Mexico: “Like Water, We Search for New Pathways”

This communique comes from the General Assembly of Peoples, Neighborhoods, Communities and Pedregales of Coyoacán. It addresses their recent decision to remove the resistance encampment in front of the real estate project at Aztecas Avenue #215 in the south of Mexico City. As they make clear, the decision to remove the encampment is not one of surrender, but rather one in recognition of the necessity to search for new strategies and pathways in this specific struggle for water and life against capitalism.

Fourteen months have passed in the encampment at Aztecas Avenue #215 where, with dignity, during the day and night, we have listened to, cared for and defended the fresh water spring that keeps beating beneath the stone of our Pedregales of Coyoacán.

Never before have so many neighborhoods united to defend our territory and its veins; the sacred water that gives us life.

Also, never before have so many dignified and exemplary struggles of the country and world stepped foot on our soil and offered their presence to the fresh water spring.

You all are those struggles and compañeros, you all who have passed through this encampment. With you all we have shared not only bread, but joy, pain, courage and impotence of which the struggle has produced. With you all we have learned to continue raising the star of hope, and the consciousness that flows from the spring. This encampment was a place of encounter, a space to conspire, create, discuss, learn, propose, organize…and although the possibility of a violent eviction like what happened December 5^th, 2016 weighed down on us, we decided to endure because we know that are struggle is just and honest.

Today the tone is less dramatic, yet still painful: we have decided to remove the encampment with dignity.

The encampment was a resource of our struggle, another weapon against this bad government. It was a weapon against those who do not respect nor love our waters, our birds, our trees and our flowers. It was a weapon against an ecodical and murderous real estate company, against incompetent, useless and corrupt public authorities who have done nothing more than enrich themselves at the cost of the work and pain of the people and the environment. Against them, we must continue the struggle and continue to organize. New weapons will see the light of day.

We will defend, like we have defended until now, our principles, our ideals, our territory and this fresh water spring that belongs to the people. All of which comes from of our heart, our thoughts, our actions. Nothing can separate us from this journey, because we are like the water that always searches for and finds new pathways from which to resist.

Thus, we invite you all to the Assembly of Water on November 9^th at 5pm, at Aztecas Avenue #215 to continue creating and strengthening the pathways of organization and resistance.

Water is life and life must always be defended!

General assembly of Peoples, Neighborhoods, Communities and Pedregales of Coyoacán