
Indigenous organizations and civil society come together in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Indigenous organizations and members of civil society demonstrated this weekend in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, demanding an end to violence and aggression against indigenous Zapatista communities. The protest took place in front of the ‘MUSAC’ museum, where attendees carried banners with messages such as “Stop the war against Zapatistas” and “Women, Life and Freedom.”
Diana Luna, a member of civil society, said that the goal of the demonstration is to highlight the population’s weariness with war, impunity and corruption. “We are tired of the violence that affects our communities and our Mother Earth being ignored,” she said.
The activist emphasized the threat that new infrastructure projects, such as the Mayan Train, represent for organized peoples who exercise their self-determination, as is the case of the peoples of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). Luna mentioned recent incidents in the 6 de Octubre community in Nuevo Jerusalén, Ocosingo, where harassment and dispossession by armed groups have been reported.
The protesters also expressed their solidarity with the families of civilians killed in the context of drug-related violence and femicides, calling for justice for these crimes. Jorge Santiago, another of the participants, highlighted the need to build a society in which respect and peace prevail.
During the demonstration, songs of peace were chanted and candles were lit in mourning for the violence that has affected all sectors of the population in southern Mexico. Attendees carried bunches of flowers as a symbol of peace in a context of increasing violence in Chiapas since 2021.
The National Indigenous Congress (CNI) has warned about the critical situation in the state, noting that the region is facing a scenario of civil war due to the dispute over drug and human trafficking on Mexico’s southern border. The demonstration reflects growing discontent and the urgent need to address the crisis of violence affecting indigenous communities and society at large.
Original article at Revista Punto de Vista, October 25th, 2024.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.