Mayans originating from various communities in Yucatan They raised their voices at a press conference to denounce problems that affect their territories, their way of life and their heritage.
Among the central issues addressed were the definitive suspension of megaprojects such as Woods City y a wind farm in Ixil, the criminalization and harassment from the authorities to the defenders of the territoryand the alarming construction of a poultry farm in Tzeméa unexplored archaeological zone.
Regarding Ciudad Maderas, the order was issued in an amparo lawsuit filed by Sergio Oceransky of the Yansa Foundationwhich halted construction for the duration of the trial.
The project in Chuburná Puerto, Progreso police station, covers 600 hectares of low deciduous forest, adjacent to coastal ecosystems.
The original complaint was filed in February 2023 and warned about the serious consequences for the health of these ecosystems, including the lagoon system, explained the foundation representative.
According to the complainant, the company incurred irregularities by falsely stating that the low deciduous forest could not be considered forest cover, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) authorized the project without requiring a permit to change the use of forest land.
Although the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) initially closed the complaint without observing irregularities, the protection achieved the definitive suspension.
Wind farm in Ixil
As for the wind farm in Ixil, The Community Council also achieved definitive suspension.
This project, authorized in 2019, was planned to be built on common-use ejidal lands, which the company falsely claimed were private property, they noted. Emanuel Chan and Pilgrim Cutz.
This fact is related to an attempt to illegally privatize ejidal lands that was stopped. The community, through Peregrina Cutz, expressed its concern and argued that the rejection of this work by the huge piercings that would be carried out, that could mix salt water with fresh waterand questioned the destination of the energy generated, which would not be for Yucatán.
Likewise, concerns were raised about what will happen to the park’s infrastructure after 30 years, since in Europe, according to Peregrina Cutz, they do not know what to do with expired wind farms.
Given these struggles that have begun, the inhabitants of these Mayan communities denounced a pattern of criminalization and harassment by the authorities towards those who defend their lands and rights.
Wilbert Nahuat Puc, commissioner of Santa María Chipointed out that Defending territory seems to be a crime for companies and the government. He related how The Prosecutor’s Office did not investigate a complaint for 10 months, and how the legal apparatus is used to intimidate.
Similar situation was reported Jorge Rogelio Narváez and Ramiro Melchor Canché, Molas residents. They shared their experiences of being summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office and harassed for organizing a meeting of the Mayan Community Council.
Four representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office arrived at Jorge Rogelio Narváez’s house to take photographs and gather information. They subsequently received summonses without a clear reason, which they interpreted as an attempt at intimidation to demobilize the community that seeks to defend its ejidal lands.
Melchor Canché emphasized that they are not criminals and that their “crime” is defending their lands.
It was mentioned that since 2021, a person presented himself and posed as the owner of legal Molas lands, including the cemetery and school.
He even filed complaints for invasion of an area where a subdivision is intended to be built that had already been authorized for several years.
“Justice is for the rich”
“Justice is for the rich“, accused Mr. Guillermo Yam, a peasant from Ixil, when talking about the fact that the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) established a base to prevent inhabitants from working their lands and harass women.
He stressed that governments generalize and do not listen to the population due to all these abuses, with the sole intention of protecting the interests of businessmen who want to take over the Mayan lands.
A particularly serious complaint was the destruction of archaeological remains in Kinchil, specifically in the ancient city of Tzeme.
Federico May, community representative, said that a poultry company is destroying the traces of the city, which was the capital of the entire western part of the State and had more than 10,000 inhabitants, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Just 300-400 meters from the main pyramids, the poultry farm builds more buildings for egg productionwhich involves the destruction of foundations, tombs, pyramids and platforms.
The community has confirmed the existence of platforms, pyramids, carved stones, jade and ceramics in an area that has not yet been explored.
Federico May commented that although the INAH archaeologists had asked not to disseminate the information to avoid looting, now the community seeks to make the destruction visible, since the farm has destroyed part of these vestiges in its first stage of construction.
In addition to the cultural destruction, there was a warning of “ecocide” by installing a megafarm in a flood-prone area, home to endangered species, with water only two meters deep.
The community submitted a request to the INAH last Friday the 17th to intervene, but to date there has been no response and the machines continue destroying.
The communities called on other communities that are experiencing similar situations to not be intimidated and to unite to defend their rights and territories.