stop the eviction of families in the Lacandon Jungle

Friends of the Earth International condemn the police operations in the state of Chiapas, which have evicted families from the Biosphere of Montes Azules, Lacandon Jungle. The evictions were made to make way for palm oil plantations. Your help is needed in calling for an end to the evictions and the proposed development.

Biodiversity in the Lacandon Jungle.
Credit: flickr.com/jamidwyer

In January 2010, the government of Chiapas, Mexico began the violent eviction of the communities in the Lacandon Jungle. Several helicopters landed in the community of Laguna El Suspiro, carrying 60 police officers. The officers violently forced men, women and children out of their homes and flew them to the city of Palenque, about 100 kilometres away.

The evictions took place without any explanation, prior notice or a warrant. The residents were not even allowed to collect their belongings. Witnesses reported that after the evictions took place all the houses and belongings of the residents were set alight.

In Palenque the displaced families were interrogated by the police. During the interrogation they were denied access to a lawyer and a translator. When the proceedings ended, the families say they were forced to sign a document they couldn't understand.

making way for palm oil

It is believed that the evictions were carried out in order to make way for the expansion of monoculture palm oil plantations in the region. Last January, the Chiapas State Congress approved funding for the construction of a palm oil processing plant, soon after the evictions took place.

In response to the accusations the government has cited the need to conserve and protect the area. However, the community it has evicted had been living sustainably on the land for generations naturally conserving the land.

Palm oil plantations are one of the main causes of deforestation and contribute to worsen climate change through the release of carbon stored in the forests. In addition to the negative environmental impacts, they destroy the means of subsistence and food sovereignty of millions of small farmers, indigenous people and other communities, as is being seen in the Lacandon jungle.

take action

Please send the letter below to the Mexican President, The Governor of the State of Chiapas and The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for an end to the evictions, respect for human rights and a cessation in the cultivation of palm oil plantations.

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To: President Felipe Calderón
Cc: Chiapas State Governor, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Dear President Calderón,

I am writing to you regarding the evictions that have been taking place in the Lacandon Jungle, Chiapas.

Friends of the Earth Mexico believe the Chiapas Government is offering precious conservation areas to the highest bidder and undermining the will of the Chiapa residents by using lies and violence, especially against the native peoples.

Furthermore, the government's denial of  housing, health care and food sovereignty to indigenous peoples are in violation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In solidarity with Friends of the Earth Mexico, I am calling for:

- The immediate halt to evictions of native peoples communities from Chiapas.
- The enforcement of the UN Convention of  Human Rights and all the international legally binding agreements and conventions signed and ratified by the Mexican government.
- The rejection of false climate solutions that only benefit transnational corporations and corrupt politicians
- A halt to all the big mega-projects of the so called Mesoamerican Project
- A halt to tree monoculture plantations that are not forests and which, in turn increase greenhouse gas emissions and displace indigenous communities from their lands.

I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

--
Estimado Presidente Calderón,

Por la presente me dirijo a Ud. con respecto a los desalojos que han ocurrido en la Selva Lacandona, Chiapas.

Amigos de la Tierra México considera que el Gobierno de Chiapas está ofreciendo áreas muy valiosas de conservación al mejor postor y está violando la voluntad de los habitantes de Chiapas mediante el uso de mentiras y violencia, especialmente contra los pueblos originarios.

Asimismo, la negación por parte del gobierno del derecho a la vivienda, salud pública y soberanía alimentaria a los pueblos indígenas viola la Declaración de la ONU de Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas.

En solidaridad con Amigos de la Tierra México, le solicito:

- La detención inmediata de los desalojos de las comunidades originarias de Chiapas.
- El cumplimiento de la Convención de Derechos Humanos de la ONU y de todos los acuerdos y convenios legalmente vinculantes firmados y ratificados por el gobierno mexicano. 
- El rechazo de las falsas soluciones climáticas que solo benefician a las empresas trasnacionales y a los políticos corruptos. 
- Detener todos los grandes megaproyectos del llamado Proyecto Mesoamericano. 
- Detener las plantaciones de monocultivos forestales que no son bosques y que, en cambio aumentan las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y desplazan a comunidades indígenas de sus tierras.

Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.

Atentamente,

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