On Monday, April 11, 2016, around 800 State of Mexico riot police at the service of Grupo Higa laid siege to the Otom\u00ed community of San Francisco Xochicuautla, destroyed the camp set up in defense of the forest, used heavy machinery to illegally tear down the house of Dr. Armando Garc\u00eda Salazar, and violently dragged out at least 25 men, women and children who were inside the house, including 64-year-old Isabel Hern\u00e1ndez, a member of the Supreme Indigenous Council of Xochicuautla.<\/p>\n
During the past decade, the Xochicuautla community has struggled against the destruction of this forest\u2013\u2013 one of the country\u2019s most important lungs \u2013\u2013 a forest threatened by the construction of the Toluca-Naucalpan Toll Highway by the Autovan company, affiliated with shady businessman Juan Armando Hinojosa. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Community people finally achieved the suspension of the highway construction and were granted a writ by a federal judge that protected them against an expropriation decree for 37 hectares issued in 2015 by Hinojosa\u2019s intimate friend Enrique Pe\u00f1a Nieto.<\/p>\n
The violent eviction took place just after the approval of state legislation dubbed \u201cThe Atenco Law,\u201d promoted by Governor Eruviel \u00c1vila, which gives the police almost unlimited powers to trample on human rights in their drive to eliminate resistance movements. It\u2019s not surprising, therefore, that the federal protection granted to the Xochicuautla community has been scorned by Grupo Higa and its shock troops, which have indicated that they will be committing even more atrocities in the days to come.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, this new attack against the Otom\u00ed community and its forest has already aroused widespread repudiation. It comes only two days after the founding of the National Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and the Territory, made up of 179 peoples, communities, barrios and organizations in an effort to confront the massive plunder of their territories and the destruction of land, water, air and life itself. In the following statement, the Campaign responds to this new offensive against the Xochicuautla community.<\/p>\n
April 11, 2016, Editorial Committee<\/p>\n
To the federal government of Enrique Pe\u00f1a Nieto,
\nTo the state government of Eruviel \u00c1vila Villegas,
\nTo all peoples, barrios and communities,
\nTo the organized and non-organized civil society,
\nTo the news media,
\nTo all who defend life and struggle against injustice:<\/p>\n
The 179 peoples, communities, barrios and organizations that make up the National Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and the Territory, raise our voices against the actions taken today in the San Francisco Xochicuautla community.<\/p>\n
At around 10 o\u2019clock in the morning, April 11, more than 800 state police forces laid siege to the community, blocking the entrance or exit of any person whatsoever. They then began to attack the community members by tearing down the encampment set up in 2015 to protect and defend the forest. Once the camp was dismantled, the police went for the houses located within Grupo Higa\u2019s Toluca\u2013 Naucalpan highway project area.<\/p>\n
Without presenting valid documentation, Luis Enrique Garc\u00eda, head of the State of Mexico highway system, informed Dr. Armando Garc\u00eda and his family that a valuation of their home would be conducted. Dr. Garc\u00eda cited the existence of a protective writ that grants the provisional suspension of the project and invalidates the eviction of his family and the destruction of his home.<\/p>\n
Comrades who were inside the house to prevent its destruction were beaten and dragged out. Among them was 64-year-old Isabel Hern\u00e1ndez, who was knocked down along with her baby granddaughter, only to be kicked and beaten by the police. It\u2019s important to note that Isabel is a member of the Supreme Indigenous Council of Xochicuautla. All of the family\u2019s belongings were taken away by state agents, and a bulldozer began to destroy the house.<\/p>\n
