Protection is Granted to the Ejido Los Llanos and San José El Porvenir Against the Highway Project San Cristóbal de Las Casas- Palenque

To the media

To the national and international civil society

To the indigenous peoples and communities

To the public opinion

We want to inform the public that on January 18^th, 2016 our Tsostil community of Los Llanos, municipality of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, was granted protection against the highway project San Cristóbal de Las Casas-Palenque. The government has wanted to impose this project on us under threats and intimidation since November of 2013 through the City Council and the General Secretary of the Government of Chiapas.

In the decision of the protection 16/2014, the judge ordered the Secretary of Communication and Transportation and the Secretary of Infrastructure of the State of Chiapas to cancel the proposed outline of the construction project, or any other aimed at the construction of the highway San Cristóbal de Las Casas-Palenque, Chiapas, in the kilometer marker inside of the municipalities of San Cristóbal de Las Casas-Huixtán, Chiapas particularly in the lands of our community.

It also signals that in compliance with constitutional and international norms, the authorities should respect our communities right of free consultation, previously informed through it’s traditional representatives and authorities, providing in good faith the information, including the possible environmental and health risks derived from the construction and operation of the highway project.

Our community celebrates the decision that protects our lands and we want to say to the authorities of all three levels of government that our land is presently not for sale, nor will it be in the future, and we completely reject the highway project San Cristóbal de Las Casa-Palenque because it dispossesses indigenous communities of their land—the most sacred thing in life.

We demand the total respect of our rights as indigenous people recognized in the Federal constitution, international treaties and in the San Andres Accords.

We are natives of this land, our grandfathers and grandmothers were born and died here, and as such we demand respect for the life of our community and of all of indigenous peoples that are threatened with being dispossessed by private interests and government in order to exploit our natural resources. We know that the government always searches for a strategy to dispossess us from our lands and because of this we invite all of the communities and peoples to continue organizing to defend the territory and not to fall into internal divisions.

We appreciate your attention and we send greetings to the men, women, children, and ancients of the community Los Llanos and San José El Porvenir that have struggled and walked together in defense of the land.

 Sincerely

Comisariado Ejidal
Los Llanos, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas

Andrés Gómez Díaz                                         Javier Gómez López
Presidente                                                           Secretario

Pedro Jiménez Díaz
Tesorero

Consejo de Vigilancia

Los Llanos, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas

Guadalupe Díaz López               Domingo Marcelino Jiménez Pérez
Presidente                                         Primer Secretario

Rogelio Jiménez Pérez
Segundo Secretario

Autoridades de la Comunidad

San José El Porvenir, Huixtan, Chiapas

Domingo de la Cruz Gómez
Representante de la Comunidad

Salvador de la Cruz Gómez
Agente Auxiliar

Poorly translated from the original here: http://komanilel.org/2016/04/04/se-otorgo-el-amparo-contra-el-proyecto-de-la-autopista-sancristobal-de-las-casas-palenque-al-ejido-los-llanos-y-san-jose-el-porvenir/