“It still rains here,” says Emeterio Hernández Cano the San Francisco communal land commissioner a pine and oak forest of just over five square kilometers (2 square miles) the inhabitants of this community decided to conserve the forest to ensure that its spring The spring provides drinking water for about 14,000 inhabitants living in eight towns of the municipality of Tecoanapa it rained yesterday and will likely rain again today the carpet of leaves that covers the ground is wet and slippery A blanket of clouds hangs low over a mountain in the forest “Those at the top are pine trees,” says Hernández Cano an adviser to the Consejo de Autoridades de los Cinco Pueblos Bajos de Tecoanapa (Council of Authorities of the Five Low Towns of Tecoanapa) is also joining the tour of the forest San Francisco is a town in Costa Chica in Guerrero where there are no coconut palms or mango trees which finds itself 489 meters (1,633 feet) above sea level The forested area that the communal landholders decided to conserve has a different altitude with the lower part 700 m (2,297 feet) above sea level and the highest part 1,100 m (3,609 feet) above sea level La Fabriquita forest has a mix of oak and pine trees – a mountainous ecosystem where it is also possible to find several orchid species It is still possible to find species such as the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) but flora and fauna studies have not yet been carried out The story of how 320 communal landholders decided to create a 5.36 km2 (2.07 mi2) ecological reserve out of the area’s total 19.95 km2 (7.7 mi2) is linked to a struggle for water that five towns in Tecoanapa began experiencing 18 years ago the municipal seat and the largest population in the municipality began discharging their sewage into the Tecoanapa River a tributary used by the inhabitants of the towns of Barrio Nuevo the commissioner of Barrio Nuevo at the time recalls that the people in those communities used the river water to wash they started to develop stomach and skin diseases Gallardo Morales remembers convincing them to manage the construction of a water system the inhabitants affected by the sewage discharges formed the Council of Authorities of the Five Low Towns of Tecoanapa It was not until three years later in 2006 that the Las Cazuelas Multiple Potable Water System project was approved state and municipal governments to bring water to eight towns These consisted of the five towns that started the movement a conflict broke out between the inhabitants of the five towns and the inhabitants of Tecoanapa who argued that there would not be enough water for everyone and that the spring would run dry “But the people of San Francisco had been carrying out conservation tasks in their communal land for years to take care of the water,” Valente Gil points out Gil also recalls that the inhabitants of Tecoanapa had connected their pipes to the Las Cazuelas spring without asking the permission of San Francisco’s inhabitants the water began to decrease and people’s lemon trees or Jamaica plants began to dry out because water was becoming scarce.” Valente Gil mentions that the older inhabitants of San Francisco summoned the rest of the population to do something to keep the spring water running The agreement they reached was to allocate the upper part of the communal land to conservation The San Francisco communal land commissioner recalls that making the decision was not an easy one for the community “Three meetings were held in which the pros and cons were discussed until a vote was taken,” he said “The idea that we should allocate part [of the communal land] to conserve the spring was won.” While the inhabitants of San Francisco reached an agreement the inhabitants of Tecoanapa and the five towns clashed several times After several months of interruptions of work on the Las Cazuelas Multiple Potable Water System inhabitants of the five towns arrived at the spring to finish it themselves This resulted in several being wounded on both sides The clouds over the La Fabriquita reserve threaten to break open at any moment Sometimes rays of light horizontally filter through the cracks in the oak trees and the dense vegetation that climbs between their branches in the rainy season Cirilo Ramírez and Valente Gil say that maintaining the ecological reserve has been difficult especially since almost half of the communal landholders allocated part of their land to form the conservation area implying that they stopped using the land to plant crops and rear cattle The 320 communal landholders also decided that there would be no type of forest exploitation permitted in La Fabriquita Hernández Cano says that the people of San Francisco and the five towns share the idea that they should not cut down trees plant crops or rear cattle as part of efforts to conserve the spring “that was the initial agreement – if trees were to start being cut down it would be viewed as a breach of the agreement Miguel Segura is one of the communal landholders from San Francisco who gave part of his land away to make the reserve “I said that I’d do it if that’s what the majority said “I gave 4 hectares (10 acres); I had 7 hectares (17 acres) In order for other communities to benefit from the spring the communal landholders of San Francisco made it a condition that the towns lower on the mountain also help take care of the forest The agreement reached was that the inhabitants of all the towns would give a day of work everyone was obliged to help put the fire out The La Fabriquita reserve is able to be maintained because each family that receives water contributes resources or a day of work the San Francisco communal land received 180,000 pesos (about $8,700) from the inhabitants of the five towns and 200,000 pesos (about $9,700) from the local government when the communal landholders agreed to give part of their land the federal and state governments offered projects to the community members the communal land received support from the Comisión Nacional Forestal [National Forestry Commission – CONAFOR] through an environmental services payment program the productive projects promised by federal and state authorities have remained just that: promises “Now we’re dissatisfied because we haven’t achieved anything I used to go up there [into the reserve] for firewood