that the environmental impact report for the extraction was not authorized
residents denounced the illegal extraction
After complaints from the Binizaá population
SEMAR and CIIT convoked a meeting to establish a dialogue and contain the protests
The legal appeal solicited the suspension of renovation work on Line K
arguing that the extension of the authorization without an environmental impact report violates the rights to a clean environment
as well as the right to a previous consultation with Indigenous communities
SEMAR is accused of deforestation and ecological damage
as well as the “plunder and exploitation of El Barrancón; both without the environmental permits required by law.”
the Seventh District Court of Oaxaca recognized the irregular operation of gravel extraction
Judge Mariam Fabiola Nuñez Castil refused the complete suspension of the renovation work on Line K
arguing that beyond the harm caused toward the Indigenous population
there is greater interest for society as a whole in its renovation
The judge referenced the presidential decree from May 2023 which catalogued the construction and operation of the Maya Train and the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as projects of national security and public interest
The resolution emphasizes the importance of the project for the federal government: “By authorizing the design
and operation of Line K of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
we will unite Chiapas and Oaxaca with 472 kilometers of train line
strengthening industrial activity and providing a modern and efficient alternative for national and international business.”
In spite of the suspension of the extraction of gravel materials
the devastation still affects the community
There still exists a “de facto usurpation” of the area that SEMAR has taken
because originally the right of way contemplated the use of 15 meters on both sides of the train line
taking the center of the line as reference
SEMAR authorities are claiming the use of 50 meters
we see that they are using between 50 and 100 meters,” denounces the community organizer regarding the irregularity of the renovation works
alluding to the workers who are occupying lands outside of the established limits
Édgar Martín is included in the Mechanism for the Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
organized by the Secretary of Government (SEGOB)
he was victim of an assassination attempt during resistance against the transnational company Electricite de France (EDF)
which sought to install a wind farm on communal lands in Unión Hidalgo
He describes this as harassment for his work in defense of territory
Debris dumped in front of the house of the environmental defender Edgar Martín
The community organizer also points out that during the blockade against the deforestation in the communal forest of Unión Hidalgo in April
officers of the municipal police assaulted residents who protested peacefully
he explains that he is no longer protected by the Mechanism for the Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
“When I went up against the federal government
they stopped providing protection mechanisms
they left me in a vulnerable position,” he says of the risk of protesting against the Interoceanic Corridor megaproject
it is also worrying that federal authorities
in cooperation with the municipality of Juchitán
intend to install SEMAR detachments in the region
municipal authority Miguel Sánchez Altamirano granted a piece of land located in Pozo Peralta
less than 20 kilometers from Union Hidalgo
for the construction of a SEMAR detachment
In an event with the presence of the Vice Admiral
manager of the Unidad Coordinadora SEMAR CIIT
the municipal authority confirmed that the military detachments will “bring security to Line K of the train of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
and contribute to safeguard the people of Juchitán.”
Municipal president of Juchitán during the handing over of the parcel of land to SEMAR for the installation of a military detachment
SEMAR released a report where they list their works in progress including the naval station in Ixtepec and military detachments in Matias Romero and Tehuantepec
the report assured that it provides the infantry units and naval establishments commissioned to the CIIT
during a press conference of the president
the Vice Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles
assured that 3,000 SEMAR elements are expected to safeguard the megaproject
he reported the advance in the construction of the installations in Oaxaca and Veracruz
assuring that “we will establish naval stations throughout the corridor.”
