San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas
Respect for the land is a vital asset, not a commodity, asserted human rights organizations, collectives, and various groups across the country, while demanding “an end to the imposition of megaprojects, dams, mines, and railways in Indigenous territories that deprive us of our good life and seriously harm the web of life.”
They stated that “recognition of the fourth level of government is a step forward, but it cannot be limited to the transfer of resources subject to external conditions or for electoral purposes, nor is it merely a matter of valuing forms of local government, but rather of creating clear mechanisms for coordination between communities, municipalities, and the state that allow for the strengthening of real, territorial, and comprehensive autonomy.”
They argued that “the enactment of a law implementing Article 2 of the Constitution is a legal obligation of the Mexican State, as it ensures that the collective rights of indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples are not merely stated in declarations, but are translated into binding regulations that guarantee their effective exercise in political, social, economic, and cultural spheres, thereby strengthening self-determination, participation, and the preservation of their territories and forms of organization; it is an urgent demand that cannot be postponed any longer.”
In a document released in the context of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) of Chiapas; the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center of Guerrero; Indignación, Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, from Yucatán; and the Mexican Institute for Community Development, from Jalisco, as well as six other groups, stated that “it is urgent to establish measures and actions for a new relationship between the State and indigenous peoples, with clear mechanisms, substantive measures, and actions that transcend electoral cycles. This is no longer a political option but a legal and historical obligation of a country that claims to be democratic.”
They stated that “recent legislative reforms at the national level and certain institutional practices have recognized indigenous peoples as collective subjects of public law, which we view as a step forward, though insufficient, since it appears to be limited to the transfer of resources rather than comprehensive recognition as political subjects with rights and autonomy.”
For this reason, they added, “indigenous peoples and organizations assert that policy toward indigenous peoples cannot be limited solely to monetary transfers, temporary programs, folklore, or six-year-cycle welfare programs. A transformation of this perspective toward indigenous peoples is necessary. The recognition and guarantee of our participation in the policies and decisions that affect us are indispensable. Our participation must not be temporary but structural and permanent.”
They demanded “recognition of the systems of governance and justice that emerge from our communities. Our justice system prioritizes redressing harm over punishment, unlike the state system, and we must learn from it.”
They affirmed that “it is urgent to establish permanent and binding consultation mechanisms as set forth in Article 6 of Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO); that commitments not be diluted into mere rhetoric, but rather translated into clear and sustainable public policies, designed with the participation of indigenous peoples, that ensure dignified living conditions.”
“We also demand an end to the criminalization, disappearance, and murder of land defenders; no more forced displacement of Indigenous people, which severely affects women and children and strips us of our identity and collective fabric,” while emphasizing that “Indigenous peoples do not seek privileges; rather, we demand full compliance with the current constitutional and treaty obligations. It is urgent to take firm steps toward the full realization of indigenous rights. Stop racial discrimination. We do not seek permission to be what we already are; we seek for the Constitution to cease being a mirror that does not reflect us.”
Original text by Elio Henríquez published in La Jornada on March 22nd, 2026.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.