THIS PRONOUNCEMENT IS ON THE EVICTION OF THE TRIQUI ENCAMPMENT AND THE USE OF PUBLIC FORCE AGAINST THE TRIQUIS AND OTOMIS COMPAÑERAS RESIDING IN MEXICO CITY AND MEMBERS OF THE CARAVAN FOR WATER AND FOR LIFE.
Mexico City, April 25th, 2022
We, the undersigned publicly denounce the Mexico City government, who today attacked and continue attacking our compañeras and compañeros from the encampment of the displaced families from the Triqui community of Tierra Blanca, Oaxaca, the Otomí community -both residing in Mexico City-, and members of the Caravan for Water and for Life: United Peoples Against Dispossession, as well as media accompaniments, students and supporters of the peoples’ struggles.
In the early morning hours of April 25th, the encampment located in Bellas Artes that housed families of the Triqui people, displaced by the violence of Tierra Blanca Oaxaca, was evicted by the police, under the pretext of relocation. It should be noted that the compañeras have maintained the sit-in for more than a year demanding the possibility of returning to their place of origin. Their situation of vulnerability due to forced displacement was even recognized by the National Human Rights Commission (recommendation 36/2022). What the authorities called “relocation” was eviction to a property in deplorable conditions, which threatened their safety and dignity.
A commission from the Caravan for Water and Life: United Peoples Against Dispossession, composed of people from different indigenous communities and observers from national and international media, came to show solidarity with the Triqui community. However, starting at 12pm on April 25th, they were prevented from leaving by hundreds of forces of the supposedly extinct SWAT corps. Compañerxs have been beaten, mocked and have been denied an explanation as to why they are being prevented from free movement, which has turned into a political kidnapping misnamed “encapsulation”.
The compañeras, including minors and older adults, have not eaten, they have not drank water, they have not been able to go to the bathroom, they have not received explanations about this encapsulation.
We consider that these facts are evidence of the profound racism of all levels of government. Not only have they turned a deaf ear to the just demands of the Triqui, Otomí and all the indigenous peoples that make up the Caravan for Water and for Life, but now they use public force to subdue them and deny their basic rights, such as free transit.
We demand that governments at all levels guarantee the physical integrity of the retained compañeros, that their rights to organize and free transit be respected, as well as that attention be paid to their just demands.
In addition, we demand accountability for the operations of April 25th, as well as punishment for those who have orchestrated this violation of rights.
Signatories
To send signatures caravanaporelaguaylavida@gmail.com
1 SWAT is being used here as a translation for cuerpos de granaderos, a tactical police emergency response team used in Mexico. The cuerpos de granaderos like in the SWAT teams in the U.S. use military tactics and equipment for riot control.