To our brothers and sisters, that are being attacked for defending the lives of their peoples
To the people of Mexico and the world
To the media
The Indigenous Governing Council and the National Indigenous Congress condemn the grave aggressions against the compañer@s of our communities that are being cowardly attacked by hired killers and local bosses. We denounce the growing war against our peoples.
We demand justice for the assassinated compañeros of CODEDI, who were returning to their communities after a meeting with representatives of the state government of Oaxaca. Afterwards, around 11:30 pm on February 12th, they were ambushed by a heavily armed group at kilometer 112, of the federal highway 175, near Metate, in Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. The aggressors shot at the vehicle in which compañeros of the Committee for the Defense of Indigenous Rights were traveling, among them, their representative Abraham Ramírez Sánchez.
In the attack, three compañeros were assassinated. We hold the bad government of the state of Oaxaca responsible for these acts and of the new acts of repression and betrayal against our brothers and sisters of CODEDI, who in January received the visit of the CIG and our spokeswoman to the territory of the Chatino people.
We demand justice for the compañeros of the Indigenous Zapatista Agrarian Movement (MAIZ) who were returning on February 9th to the municipality of Tlacotepec de Díaz, Oaxaca, after participating in mobilizations carried out in Mexico City to demand the cancelation of the Hydroelectric project Coyolapa Atzala, led by the mining company Autlán. An armed group aboard a black truck, Ford Lobo, stopped the AU busses and violently bound and threatened passengers. Afterwards they set fire to one of the busses. In the month of January, the compañer@s of MAIZ received the committee of CIG and our spokeswoman in the city of Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca.
We condemn the intimidation and the harassment by the narco-paramilitary groups that seek to take control of the resources and territories of the companaer@s of MAIZ. We hold responsible the mayors of Tlacotepec de Porifio Díaz and San Pablo Zoquitlán, Cirilo Trujillo Lezama and Fermín González León, respectively.
We demand justice for our brothers of the Tepehuana community of San Lorenzo Azqueltán, municipality of Villa Guerrero, Jalisco, especially the councilors of the CIG that are being attacked by the invading small landholders with the complicity of the bad government to concretize the dispossession of the Indigenous territory of Azqueltán. On February 9th, the small landholders Favios and Carlos with the last name Flores Sánchez attacked with a metal bar the community members Catarino Aguilar Márquez (Agrarian representative and councilor) and his father Severiano Aguilar Rojas who suffered fractures to his arm. Also, this past December 14th, the community members Gabriel Aguilar Rojas (councilor) and his brother Noé Aguilar Rojas, were assaulted with a firearm by the small property owner Isidro González de la Cruz. These acts can be added to the numerous threats of death to the communal authorities on part of local bosses and politicians of the region. An example of which occurred on August 14th when they were threatened with death outside of the municipal presidency, after a meeting with the mayor to complain about how he continues promoting agrarian conflict with his programs and projects.
We hold responsible the municipal president of Villa Guerrero, Jalisco, Aldo Gamboa Gutiérrez for the aggressions against our compañeros and compañeras of the community of San Lorenzó Azqueltán and we demand that they cease the dispossession of communal land.
We call on everyone to be attentive and in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the CNI and CIG, being attacked for defending the hope and life of their peoples.
From Baja California Sur
February 13th, 2018
María de Jesús Patricio Martínez, Spokewoman for the CIG
National Indigenous Congress
Indigenous Governing Council
Translated from the original here: http://www.congresonacionalindigena.org/2018/02/14/comunicado-agresiones-asesinatos-codedi-maiz-azqueltan/