These actions taken by the government of the State of Mexico are an example of the politics of plunder being carried out nationally against peoples, communities and barrios in order to implement any number of megaprojects without consulting the people who live in the coveted territories. Such projects systematically violate the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination and are clearly projects of destruction and ecocide.<\/p>\n
This morning\u2019s actions of the government of the State of Mexico are not only an attack on the will of the people of San Francisco Xochicuautla, but also violate the state\u2019s own laws. They fail to respect protective order #1123\/2015- V issued by the Second District Judge and Federal Courts in the State of Mexico, which grants the provisional suspension of the highway project. These actions also reveal the absence of access to justice and the politics of terror and criminalization against indigenous peoples in the State of Mexico.<\/p>\n
Despite the fact that the community has been granted legal measures to stop further construction of the highway, and precautionary measures by the National Human Rights Commission to protect the population, the government of the State of Mexico is using the state police to impose the highway project, destroy homes and provoke the imminent devastation of the ancestral forest.<\/p>\n
The peoples, communities, barrios and organizations that make up the National Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and the Territory emphatically reject the abuses and acts of violence employed against San Francisco Xochicuautla, which violate their collective rights as an indigenous Otom\u00ed people and the individual guarantees of women and men, through the plunder of their forest and their homes.<\/p>\n
We hold the federal government of Enrique Pe\u00f1a Nieto and the state government of Eruviel \u00c1vila Villegas responsible for any and all damages to the physical and psychological integrity of the comrades in the community of San Francisco Xochicuautla. We condemn the criminalization and repression of the legitimate defense of the forest of San Francisco Xochicuautla.<\/p>\n
\u00a1We demand that they respect their own laws and the protective orders issued in favor of the people of Xochicuautla and that they suspend the highway project!<\/em> WE are the ones who live on these lands, waters, mountains and hills. We are the guardians of our Mother Earth, and we will not permit her destruction.<\/p>\n National Campaign in Defense of Mother Earth and the Territory<\/strong> 179 peoples, communities, barrios and organizations say: \u00a1State police out of Xochicuautla! \u00a1Stop destruction of forest and homes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":13344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[317,321],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/xochicuautla_april-11-2016.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12323"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elenemigocomun.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u00a1We demand an end to repression and the immediate exit of the armed forces of the State!<\/em>
\n\u00a1We demand reparations for the damages suffered by the affected families!<\/em>
\n\u00a1We demand respect for the self-determination of the people of San Francisco Xochicuautla<\/em>!<\/p>\n
\nCenter [Estado de M\u00e9xico, Hidalgo, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala]: Asamblea Permanente de los Pueblos de Morelos (Defensa del r\u00edo Cuautla), Asamblea Permanente en Defensa de los Pueblos Unidos de Morelos, Comit\u00e9 Ciudadano Xinant\u00e9catl, Comunidad Agraria Ind\u00edgena Tezontepec, Comunicadores Populares e Ind\u00edgenas, Consejo de Defensa del Territorio Tiyat Tlalli, Cholula Viva y Digna, Defensa del Patrimonio de San Andr\u00e9s Cholula; Fuego de la Digna Resistencia: (Administraci\u00f3n Aut\u00f3noma de Agua Potable de Coyotepec, Alianza \u00danica del Valle, Apaxco Comunidades por la Vida, Centro de Derechos Humanos Zeferino Ladrillero, Coordinaci\u00f3n de Pueblos Unidos en Defensa de la Energ\u00eda El\u00e9ctrica, Comit\u00e9s de Usuarios de Energ\u00eda El\u00e9ctrica En Resistencia Civil de Nezahualc\u00f3yotl, Delegaci\u00f3n Ind\u00edgena Otom\u00ed San Francisco Mag\u00fa, Frente Popular 9 de Junio en Defensa de los Recursos Naturales, Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra, (San Salvador Atenco), Frente de los Pueblos en Defensa de la Madre Tierra. [San Lorenzo Huitzizilapan, Santa Cruz Ayotuxco, San Francisco Xochicuautla-Frente de Pueblos Ind\u00edgenas en Defensa de la Madre Tierra. Lucha contra la construcci\u00f3n de la Autopista Toluca-Naucalpan.] Magisterio Mexiquense Contra la Reforma Educativa, Sistema de Agua Potable de Tec\u00e1mac, Temascalapa,Vecinos Unidos del Poniente). Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra y el Agua. Puebla, Morelos y Tlaxcala, Frentes Unidos en Defensa de Tepoztl\u00e1n, Lucha por la recategorizaci\u00f3n del Xinant\u00e9catl,Makxtum Kalaw Chuchutsipi-Organizaci\u00f3n de los Pueblos Totonacos para la Defensa del Territorio, Movimiento Juvenil Huitzizilapan; Mexico City: Centro Cultural La Calaca, Centro de Estudios Ecum\u00e9nicos,Colectivos Ajusco Medio (Tlalpan, Magdalena Contreras), Comit\u00e9 Estudiantil Metropolitano, Comunidad Pedregales por Ayotzinapa, Habitat International Coalition Am\u00e9rica Latina (HIC AL), Frente de Pueblos del An\u00e1huac (Tl\u00e1huac), GeoComunes,j\u00f3venes en resistencia alternativa-comunidad, autonom\u00eda y libertad (COMUNAL), Laboratorio Multimedia para la Investigaci\u00f3n UNAM, Lucha por el h\u00e1bitat y la cultura (\u00c1lvaro Obreg\u00f3n), Movimiento de Aspirantes Excluidos de la Educaci\u00f3n Superior (MAES),Movimiento Popular de Pueblos y Colonias del Sur,Observatorio Latinoamericano de Geopol\u00edtica (OLAG),Organizaci\u00f3n Popular Francisco Villa de la Izquierda Independiente, Perspectivas Cr\u00edticas, Tejiendo Organizaci\u00f3n Revolucionaria (TOR), Uni\u00f3n Popular Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Morelos y Pav\u00f3n (Edo.mex.), Vecinos y Vecinas de las Colonias Carrasco (Isidro Favela, Cantera Puente de Piedra y Pueblo Quieto y Peri\u00f3dico Cacomixtle (Tlalpan), Tonelhuayotzin Nuestra Ra\u00edz A.C., Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos Todos los Derechos para Todas y todos, Servicios y Asesor\u00eda para la Paz, Telar de Ra\u00edces; Chiapas: Asociaci\u00f3n Rural de Inter\u00e9s Colectivo A.C ARIC, Asociaci\u00f3n Rural de Inter\u00e9s Colectivo de la Coalici\u00f3n de Organizaciones Aut\u00f3nomas de Ocosingo, Asociaci\u00f3n Rural de Inter\u00e9s Colectivo Hist\u00f3rica, Barrios y sectores de los Altos de San Crist\u00f3bal, Bienes Comunales de la Zona Lacandona (Palestina Frontera corozal Mayas), Casa dela Mujer Ixim, Centro de Derechos Humanos Digna Ochoa, Comit\u00e9s Eclesiales de Base, Centro de Derechos de la Mujer de Chiapas. Cedemech, Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolom\u00e9 de las Casas, Colectivo de Educaci\u00f3n para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos (CEPAZDH), Comit\u00e9 Ciudadano para Defensa Popular (Cocidep), Comit\u00e9 de derechos Humanos \u201cFray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada\u201d AC, Comunidad 20 de junio, Comunidad Banavil, Comunidad Barrio Agua Azul, Comunidad Barrio Guadalupe, Comunidad Barrio San Jacinto, Comunidad Candelaria, Comunidad Carranza, Comunidad Colonia Virginia, Comunidad Chicosen, Comunidad Ejido Naranjo 2, Comunidad Jerusal\u00e9n, Comunidad Poblado Victoria, Comunidad Quiniches, Comunidad San Rafael, Comunidad Sibac\u00e1, Consejo Aut\u00f3nomo Regional de la Zona Costa de Chiapas, Coordinaci\u00f3n Diocesana de Mujeres Codimuj AC, Defensores de los Humedales de los Altos, Desarrollo Econ\u00f3mico Social de los Mexicanos Ind\u00edgenas, A.C. (Desmi), Ejido patiwits, Enlace Comunicaci\u00f3n y Capacitaci\u00f3n AC, Frente Campesino y Popular 10 de Abril (FCP-10Abril), Frente C\u00edvico Ejido Nicol\u00e1s Popular y las anexo Emiliano Zapata, Tonalteco y Ciudadanos de Tonal\u00e1, Juventudes ind\u00edgenas de Jitotol, Tenejapa, Margaritas, Coco Sur, La Voz del Pueblo, Movimiento de la Vida Tierra y Territorio, Movite., Movimiento en Defensa de la Vida y del Territorio, Otra campa\u00f1a de Ocosingo, Pastoral de la Tierra, Pastoral JRFP Tuxtla Gtz. Di\u00f3cesis