¨The indian is rising up. We will no longer let ourselves be fooled. We have seen a change thanks to our zapatista companeros, who had the courage to awaken the country"

Buenas Dias, Companeros! Yesterday I attended a rally that was held in

Vera Cruz for all Via Campesina caravan participants, local workers

unions and environmental advocacy groups. It was a very powerful

rally. Many different organizations came and discussed environmental

abuses in their communities.

It is obvious to me that there is a strong movement here for climate

justice, specifically in regards to the Rights of Mother Earth. Every

speaker that spoke last night mentioned the rights of mother earth.

Talking about our planet as if she is an elderly grandmother that has

been abused and taken advantage of by her children.

The citizens of Vera Cruz have to face vast environmental injustices

everyday. Their struggles include dealing with rivers contaminated

with toxic pollutants, that then flood and ruin their homes. The fish

from the sea are filled with toxic chemicals and metals. The local pig

slaughter factories are paying poor wages to workers and the waste is

contaminating streams. This is not a life the members of the community

have decided to live, it was forced upon them.

All of the speakers were very passionate, here is part of a speech

from an elderly man who lives in Vera Cruz: There is a solution to our

problems. In Europe people have access to technology that allows them

to have clean water and governments provide basic services to the

population. We need to have that technology. We need to unite and ask

for respect of life. Because power is about capitalism and money.

People need to remember, Mother Earth needs us! She is giving us air

and seeds to grow our food. What are we doing to Mother Earth? What

are we doing to fight transnational companies and governments? Their

industries are changing the climate! We must make sure the the

campesinos voice is heard in Cancun! Our communities and Mother Earth

can no longer be exploited! We need to protect, love, nurture her and

remember how to live in harmony with her!

We left last night and headed to another town in Vera Cruz called

Ixhuatlan, but we had a delay along the way. The Sugar Cane workers

took over the highway we were planning on taking to Ixhuatlan. They

took over the highway to protest the government that was recently

re-elected. During the recent floods in the area the sugar canes were

devastated and the workers had no money for food or basic services.

The floods that affected the community are not common. The government

provided no assistance to the workers. Not only were their jobs were

lost, but their homes were ruined by flooding. As result of the

protest the government was highly over reactive and brought military

police and helicopters instigating a relatively peaceful protest.

Thus, our caravans went another way and we had a nine hour drive to

Ixhuatlan . The other buses who visited a different community were

held up by the protest and are now just leaving, after not being able

to get through for 8 hours. The police have been a constant presence

on this trip, all though in no way a threat. But they take pictures of

us every where we go, pull buses over and asking for registrations and

holding the caravans up. The organizers are doing a wonderful job

dealing with this and it is just a nuisance we have to deal with.

In Ixhuatlan, we were met with a warm welcome and fresh tortillas!

Ixhuatlan is a jungle like region, close to large rivers and the Gulf

of Mexico. Because of it´s proximity to water and rich natural

resources it has been heavily exploited by the government and

transnational corporations. It is also an area where there are

petroleum refineries and hydraulic energy plants, both which dump

there waste into the rivers and gulf. Here is part of a speech that

was given this morning: Today you are in one of the most contaminated

areas in the world. Here there are rivers, like many other places give

industries priority. Toxic waste go into the rivers and the sea. There

is no one here to regulate, all blind and deaf to what is affecting

us. It is normal to see toxins and expect industries to dump toxins.

The profit companies make is a white elephant in the room, it does

nothing and says keep doing. There are over a 1,000 cases of cancer in

our community, but no state intervention. Neoliberalsim is destroying

our communities. We indigenous want to protect the earth, dirt and the

land. We must work on a micro level and bring back the knowledge of

the indigenous. We have contaminated the earth and food we put in our

bodies. Caravan participants we have one objective for you UNITE,

organize! Let us, the people, take care of the planet, the earth is

for all of us!

The passion and love for mother earth is very inspiring. For the past

three days I have  seen and heard the love and respect for our Earth.

To me the struggles that these communities face is an absolute

injustice. In no way is right for a communities land to be exploited

by a transnational corporation. Particularly when the inhabitants of

community receive no payment for the exploitation of their natural

resources. Especially when their land is devastated, health effected

and livelihoods ruined. Many of the people in the communities we have

visited are fishermen and farmers, so they feel the effects of

environmental devastation immediately.

I will post pictures once I get to Cancun!

Peace, Andrea