To the Three Levels of Government
To Defenders of Human Rights
To the Free, Autonomous and Alternative Media
To the Various Non-Governmental Organizations
We Reject the Highway Project of the mis-named “Route of the Maya Cultures!
Today, the 8th of September, at 7pm, authorities of the Communal Government and representatives of communities affected by the superhighway project, belonging to the ejido San Sebastian, and San Jerónimo Bachajón gathered.
We denounce the threats, intimidation, and slander by municipal and state authorities, who—in collusion with certain agents, local bosses, and manipulators of the people—are using these tactics to obtain permission to survey our lands.
Today we reiterate that we do not agree with this project.
We, as indigenous peoples, will maintain our stance of continuing to defend our Mother Earth and will not allow the land to be surveyed without the consent of the landowners.
We demand an immediate halt to any progress on the project, as it only serves to cause problems in our communities and to destroy natural resources such as water and all the species that live in the territory.
The government, along with its agents and representatives, seeks to slander us by claiming that we have already received money in exchange for our struggle or that we agree with their project, but this is not the case; our organization is not seeking negotiations—the struggle for our territory is not for sale.
The land is not for sale—it is loved and defended!
Village of Bachajón, municipality of Chilón, Chiapas.
Community Government
Affected Communities