Mexico: Alliance of Indigenous Self Determination Councils Formed

Indigenous communities form alliance to defend their traditional systems of government

La Jornada

Friday June 1, 2018, p. 6

Emir Olivares Alonso

"We undertake the task of rebuilding our way of life"

Faced with the "lack of credibility" of the partisan proposals, the indigenous communities of the municipalities of Cherán, Michoacán; Oxchuc, Chiapas, and Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero, have formed an alliance to build new forms of plural and participatory self government through their traditional "uses and customs".

In a conference, representatives of the councils of these Pueblos demanded respect for their forms of organization and construction of their governing bodies, based on their collective rights that as original communities of Indigenous Peoples which are guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as international agreements and treaties.

"Based on the exercise of indigenous rights backed by the second constitutional article, the peoples of Mexico undertake the task of rebuilding our way of life as original communities, in exercise of our right of self-determination."

They criticized the fact that the PRI candidate for the Presidency, José Antonio Meade, expressed himself in referring to the case of Nestora Salgado of the indigenous pueblo of Olinalá, Guerrero, México, with a negative comment regarding the role of the Olinalá community police, self-defense groups or indigenous guards.

"Our community security systems respond to the inefficiency of federal, state and municipal governments to give us peace. These security initiatives of our peoples have legitimate legal foundation.

"Therefore, we demand respect for our own forms of government, we ratify the determination to guide the communities under our traditions and customs," they said.

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TONATIERRA

MEXICO: No Indigenous Consultation, No NAFTA

Without Indigenous Consultation There Can Be No Treaty

Today, from the legal point of view, it can be categorically stated that if there is no Indigenous Consultation in Mexico there can be no total or partial renegotiation of the NAFTA that could be deemed valid. Without the meaningful participation of the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico, there is a set of national and international standards that make the total or partial renegotiation of NAFTA legally impossible.