Denunciation of State Repression in Apatlaco, Morelos

Submitted to It’s Going Down

The members of the coordination of the permanent seminar “Mundo Rurales: Tierra, Territoria y Territorialidades” reject and condemn the attack by the leadership of the state of Morelos against the people of Apatlco, part of the municipality of Ayala. The attack began with a six-hour clash in which the police used tear gas against campesinxs of Ayala resulting in the violent and arbitrary detention of 14 people and multiple injuries.

The people of Apatlaco strongly oppose, together with other peoples of Morelos, the implementation of Plan Integral Morelos (PIM) that consists of four major works that would damage the diversity of social and environment coexistence in the zone in the east of the state of Morelos. A water aqueduct 12 km long that would take the water of Apatlaco, Cuautla and other communities; a gas pipeline 160 km long that would go through Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, passing by Jantetelco and Amilcingo; a line of high power towers 20km long; and a combined cycle thermoelectric plant in the community of Santa Cruz Huexca. Adding to all of this is the opposition to the expansion of the highway La Pera-Cuautla in Tepoztlan.

The PIM has for four years been forcefully implemented and the government of the state has continually refused to respect the decision of the people that reject the project in their communities and in the state. The PIM is an example of the neoliberal politics, lies, and repression of the government of the state of Morelos, consistent with the politics of the federal government.

During four years of resistance, the people of Morelos have maintained their resistance, convinced that the PIM will not bring benefits to them and their families, will not bring benefits to the country, but will only benefit the transnational companies that are behind this package of megaprojects: Elecnor, Abengoa, Bonatti and Enagas, using the same facade of the CFE in “improving the energy of the country.” In change, the implementation of the PIM will bring grave environmental consequences (without mentioning the gas pipeline will be built over a zone of high volcanic risk) and the social consequences that have already affected the organization of the different communities of Morelos.

Within this context we demand:

Stop the repression and criminalization of protest and social struggle in Morelos and all of Mexico!

Liberty to all of those detained in the conflict yesterday August 30, 2016 in Apatlaco!

Respect to the decision of the people!

No to the expansion of the highway in Tepoztlan!

No to thermoelectricity in Huexca!

No to the integral project of Morelos!

Coordination of the permanent seminar: Mundos Rurales: Tierrra, Territorio y Territorialidades

Poorly translated from Mundo Rurales: Tierra, Territorio y Territorialidades