and to plant but I can’t anymore because it’s what we agreed on,” laments Miguel Segura When the people of the five towns asked the San Francisco communal landholders for permission to use the water from the Las Cazuelas spring the ecological reserve became official with federal and state agencies with the area certified by the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas [National Commission of Protected Natural Areas – CONANP] as an Area Destined for Voluntary Conservation (ADVC) a protection category that is included in the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection Communities that have ADVC certification can access public resources to develop various projects though the problem in most cases is that they need technical support to comply with procedures CONANP’s budget has decreased significantly in recent years La Fabriquita had ADVC status until 2012 when the communal landholders stopped carrying out the procedure to renew its certification is an area that environmental institutions have abandoned because it does not have significant forestry potential despite having areas such as La Fabriquita an environmental consultant and forest management expert maintains that despite ADVCs being a viable conservation strategy a member of the Red Mexicana de Afectados por la Minería [Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining – REMA] believes that the ADVC scheme has the same conservationist logic as the institutions the best way to conserve an area is through forest management by the landowners themselves without imposing any restrictions on their use and enjoyment of the land La Fabriquita has a narrow three-kilometer road that crosses a reserve and leads to a middle section of the forest The communal landholders’ comment that a fire break needs to be built in the area to make potential forest fires easier to control a fire broke out that affected 3 square kilometers (1.15 square miles) of the reserve Volunteers walked with water containers on their back The lack of a fire break complicated the work The fire break they want to now create would enable access to a car that would carry the water The communal land authorities met with the current secretary-general of the state government to whom they raised the urgent need to carry out this work the communal land authorities are unsure whether he actually heard them They also insisted on having productive projects for the inhabitants of San Francisco especially for those who gave a portion of their land for the reserve 14 years ago Jamaica plant production is among their main activities many have lost their plants due to the presence of a fungus something that has improved over time is the Las Cazuelas spring it now has more water,” both Hernández Cano and Cirilo Ramírez say happily said that the water belonged to God and that we shouldn’t keep it just for ourselves In her master’s thesis on natural areas in Guerrero a master’s graduate of sustainable development management used the San Francisco community and the La Fabriquita reserve as a reference point Although her report highlights that conservation has been a challenge for the community “It is work that has been jointly achieved by the community and the commissioner and [it has created] a concern for the conservation of the area’s natural resources and its hydrological function,” she says in an area of La Fabriquita known as La Hacienda a group of San Francisco inhabitants cut up a tree of about 20 meters (65 feet) that was blown down by wind during one of the recent storms About 300 meters (984 feet) ahead is the location where the fire break will be made There is an excess of organic matter in the soil such as branches and leaves that are fuel for disasters in the dry season Hernández Cano and Cirilo Ramírez speak with pride about the communal land’s decision to conserve the forest although they recognize that they lack the training to undertake productive activities that generate income and would prevent them from relying on the resources promised by the state government they themselves are responsible for ensuring that people do not enter the reserve to hunt or cut down trees for firewood Only wood from fallen trees is allowed to be used Castro points out that in reserves such as La Fabriquita communal land authorities and communities (such as Costa Chica in Guerrero) have been forgotten for many years Arturo García Aguirre says that the problem is that Mexico’s protected natural areas have exceeded the institution’s capacity and available resources which is why there are reserves such as La Fabriquita without institutional support García Aguirre argues that payment for environmental services is not enough and that inhabitants of such land should be trained to use their resources in a sustainable way The life that exists in the forest that the communal landholders of San Francisco decided to allocate to conservation is evident the water of which pours over the forest and rushes down its slopes toward the Las Cazuelas spring Banner image: Men from the San Francisco communal land make use of a tree that fell during the rainy season This article was first published on Mongabay Latam website here on Jan The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Away from the spotlight of protests over the disappearance of 43 student teachers Guerrero may prove a much more serious challenge to state authority Milling around the front steps of the town hall about 20 men with shotguns began the night watch sipping coffee from styrofoam cups and munching cakes “It’s time for the people to take power,” said Jésus “The government has not been able to fulfill its role – and the people are waking up.” dozens of town halls across Mexico’s southern state of Guerrero have been taken over by members of an amorphous movement calling for “popular government” The protesters – some of whom have been armed – have also called for the army to close its bases and leave the region Guerrero is a state steeped in a history of rebellion: it was the setting for some of the first uprisings of the Mexican revolution and home to the country’s most famous rural guerrilla army of the 1970s But the current wave of unrest was triggered by the disappearance last September of 43 student teachers in the city of Iguala after they were attacked by municipal