Translated by Mariana Silva
Isaú Celaya, member of the Ikjoots community from San Dionisio del Mar, made a call to university students from all over the country to support the fight of indigenous people from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, against wind megaprojects. He stated:
Celaya talked in a seminar about the memories of dispossession, organized by students of the School of Sciences of UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico]. Other speakers were Braulio Villanueva, representing the Ikjoots from San Mateo del Mar, along with Carlos Sánchez and Isabel Jiménez, Zapotecs from the Juchitán People's Popular Assembly ( APPJ). These last two accused the company Gas Natural Unión Fenosa of hiring hit men to disperse them in their fight. This company is currently setting up a wind plant in the lands of the Juchitán community.
A source of life
Jiménez stated that for the Zapotecs, the Ikjoots, and other six native communities along with one mestizo community that live in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, nature is very important, not only to preserve their culture, but also to survive. When the harvest season ends, they go out and hunt. They also make their own traditional medicines with the plants that grow in the area. Today, this area is threatened by the imminent installation of 500 wind generators in 11 thousand hectares [27,180 acres] within the area that includes the lands of Juchitán, Unión Hidalgo, La Venta. There is also the territory that Mareña Renovables wants in the Barra de Santa Teresa, in San Dionisio del Mar.
Sánchez reported that on March 23rd, state police dismantled the community radio station Totopo. This station was initiated in 2006 and it aimed at reviving the Zapotec culture. It was also created to raise awareness among native communities from the Isthmus about the long fight against dispossession and colonization made by Spanish conquerors. There was also the cross ocean canal plan, the Puebla-Panama [Developement] Plan and the Mesoamerican project and the development plan presented by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Spanish Original
Isaú Celaya, member of the Ikjoots community from San Dionisio del Mar, made a call to university students from all over the country to support the fight of indigenous people from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, against wind megaprojects. He stated:
"They are attacking us, but our fight against the Mareña Renovables company has not ended yet. We found out that there are now four mining projects that affect our community."These projects are focused on the exploitation of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and salt, but they do not know which companies have received concessions to perform the exploitation. However, the Ikjoots community will keep on defending their territory, which is the last bit that remains after years of appropriation made by other communities for over the last 800 years.
Celaya talked in a seminar about the memories of dispossession, organized by students of the School of Sciences of UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico]. Other speakers were Braulio Villanueva, representing the Ikjoots from San Mateo del Mar, along with Carlos Sánchez and Isabel Jiménez, Zapotecs from the Juchitán People's Popular Assembly ( APPJ). These last two accused the company Gas Natural Unión Fenosa of hiring hit men to disperse them in their fight. This company is currently setting up a wind plant in the lands of the Juchitán community.
A source of life
Jiménez stated that for the Zapotecs, the Ikjoots, and other six native communities along with one mestizo community that live in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, nature is very important, not only to preserve their culture, but also to survive. When the harvest season ends, they go out and hunt. They also make their own traditional medicines with the plants that grow in the area. Today, this area is threatened by the imminent installation of 500 wind generators in 11 thousand hectares [27,180 acres] within the area that includes the lands of Juchitán, Unión Hidalgo, La Venta. There is also the territory that Mareña Renovables wants in the Barra de Santa Teresa, in San Dionisio del Mar.
"Wind farms have affected our lives and our culture. These foreign companies don't care about that. They just want to make money, that is why we get threats and arrest orders."He then called upon students one more time to support the opposition to the wind farm megaprojects, so their fight becomes stronger.
Sánchez reported that on March 23rd, state police dismantled the community radio station Totopo. This station was initiated in 2006 and it aimed at reviving the Zapotec culture. It was also created to raise awareness among native communities from the Isthmus about the long fight against dispossession and colonization made by Spanish conquerors. There was also the cross ocean canal plan, the Puebla-Panama [Developement] Plan and the Mesoamerican project and the development plan presented by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Spanish Original