Translated News Briefs from Argentina, Spain, and Mexico

translated notes by Cicada / Earth First! Journal

by Darío Aranda / Resumen : ARGENTINA, March 6, 2017: For over 15 days, people from seven different indigenous groups in northern Salta (Guaraní, Chané, Wichí, Gom, Tapiete, Chulupí, and Chorote) have set up a protest camp in downtown Buenos Aires expressing their frustration that throughout the years their demands for land, health, livelihood, and education have not been met. “They want to exterminate us. They don’t want indigenous people in Argentina,” said Gabriel Espinoza, one of the spokespeople. Meanwhile, people from the Guaraní Happo P’au community have been camping out in protest against of a local agroindustry firm (Humberto Bourlon De Rouvre) for over 35 days.

by Red Kasesel K’op / Pozol / Resumen : MEXICO, March 7, 2017: The Fourth Assembly of the movement to defend the earth and territory, as well as the participation and acknowledgment of women in decision-making processes, took place in San Cristóbal de las Casas. People arrived from five regions in Chiapas and three countries. Report-backs included from the Tecpatán community, who are fighting the installment of two hydrocarbon extractors buried in their communal lands. Thirty arrest warrants have been created against those protesters, including Silvia Juárez Juárez, who is accused of mutiny, damage, and kidnappings related to the burning of the Tecpatán municipal building on February 13, when she wasn’t even there. Folks from the “Digna Ochoa” human rights center in Tonalá explained the situation in Pijijiapan where for over 10 years people have suffered bad health from the presence of heavy metals in the rivers, resulting from mining. Community members halted work and set up dialogue with authorities, who denied any environmental damage. The people continue to fight back, despite the creation of 10-12 arrest warrants. People from Tumbalá, Chilón, Bachajón, Yajalón, and Tenosique described their battles to defend water, specifically against the dams of Bajatzen and Las Cataratas, as well as FANAR, who privatizes land to exploit water.

from Red Avila : SPAIN, March 4, 2017: Over 300 people organized under the name “No to the Sierra de Ávila mine,” participated in a public information session to reject plans of the firm “Transportes, Excavaciones y Hormigones Sonsoles SL” to mine feldspar, clay, and silica.