Indigenous Kumiai Land and Water Defender Assassinated in Baja California

Communique from the National Indigenous Congress denouncing the assassination of Óscar Eyraud Adams, Indigenous Kumiai land and water defender from Baja California

 

To the Indigenous Governing Council

To the National Indigenous Congress

On September 24th, a commando of more than a dozen hired assassins killed Óscar Eyraud Adams, an Indigenous Kumiai defender of water, land and life from Tecate, Baja California. The assassins moved freely in the area. They entered his home, shot him, and fled without anyone bothering them.

Our compañero, Óscar Eyraud Adams, was a social fighter for the rights of Indigenous peoples and an organizer in solidarity with struggles across the country. His current actions were focused on the defense of water and land. He struggled for the self-determination of the Kumiai people, and for the use of water concessions that the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) had negated them. Óscar was willing to struggle until that goal was accomplished.

He was assassinated by the narco-state in Tecate, Baja California. None of this would have occurred without the complicity of state authorities. The impunity enjoyed by these criminals can only occur because of the open collusion between the government and capitalists.

The Kumiai tribe, the original inhabitants of these lands, have survived a war of extermination for more than 500 years. They have conserved their traditions, language and knowledge rooted in these lands. Now, they continue being persecuted by the state, which is uprooting the youth who struggle for self-determination for their people, for life and for territory. Money is the only thing that matters to the narco-state. The large businesses and facilities have water so that they can continue to fatten their wallets at the cost of our land. Meanwhile, for the Kumiai, there are bullets and false accusations. This is not the first time that this has happened. We remember the case of Aurora Meza, who was unjustly imprisoned a few years ago. Her imprisonment damaged her health considerably, eventually costing her life.

We demand an end to the extermination of the Kumiai tribe, of the defenders of land and life. Given that extermination and death are exercised in many forms: sometimes with cowardly bullets in the case of Óscar, others times by false accusations, other times by unjustly imprisoning activists. The negation of the right to water, life and territory, are just different forms of the same plan of extermination.

Sincerely,

Northwest National Indigenous Congress

Northwest Regional Network of Resistances and Rebellions