Michoacán Communities Will Not Permit the Installation of Voting Stations

This following translation discusses how communities in Michoacan will not allow the construction of voting booths in their territories, as the communities have declared autonomy from the State.

Translation reads:

The Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán, an autonomous and non-party council that struggles for the free self-determination, self-government and autonomy of Indigenous communities, made up of the communities of Santa Fe de la Laguna, Naranja de Tapia, Tirindaro, Zirahuén, Santa Ana, Agua Verde, Caltzontzin, San Ángel Zurumucapio, Capácuaro, Corupo, Angahuan, Jicalán, Urapicho, Aranza, Sevina, Arantepacua, Cheran Atzicurín, San Felipe de los Herreros, Cocucho, Sicuicho, Pamatácuaro, San Antonio Tierras Blancas, San Benito, Cuanajo, Huecorio, San Andrés Tziróndaro, Zopoco, Carapan, Ichán, Cherato, Cheratillo, Oruscato, 18 de Marzo, Apo del Rosario, Rancho Seco, Tomendan y Tahuejo, represented in the present statement by the liaison committee that signs and seals the document, we together declare the following:

In 2004, the Indigenous communities of Nurío, Quinceo, Urapicho and Cheran Atzicuín through a decision made in their respective community assemblies and in the context of official discrimination, did not permit the installation of voting stations. Afterwards, in 2001 the community of Cheran derivative of a process of forest defense, also decided not to allow the placement of voting stations and to elect their authorities by uses and customs. Then, in the last electoral cycle of 2015, in different social movements and for different causes, all generated by the incapacity of the Mexican state to resolve the conditions of poverty, marginalization, security and discrimination of Indigenous communities, the communities of Pichátaro, San Felipe de los Herreros, Urapicho and the united communities of Cherato, Cheratillo, Oruscato and 18 de Marzo, did not consent to the installation of polling stations.

The Indigenous communities, and among them the P’urhépecha maintain a long history of struggle, resistance and dignity of more than 525 years.  We remember the battles against the colonial system of Pedro Soria Armola, the struggles of Casimiro Leco for the defense of the forests, the battles for the earth of Primo Tapia, the defense of the earth and communal work of Elpidio Domínguez, the battles for autonomy of Juan Chávez, among many other historical references.

In this historical context of struggle and resistance of Indigenous communities, we inform the institution that you represent, that we will not permit the installation of voting stations for the federal and state electoral processes, in the communities of Aranza, Zopoco, Santa Fe de la Laguna, Sevina, Urapicho and San Felipe de los Herreros and San Benito as a concrete expression of our right to free self-determination and autonomy.  This right is based in articles 8 and 9 of the ILO Convention 169, articles 3 and 4 of the Declaration of the United Nations regarding the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, article 2 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican State and article 3 of the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo.

Likewise, we hereby inform the presidents of all political parties, regardless of color or affiliations, that in the communities in question, we will not permit any act or action of electoral propaganda or proselytizing. 

Lastly, we inform the INE and IEM, as well as the government of Michoacán and the Federal Government, that if they insist on installing the voting stations in the communities already mentioned, we will carry out mobilizations in all of our communities through the taking of roads, before, during and after the election days.  We thus call on you to respect the decisions that the general assemblies have taken in our communities.

Liaison Committee

CSIM

Translated from the original here.