Mexico City | Desinformémonos. Maya residents in Palenque, Chiapas, criticized the show-of-hands voting, the lack of clarity in the concepts, and the omission of environmental and territorial issues that occurred during the Regional Consultation Assembly on the proposed General Law on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples.
According to the Tseltal Bachajón Comunicación collective, among the residents who attended the assembly, there were “concerns” regarding the conditions under which the working groups were held and the methodology for reaching agreements, including excessive noise and a show-of-hands vote on legal concepts and proposals that were not explained “with sufficient clarity.”
“The concern expressed by some attendees is that a show of hands does not necessarily reflect fully informed consent when people have not had sufficient time to understand, discuss, and deliberate on the content of the proposals, in addition to the fact that in many cases they were not attending with a mandate from the community but rather as individuals,” noted Tseltal Bachajón Comunicación.
The community members also pointed out the lack of clarity on issues such as territory and the legal framework governing water, stating that legislative proposals on these matters “must be explored in greater depth” and that the implications for the collective rights of indigenous peoples over their territories, waters, and natural resources must be established “with greater precision.”
“Consultation with Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples should not be reduced to taking minutes, registering attendees, or counting votes. Its legitimacy depends on communities having the actual conditions to learn about the proposals, analyze them collectively, propose amendments, and express their agreement or disagreement without pressure stemming from time constraints, fatigue, or a lack of information—but above all, on conducting these processes within indigenous community assemblies and not in an environment outside of them,” emphasized Tseltal Bachajón Comunicación following the assembly session.
Original text published by Desinformémonos on August 17th, 2026.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.