9th Assembly of the Women’s Movement in Defense of Mother Earth and Our Territories, Cideci, Chiapas, Mexico
May 21, 22, 23
As women from different peoples and regions of Chiapas, we honor and express our gratitude with respect, strength, and joy for our ninth assembly. This time, we were welcomed by our sisters and compañeras from the collectives of the Altos Tseltal, Tzotsil, and Jobel Valley regions, and we were joined by sisters and comrades from Campeche. We are thankful for life and the CIDECI-Unitierra community for welcoming us, for providing us with a space and a safe haven to reflect, share, and agree on how we are doing and what comes next in the struggle for life and our shared dignity.
The reality we face today in the different regions has not changed much since we last met six months ago; the problems we have identified have increased: the collapse of Mother Earth and the social fabric, increasingly torn apart by the violence generated by clashes over territorial control between organized crime and corrupt governments; in both communities and cities, drug and alcohol use among young people has risen. All of this has led to growing social disorganization, fueled by the individualism promoted by the projects and programs of bad governance, as well as illnesses stemming from emotional instability and declining community participation.
On the Coast, the heat is devastating and there is no rain as there used to be; power outages continue. The abuse of power, deception, and corruption by officials and authorities continue.
Socially, alcoholism and drug addiction are rampant, and there is a lot of violence in homes. In recent years, daily conversations are constantly filled with talk of femicides and the abduction of children. We feel and see that young people are ruining their lives with alcohol and drugs, and young women are turning to prostitution and becoming pregnant at a very early age; we see that programs like “Jóvenes Sembrando Futuro (Youth Sowing the Future)” do more harm than good. The challenges are becoming increasingly complex due to the lack of work and income to cover basic needs, namely food and healthcare. The high costs of basic necessities and medical care are on the rise. Communication between children and their parents, as well as with spouses, is becoming increasingly difficult due to alcoholism and cell phones; all of this leads to fights, divorces, individualism, and a shattered social fabric.
In the Altos Tsotsil, Tseltal, and Jobel Valley regions, we see an increase in the use of agrochemicals in the communities; however, organized women do not use them, but when we share the damage they cause to the land, our words are neither heard nor valued.
Drug and alcohol use among young people is on the rise, as are suicides and migration to the north of the country; this is increasingly affecting our youth.
The use of social media has led to changes in attitudes and behaviors among young people and has increased sexual harassment and disrespect between women and men.
There are communities and regions where alcohol consumption has already been banned; fines have been established, and drinking is permitted only twice a week at parties.
Clashes between organized crime groups and cases of torture have been reported.
The challenges: we see little interest in youth participation. Workshops are needed to promote farming without agrochemicals, as well as to address alcoholism and the sexual violence and abuse it causes.
In the Northern Zone, home to the Cho’ol and Tzeltal peoples, the consequences of the destruction of Mother Earth by the superhighway and the misnamed Maya Train are being felt: in small and medium-sized urban centers, there is soil instability and structural vulnerability in homes, which are showing cracks in walls and sidewalks. Flooding occurs when it rains because there is no jungle or trees to naturally contain and drain the water. This imbalance is also evident during long periods of drought; the rivers and water sources that supply Palenque are drying up. Many communities are beginning to be affected by the lack of water and are starting to doubt the benefits of the Train and the superhighway; some have issued a statement, but there is still uncertainty and little organization. Animals are suffering as well: crocodiles have appeared in communities where they did not used to be.
Uncertainty persists due to the lack of information, because we don’t know exactly where the highway will run; they are destroying the jungle, the hills, and the trees on both sides of our communities. Meanwhile, divisions continue within the communities because of those who believe in and receive money from the bad government’s programs, which buy people’s loyalty through handouts. For example, on May 10, the city council handed out very expensive gifts to silence the families. They are giving 40,000 pesos for “land improvement” and asking for copies of the deeds to the houses. They are handing out “Bienestar Cards” to college students, most of whom just use them to go to bars.
The modernization of the city of Palenque has been rapid; there are already shopping malls with stores from international chains and many private universities, yet we see many professionals working as taxi drivers, selling empanadas, or working in stores and doing jobs outside their field; many also end up migrating in search of work. We see an increase in brand-name clothing stores that sell on credit, where entire families go into debt to dress as capitalism dictates; everything in Palenque revolves around consuming the fashion they see on television and their cell phones. Power outages continue in the city as well as in the rural communities, causing household appliances to break down. There is increased consumption of drugs, alcohol, and pornography, which disrupts life in the communities: among individuals, married couples, families, parents and their children, and between siblings. Meanwhile, infrastructure for tourism development is expanding, making all public spaces more expensive for local residents. We see an increase in Haitian migrants working in shopping malls or restaurant kitchens, but they are being exploited because they are not paid the same as a local person; there is contempt, discrimination, and abuse toward them. The children of Haitians attend public schools, and we see that among boys and girls, and young men and women, there is greater awareness because they are included and not discriminated against, unlike what adults do.
