SIEGE commoners Cher, MICHOACAN
Gloria Muñoz Ramírez
Posted in Day on Saturday, April 30, 2011.
Cheran The Indian community in the heart of the Meseta Purépecha of Michoacán, is under siege. Groups of loggers, backed by heavily armed (AK-47) of Capacuaro, and Rancho Santa Cruz Tanac Morelos, remain blocked access to the community, as residents have placed barricades around to protect against attacks that have been victims in recent years, which escalated this week.
Right now no one enters or leaves the community, for fear of being killed or kidnapped by groups that protect the loggers. Last Wednesday was shot to death commoners and Armando Urbina Pedro Hernández Juárez Estrada, just as they tried to peacefully prevent a convoy of vehicles Tanac from attaining its objective of cutting down forests, and plundering the wood, activity carried out systematically since 2008.
The town of Cheran is organized and determined to defend their forests and arable land. Determined also to ensure the safety of its inhabitants and continue planting in the little land they still retain. So far it has been devastated about 80 percent of its forests, while 70 percent of its arable land is abandoned for fear of being attacked at planting.
A delegation of villagers from Cheran who arrived Friday to Mexico City to solicit support Human rights organizations reported that loggers operate in complicity or indifference of the federal, state and local levels, who have done nothing to stop the destruction of its resources.
Before the accumulation of aggressions by the loggers, the April 15 community members decided to start to stop themselves. The straw that broke the camel, they tell the farmers was that they knocked down trees in the spring that historically caters to the community. Since that time the conflict escalated to the point of killing two classmates and one wounded.
Cheran forested areas is a of life for the region, and although the loggers have devoured quickly to profit from pine, oak, oak and fir forests, the villagers defend what little remains of this forest that supplies the rivers Duero, Cupatitzio, Tzarárakua and Lake Patzcuaro .
The situation is untenable. The community needs food relief, because the embargo prevents supply stores. "Our struggle is for the preservation of life" , say the villagers.
Videos about the struggle of the villagers from Cheran:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1t4b-msjYA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCAi_EI -j0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7YixnpHYNM&feature=player_embedded
Purépecha people RISES AGAINST CRIMINAL
Cher Sick of the murders, extortion , disappearances and kidnappings carried out by organized crime groups linked to La Familia Michoacana past three years, more than 15 thousand inhabitants of Cheran have resorted to self-defense. Wednesday May 4, 2011 Alberto Torres / Sent
The Cher
Universalestados@eluniversal.com.mx High to organized crime , reads a banner on Independence Street, the main town. The fires still burning. Sounding rockets. It's 9:00 am and no change of guards. So communicate because sometimes, when "bad guys" know that there press, cut Internet connections and cell phone. No phone signal.
Sick of the murders, extortions, abductions and kidnappings carried out by organized crime groups linked to La Familia Michoacana past three years, more than 15 thousand inhabitants of Cheran have resorted to self-defense.
last 18 days imposed a "state of siege" . All the streets are covered with logs, rocks, fires and cars. At checkpoints, there are children, women and men armed with sticks, stones, machetes and pipes. "Right now here in all we care. So now we feel safe, but outside of town do we expect " says one resident.
"To all who are in front, the leaders, who complain: the kill. That's why all the people have decided to leave to defend. All we ask is justice. And we will not stay silent, we will fight and if necessary give our lives ", secondary angry a villager.
Cheran is located in the heart Purépecha region of Michoacán, a few miles from Uruapan. To get there, must overcome the roadblocks that in other circumstances surrounding towns have placed loggers trying to prevent the arrival of this community. It is also necessary to enter and leave public transport without attracting the attention of vigilante organized crime.
"Fuera El Guero and The Black" , people screaming in the streets. Guero is Cuitlahuac Hernandez, placed as the leader of a cell Family operating in the Purépecha region and that the directions of Tapacuacho know him as El Chivo . Since childhood, according to testimony, was devoted to the cultivation of marijuana and began to steal, "but no one stopped" .
El Guero now traveling in a beige Cheyenne truck, escorted by armed men. He lives in Rancho Seco Morelos. "All I know, even the authorities, but no one touches. The government and drug traffickers have allied and we are up to the mother " says one of those charged with first catch on the side of Uruapan, with ax. The Black is
Chapina Roberto Bautista, the mayor of Cheran, extraction PRI, whom they accuse of not doing enough to maintain security. For this situation, two years ago the city government is almost dissolved and the mayor dispatched entrenched in their offices. They say busy to grant an interview.
POLICE IGNORED
According to the testimonies of merchants, in the few shops that remain open and tortilla, extortion came to 10 pesos a month. In addition, organized crime carried out kidnappings and charged for protection, entered the village armed trucks and police did nothing, they say.
The Army, Navy and Federal Police do not patrol here despite calls that I have done, say the villagers. In the main square, neighbors have an altar in memory of the nine people have been killed in defense of this population and loggers destroying the forests that are protected by organized crime groups.
front of the church has mounted an exhibition of photographs of the community and the forest, before and after the arrival of the loggers and organized crime, and have signs that say: "Cheran requires the presence of Army. "
"We want no more missing or more murders. We want everyone to return to our work and schools. We have lost the security that the state should provide us. Where is the president and the government ", says a woman at a rally.
Cheran has about 16 000 inhabitants according to INEGI, but villagers say they are more than 20 thousand, because there are many who have migrated to the United States. That
migrant community, which called "the little ones Shariah" , funded in part this resistance movement, they send money and supplies, and a bilingual website (micheran.com) upload videos and information about the problem.
"Organized crime has infiltrated all the villages near Cheran, even here there are hawks. We have no guarantee of safety. So we asked the president to give us security, please send the Army, Navy, Federal Police but have not sent anyone ", insists one of the leaders.
municipal police patrol is prohibited and has been dissolved, as are those who claim that protect organized crime and illegal loggers. Now each of the four quarters in Cheran has its own police force that monitors public streets.
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