police in league with a local drug cartel A demonstrator smashes the window of a traffic patrol vehicle during a protest in Guerrero State, Mexico. Photograph: Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty ImagesAnger over the case has prompted months of street protests against President Enrique Peña Nieto the growing calls for self-rule in Guerrero may prove a much more serious challenge to state authority “We took over the town hall as way of pressuring the government to do more to find the missing students “We are dismantling the old institutions.” That kind of talk resonates particularly loudly in the region around Tecoanapa: 17 of the missing students grew up in the towns and villages of the Costa Chica a remote and poverty-stricken region which stretches from the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur down to the Pacific Ocean The victims include the two eldest sons of Doña Oli Parral has grown tired of peaceful protest and polite calls for justice “We shout our slogans and it makes no difference The government doesn’t listen to us,” she said sitting in her spartan home in the village of Xalpatlahuac the occupations are led by a group of radical teachers’ unions and the Union of Organized Peoples of Guerrero (UPOEG) a network of vigilantes formed two years ago to combat the killings kidnapping and extortion by drug gangs in the area frightened and desperate,” says Huricel Cruz a teacher and former student at the radical Ayotzinapa training college where the 43 missing students were enrolled “Then the people took control and things calmed down.” The Guerrero militias emerged alongside other vigilante movements in the neighbouring state of Michoacán The Michoacán groups are less ideological, revolve more clearly around local strong men, and are more regularly accused of ties to criminal gangs. Michoacán is also the stage for a high-profile government security operation which broke up one of the country’s most notorious crime syndicates – known as the Family – but has failed to consolidate peace Last month, 11 people died during a shootout between two of the most prominent Michoacán vigilante strongmen. A further nine died earlier this month in clashes involving a third group and the army. The Guerrero militias also face divisions and accusations of abuse, and violence remains a problem in the areas where they operate. Even so, traveling in the UPOEG’s heartland of the Costa Chica feels notably safer than it does in other parts of Guerrero, Michoacán and much of the country. Stationed behind sand bags, or hanging around under the shade of huge amate trees, armed men with buzzing radios check out identities, inspect vehicles, and control who comes in and who goes out. Inside the communities, patrols trudge around on foot and in pickup trucks night and day. The shotguns they carry, alongside the odd machete, are no match for drug-gang arsenals. But, they insist, their sheer numbers and community support deter the criminals far more effectively than the heavily armed state forces they accuse of complicity with the gangs. “The whole idea of organised crime is a lie,” said Ernesto Gallardo, the head of UPOEG operations in the Costa Chica, who alleged that local police worked hand-in-glove with the criminal gangs. “What there is is crime that is negotiated with and tolerated by the government.” The protesters have not presented a clear political agenda, but they have made it clear they are determined to prevent elections scheduled for July. The authorities insist that the vote must go ahead, but so far, there has been no attempt to remove the protesters by force. Meanwhile, local officials have been left powerless. In the town of Ayutla de los Libres, ousted mayor Severo Castro has set up a makeshift office in his front patio. “This can’t happen in Mexico ... a country of laws,” he said. “I was elected.” With the political authorities out of the way – even if only temporarily – the self-government movement is now turning its attention to the biggest symbol of state power of all: the army. Widespread distrust of the military in Guerrero draws on a history of indiscriminate repression in response to guerrilla activity, as well as the army’s failure to contain the narcos. The army’s reputation was further damaged by the government’s failure to investigate why troops stationed in the area failed to prevent the Iguala massacre. Some relatives of the missing argue that troops must have been involved in the atrocity. On Monday, violent clashes broke out when protesters demanded to search the army base in Iguala for possible evidence that the disappeared students may have been taken there. Meanwhile, rumours abound that local guerrilla groups are once again taking up arms, and for some in the region, the mounting tension is becoming close to unbearable. “We are not afraid of the narcos any more,” said farmer Marcelino Pastrano, as he looked out over the undulating tropical landscape disappearing into the horizon below his hilltop town of Tonala. “The thing I am afraid of is that the army is going to go against us. And if that happens, there will be a real war.”  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts 24.Pedro Pardo / AFP - Getty ImagesHooded men stand guard outside the Justice palace 24.Pedro Pardo / AFP - Getty ImagesArmed men guard the Justice palace from a car 24.Pedro Pardo / AFP - Getty ImagesA female guard watches over 27 people arrested by a residents' police force in Ayutla de los Libres in the Guerrero state of Mexico on Jan 25.Pedro Pardo / AFP - Getty ImagesHundreds of men and women in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero have armed themselves with rifles pistols and machetes to defend their villages against drug gangs that local police are unable or unwilling "There isn't one of us who hasn't felt the pain ... of seeing them take a family member and not being able to ever get them back," said the young civilian self-defense patrol member, who identified himself as "just another representative of the people of the mountain." Continue reading Associated Press article. home to the Pacific resort town of Acapulco has been one of Mexico's hardest hit states by drug violence which has left more than 70,000 people killed across the country since 2006 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.