“You cannot build a military installation in Indigenous territory so easily,” claims Martín
who argues that in order to establish military detachments on Unión Hidalgo lands
it would first have to get the approval of the residents of the community
Cover image: Maya Q’eqchi’ families from the community of Buena Vista
hundreds of policemen from the National Civilian Police (PNC) of Guatemala evicted the Maya Q’eqchi’ community of Buena Vista Tzinté
After their previous location was declared uninhabitable by the National Coordinator for the Reduction of Disasters (CONRED) due to landslides in the Sierra Santa Cruz
the families of Buena Vista have occupied the lands that their grandparents claimed ancestrally
and where until just a few days ago they planted food for self-sustenance
29 families were expelled from seven caballerias (an extension of agricultural land of between 6 to 43 hectares) pertaining to the micro region “El Bongo.” This property is claimed by the agroindustrialist Luis Fernando Arriaza Migoya
owner of oil palm monoculture crops that supply the company Naturaceites
also denounced for using violence to expand its operations in the region of the Polichic Valley
According to a report from Prensa Comunitaria
the conflict over the lands originated in 1980
when Arriaza Migoya “appropriated 7 caballerias of Bongo.” Between 2019 and 2021
the campesino families were subjected to eviction attempts by the agroindustrialists that maintain monoculture oil palm crops on those lands
Families spent the night in the open without shelter
the Chamber of Agriculture has accused the campesinos of invasion and land usurpation from the Tzinté Estate
Through the coffee businessman Nils Pablo Leporowski Fernández
the agroindustrial association pressured the Guatemalan judiciary to evict the families
through a complaint before the Human Rights Attorney
that the campesinos were destroying the forest
children and adults are suffering without housing after being displaced by an order emitted by judge Sandra Nineth Ayala Tello
in response to claims of alleged environmental crimes
A communique signed by the Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC) asserts that this sentence is still not final
the Peace Court has proceeded with the eviction,” denounces the organization accompanied by social organizations at the international level
The organization points out that the Tzinté Estate supplies fresh fruit bunches to the Pataxte processor
In turn Naturaceites sells its palm oil to Ferrero
the third largest chocolate confectionary company in the world
“It is clear that the eviction is being pushed by an irregular judicial order
is part of a group of properties under judicial investigation for different irregularities; an investigation that still has not advanced
These actions are being pushed by occult powers that have coopted corrupt judges and courts who endorse these illegal orders,” states CUC
according to testimonies gathered by the journalist Carlos Ernesto Choc
six people have arrest warrants out for them
which has kept the campesinos in a state of alert
there was an eviction attempt against the community of Plan Grande
and Abelino Chub Caal was criminalized in the process
The historian Harald Waxenenecker presented a study to assist in the defense of Chub Caal
who was persecuted by the investment companies Cobra S.A
the historian details the family-business ties of the Arriazas
and how they obtained the estate property titles where they now produce oil palm
“Relaciones sociales de poder y aprociación de recursos naturales y de la tierra en El Estor
Izabal” details the benefits granted to businessmen and military figures during and after the internal armed conflict (1960-1996)
which allowed the Arriaza family to take possession of grand extensions of land
This isn’t limited to the community of Plan Grande—and the case of Chub Caal—nor of only Buena Vista
Inhabitants of the Maya Q’eqchi’ community of Chapin Abajo
claim that their lands were also dispossessed during the years of war
Currently they maintain processes of recuperation of their ancestral lands
shared the information they have received in recent days
from sources they’d like to maintain anonymous for security reasons
The Buena Vista eviction is likely to be just a prelude to new agrindusry aggressions
in complicity with the Guatemalan judiciary
ancestral authorities of communities around Lake Izabal have denounced the eviction threats
they assured that the company Naturaceites seeks to capture or assassinate community leaders
agroindutry’s plan is to detain him together with other Q’eqchi’ authorities
if they don’t capture the ancestral authorities
the company Naturaceites is willing to contract hitmen to assassinate them
The Indigenous Q’eqchi’ authority sustains that these threats are occurring in a context of other sources of intimidation
they’ve heard detonations coming from the nearby Navy yard
Cuc Pan explains that the detonations are being carried out with high caliber weaponry
“They can capture or assassinate a couple of us
and children who are claiming their historical rights,” emphasizes the authority
explaining that the lands are Indigenous lands
ancestral authorities of Iximulew—with participation of Mayas
and Garífunas—spoke out against what they described as the “illegal eviction” of 29 families of Buena Vista Tzinté
the Ancestral Maya Q’eqchi’ Council of Estor condemned the human rights violations committed by the public prosecutor and the judge Ayala Tello
“We raise our voices as ancestral Maya Q’eqchi’ authorities in our territories
especially from the public prosecutor’s office
They are working at the service of corruption
Coopted judges are criminalizing the brothers and sisters who defend mother earth and their territories,” they sustain in the document
demanding an end to the evictions and criminalization
Contáctanos: avispamidia@riseup.net
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