Oaxaca Indigenous Demand Fair Share of Wind Farm Profits While Police Quell Protest Milenio
go to original February 4, 2013

Oaxaca state security forces entered the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and evicted a group of people who kept a road closed and took machinery in protest against the construction of the industrial park wind farm of the Marena Renewables company. During the operation at least 10 people were arrested and reportedly at least 15 were wounded.

Flavio Sosa Villavicencio, a deputy of the Workers Party and former counsellor of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, condemned the violence that occurred Saturday in the community of Alvaro Obregon, in the municipality of Juchitán, where state police evicted indigenous of that locality and San Dionisio del Mar, who oppose a wind farm project in the Barra de Santa Teresa.

He stressed that this action, in which several people were injured and others were arrested, will only polarize the conflict, because the indigenous have already shown that, despite the eviction, they will not abandon the struggle in defense of their territory. [MV Note: The commuities were recently granted an injunction against the construction of the wind farm.]

"Our government cannot afford to act violently," Flavio Sosa said, "No amount of money can justify the action of a government against its own people."

The legislator demanded that the state government dialogue with the indigenous Ikoojts and Binnizas in order to understand their reasons and be able to respond civilly to the issues generating the opposition to the wind farm promoted by Marena Renovables.

In addition, as they have heard that Marena Renovables has threatened to withdraw the investment of a billion dollars from the isthmus, Sosa Villavicencio said that state authorities must make a new effort to listen to the indigenous communities in the area and show sensitivity to understand the reasons for their opposition.

The deputy said that, in principle, he was in favor of the installation of the wind farm, which would involve a major economic benefit, not only to the communities where it is built, but also for the communities in the region and even for the rest of the state of Oaxaca.

However, he added, the installation of the park should be conditional on agreement between the indigenous inhabitants, who are the owners of the land and natural resources where the park will be installed, as they are the first ones who are damaged or who are beneficiaries of the project.

He also noted as a requirement that the deal offered by the company to the communities be fair, given that the economic benefits to investors will be multiple millions, it would be unacceptable if the communities that contribute their territory for the project receive only crumbs. Neither can they accept a project that involves damage to nature, he said.

Therefore, he added, it is necessary that the Inter-American Development Bank, which has already given its approval to the project, analyze the complaint it received from various indigenous communities in six municipalities in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in relation to the damage the park will cause to their lifestyle and to nature.

Sosa called again for the development of dialogue and consultation processes so that the indigenous peoples and communities can make the best decisions about their development, without pressure from business or police.

See Spanish original

Posted by Reed Brundage at Mexico Voices

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