de Tuxtla\/Construcci\u00f3n de la Paz, Pastoral Penitenciaria de Ocosingo, Pastoral Regi\u00f3n San Pedro Tonin\u00e1, Proyecto de vida, hermandad y solidaridad, Pueblo Creyente, Representantes de Pueblos y comunidades de chimalapas Oaxaca, Representantes Parroquiales de Ocosingo, San Caralampio, Uni\u00f3n de Campesinos de la Sierra, Uni\u00f3n de Campesinos y Pescadores de la Sierra y Costa de Chiapas, Guerrero: Casa de Justicia de San Luis Acatl\u00e1n Coordinadora Regional de Autoridades Comunitarias-Polic\u00eda Comunitaria, Comit\u00e9 en Defensa del R\u00edo San Luis Acatl\u00e1n, Consejo de Autoridades Agrarias Tlapanecas, Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a la Presa La Parota (CECOP);
\nNorth: Autoridades Tradicionales de la Tribu Yaqui, Bienes Comunales Isla Tibur\u00f3n, Comit\u00e9 De Defensa por Los Derechos Ind\u00edgenas de Sinaloa, Consejo de Ancianos de Hant Comc\u00e1ac, Desemboque Del Rio San Ignacio,Sonora \/Grupo Defensores del Territorio Comc\u00e1ac, Gobierno Tradicional Mayos\/Yoreme de Sinaloa, Mayos\/Yoreme de Sinaloa y Sonora, No a la miner\u00eda en Hant Comc\u00e1ac\/No A Los Megaproyectos, Pueblo Guarijio Proyecto Presa Bicentenario Los Pilares, Tohono O\u2019odham; Oaxaca: Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agust\u00edn Pro Ju\u00e1rez, Centro Prodh A.C., Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac del Istmo de Tehuantepec, Centro de Derechos Ind\u00edgenas Flor y Canto A.C., Cerro de las Huertas, Colectivo Oaxaque\u00f1o en Defensa de los Territorios, Comit\u00e9 por la Defensa de los Derechos Ind\u00edgenas (CODEDI),Consejo de Organizaciones Oaxaque\u00f1as Aut\u00f3nomas (COOA), Coordinadora de Pueblos Unidos del Valle de Ocotl\u00e1n (CPUVO), Espacio Alternativo Yunhiz, Espacio Estatal en Defensa del Ma\u00edz Nativo de Oaxaca, Jaltepec de Candayoc, Magdalena Teitipac, Monte del Toro, Movimiento Agrario Ind\u00edgena Zapatista-Mixteca, Ojo de Agua, Comunicaci\u00f3n y Capacitaci\u00f3n A.C., Organizaciones Indias por los Derechos Humanos (OIDHO), Red de Defensoras y Defensores Comunitarios de los Pueblos de Oaxaca, San Jos\u00e9 del Progreso, San Juan Cacahuatec, San Miguel Panixtlahuaca, Santa Mar\u00eda Magdalena Tiltepec, Santiago Xanica, Santo Domingo Teojomulco, Servicios del Pueblo Mixe, Ser Mixe A.C., Servicios para una Educaci\u00f3n Alternativa A.C., Servicios Universitarios y Redes de Conocimiento en Oaxaca (SURCO) A.C., Tequio Jur\u00eddico A.C., Uni\u00f3n Campesina Ind\u00edgena de Oaxaca \u201cEmiliano Zapata\u201d (UCIO-EZ), Uni\u00f3n de Organizaciones de la Sierra Ju\u00e1rez de Oaxaca S.C. (UNOSJO), Universidad de la Tierra Oaxaca, Voces Oaxaque\u00f1as Construyendo Autonom\u00eda y Libertad (VOCAL),; EAST: Asociaci\u00f3n un Salto de Vida, Bios Iguana, A.C., Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), Colectivo de Abogadxs, Colectivo de Organizaciones Ciudadanas por el Agua (COLOCA), Comit\u00e9 de Mujeres Ecologistas de La Huizachera \u2013 R\u00edo Santiago, Comit\u00e9 Salvemos Temacapul\u00edn Acasico y Palmarejo \u2013 Presa El Zapotillo, Comunidad Acasico, Comunidad de Zacualpan, Comunidad El Salto, Comunidad Ind\u00edgena Pur\u00e9pecha Cher\u00e1n Keri, Comunidad La Huizachera, Comunidad Mesa del Nayar, Comunidad Palmarejo, Comunidad Rosarito, Comunidad Santa Teresa, Comunidad Saycota, Comunidad Temacapul\u00edn, Consejo Ind\u00edgena Nayheri, Consejo Ind\u00edgena por la Defensa del Territorio de Zacualpan, Frente en Defensa del Agua y contra su Privatizaci\u00f3n (FADAP), Grupo Ecol\u00f3gico Manglar, Instituto Mexicano para el desarrollo Comunitario AC, Salvemos Temacapulin y Palmarejo, T\u00f3mala un golpe a la conciencia;Peninsula: Colectivo Ap\u00edcola de los Chenes., Educaci\u00f3n Cultura y Ecolog\u00eda A.C (Quintana Roo), Indignaci\u00f3n Promoci\u00f3n y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos A.C., Tonelhuayotzin Nuestra Ra\u00edz A.C, Uni\u00f3n de Pobladores y Pobladoras de Chablekal;Veracruz: Amatl\u00e1n ya despierta, Colectivo Defensa Verde Naturaleza para siempre, Comit\u00e9 Ciudadano por un Veracruz Limpio A.C.
\nPhoto: Frente Juvenil Xochicuautla<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"