Oaxaca communal defenders block Morena assembly, cite government neglect

Residents of Santa María Chimalapa in Oaxaca prevented a political assembly organized by a local Morena legislator, citing government abandonment of their land defense efforts.

Jesús Esteva González, president of the Zoque communal leaders, stated that the assembly, promoted by local deputy Oliver López García, was not allowed to proceed in Santa María Chimalapa. He asserted that the governments led by Salomón Jara and Claudia Sheinbaum have "turned their backs" on the Chimalapas' fight.

Esteva González emphasized that defending their sovereignty means protecting communal lands and territories from illegal logging. He accused López García, who hails from Santa María Petapa, a community with whom Chimalapas have an ongoing land dispute, of obstructing legal resources presented before agrarian tribunals.

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The defense of sovereignty is the defense of communal lands, it is the defense of the territory against illegal loggers, defending sovereignty is not siding with those who put obstacles to the legal resources that are presented before the agrarian tribunals.

The communal leaders claim that since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Oaxaca in a constitutional dispute over 160,000 hectares against Chiapas, successive governments, including those of AMLO, Sheinbaum, and Jara, have been "conspiring against the Chimalapas." They allege that all legal actions filed by the community are being dismissed by authorities, pushing the people to defend their lands, forests, jungles, and rivers by their own means.

Earlier on Sunday, a group of Zoque communal members positioned themselves at the entrance of Santa María Chimalapa to prevent the arrival of Morena supporters led by López García, who ultimately did not approach the area.

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All legal acts that the Chimalapas have presented before the agrarian tribunals are dismissed by the authorities and they are pushing the people to defend their lands, their forests, jungles and rivers with their own hands.