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!
Hi Andrea---thanks for the news! Sounds like a great experience. Keep them coming! All for now,
ReplyDeleteSaludos,
Rosa/Feminist Task Force, ENLACE