- A judicial decision was violated that ordered to suspend the works, argue the nonconformists
- Authorities from eight villages agreed to remove materials
- The company resorted to "deception" and offered "ridiculous" amounts to communities
- Businessmen from Sonora call for negotiation
Members of the Yaqui tribe began to remove pipes and cables
installed by the company IEnova on their lands illegally for the construction
of the Agua Prieta gas pipeline, which is intended to supply industries in
northwest Mexico.
At noon on Sunday, a group of villagers began to extract material, in protest that the company continued with the works despite that a federal judge issued a resolution on April 26 in favor of the community to stop the work.
At noon on Sunday, a group of villagers began to extract material, in protest that the company continued with the works despite that a federal judge issued a resolution on April 26 in favor of the community to stop the work.
The company ignored "and at night, on the sly," placed the pipeline for the gas pipeline that will transport fuel from the Arizona border through Yaqui territory in the municipalities of Guaymas and Cajeme.
Rodrigo González, the legal representative of the ethnic group, reported that the Yaquis authorities agreed to prevent the gas pipeline from being laid, which puts the lives of its inhabitants at risk for being located less than a kilometer from residential areas and schools, as well as violating their territorial rights.
"Each of the eight villages (of the ethnic group) was asked to remove the pipelines, regardless of whether any of the communities, with deceit of the company, have endorsed its installation," he explained.
He also said that the company threatened to sue the people who accepted the pipelines on their lands "in exchange for ridiculous amounts of money."
Martin Valencia, traditional secretary of the town of Loma de Bácum, confirmed that residents took out the material. That community has disagreed with the project from the beginning.
"While realizing a rondín, the Yaquis realized the presence of employees of the company that installed cables, which took them to take measures", he emphasized.
While the discontented dug up the duct and pulled cables, villagers from the village of Loma de Bacum met in the traditional guard with the tribal governors to decide the next civil resistance actions against IEnova.
One year after the ethnic group filed the first complaint, they continue to submit evidence and allegations. The company has not responded. "The legal fight against the death pipeline remains firm and winning in the courts," warned Rodrigo González.
On October 21 of last year a clash occurred between about 600 supporters and opponents of the project; There was one dead, eight injured and 12 vehicles set ablaze.
Since then the ethnic group noticed that, by the violation of the judicial order, the opponents would continue with its demand until the judge ordered the company to remove the pipe completely.
Entrepreneurs from the southern state, including those grouped in the Economic Promotion Council of Ciudad Obregón, have pressured the state government and the company to reach an agreement with the non-conformists. They insist that natural gas will reduce the cost of operating maquiladoras and other industries.
Across Yaqui territory, several important works for the economic and social development of the north-west of the country, such as the Mexico 15 federal highway, a fiber optic network, aqueducts to supply drinking water to several cities and the gas pipeline, which is advanced 70 percent towards completion.
IEnova declined to disclose its position on the withdrawal
of materials from the pipeline site.
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