Drug cartels continue to sell drugs in the city while government officials facilitate their activities. Public schools are organizing to educate and work with children and families about the dangers of drugs. Reports are also emerging of drones, helicopters, and airplanes flying over our territories.
Threats and land dispossession target organized communities that resist and organize in defense of Mother Earth. Families grow milpa and do not receive government projects, yet they live much better than those who do. We have analyzed the situation, and our assessment is that this land is near the Superhighway project, which is explained by its location near the Agua Clara River and the Tulijá River. We saw the mayor promoting the planting of flowers “so it looks nice for tourism.” Our challenges lie in the rumors that generate internal conflicts and divisions while the corrupt government takes advantage to push through its projects. We are on alert and resisting with self-managed initiatives in health care, for example, a community clinic.
In the Northern Zoque Region. Since March 2025, we have noticed concerning changes in our territories: access to the volcano was restricted for several months, and while it has recently reopened, this has been accompanied by initiatives related to ecotourism and geopark proposals, without clear information or comprehensive processes for community consultation and participation. At the same time, there remains interest in reviving mining through the company Fortune Bay Corp, as well as progress toward designating Protected Natural Areas (ANP), which is causing uncertainty and concern in our communities regarding potential impacts on our ways of life, land use, and autonomy.
In Chapultenango, since the onset of the pandemic, we have witnessed the rise of activities linked to organized crime and attempts to establish territorial control, which have profoundly affected community life. In August 2025, members of our community were murdered, including an elderly person and a minor. These incidents went unreported due to the fear that had taken hold in the area. Little by little, we have become aware of the increase in violence against women, the disappearance of young people, and murders. Recently, the lifeless body of a young man from a distance learning high school was found in the river; he was gagged and is said to have been linked to organized crime. We are also deeply concerned about the rise in drug use among youth, a situation that affects community life and jeopardizes the present and future of our younger generations.
As women and defenders of our territory, we continue to face challenges in the form of intimidation and threats, as well as strategies aimed at sowing mistrust, dismantling community organizations, and fostering division among women.
From Campeche. We are a grassroots collective in southern Campeche. Our struggle began with the search for justice regarding the misnamed “Maya Train” megaproject, where some of our members continue to be singled out and criminalized, both by the state and by other actors.
As women, we become defenders along the way; we fight for our dignity, our voice, and our lives. As women, we already carry emotional burdens and responsibilities within our families and communities; we experience everywhere the patriarchal and capitalist structure—utilitarian and contemptuous—that continues to harm women, youth, and children in indigenous and campesino communities. It is no coincidence that violence in communities is on the rise; it is no coincidence that communities are being forcibly displaced. It is no coincidence that indigenous defenders in the territory are disappearing and being murdered. The collapse of Mother Earth is the result of a capitalist system.
We are producers; we sow, cultivate, and care for our native seeds, trees, medicinal plants, vegetable crops, and backyard animals on our plots and parcels to grow and eat healthier, less contaminated food and to have our own medicine. We support one another by strengthening our economic autonomy through the sale of surplus produce and the creation of artisanal and natural products.
As an organization, we contribute to, promote, and offer workshops for youth and children on topics such as native grain seeds and various endemic species, including native trees and pollinators that are important for ecological and food balance. We have organized and attended gatherings where we share different experiences and welcome students, collectives, and organizations.
In short: At this assembly, we share our hopes—grounded in everyday life and spoken from the heart—which have been built collectively. In the Altos, Costa, Selva, and Zoque regions, as well as with our sisters in Campeche, we are working to defend Mother Earth and our body-territories through natural medicine for holistic care and healing. We are also strengthening ourselves through the recovery and cultivation of our local foods. We share our seeds of hope with children and youth, encouraging them to care for and defend the territory; recognizing that it is our Common Home, with the commitment and responsibility to defend it. We advance our work to build a world where there is more humanity, respect, and support between women and men, and where women can have greater participation.
We close the 9th Assembly with a moment of collective healing in the Temazcalli, through a collective birth ceremony that honors the vital force of the common womb, where we healed our bodies, hearts, emotions, and spirits, releasing all pain and receiving the power of our ancestors, as well as the love of our great Mother Earth, to continue on our path, our course, as defenders of Life, with strength —smiling and in solidarity—and, of course, with dignity.
We stand in solidarity with the families of Jotolá, who are being stripped of their land, threatened, and criminalized.
Mother Earth and our territories are one. Together and organized, we will prevail.
Sincerely,
Nasakobajk Defenders Collective (Defenders of Mother Earth),
Zoque Region; Women of the Coast in Rebellion Network, Coastal Region
Tsijilba Bij Collective (New Path), Ch’ol and Tseltal Jungle Zone;
Nichim Antsetik Collective (Women’s Flower), Tseltal Highlands Zone;
Family Collective, Tseltal Highlands Zone
Antsetk Ts’unun Collective (Hummingbird Women), Highlands Zone
ViDas Collective, Campeche (Guests)
Original Statement published at Ansetik Tsunun on May 27th, 2026.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.