A group of community members from Santa María Huatulco has set up a blockade at the intersection that connects federal highway 200 with that municipality, as well as Puerto Escondido and Salina Cruz, in protest against a new decree that, they say, puts their lands and livelihoods at risk.
The citizen mobilization has been carried out with the support of the inhabitants of the towns of Bajos de Coyula, Bajos del Arenal, Boca Vieja, Derramadero and other nearby settlements, where products such as corn, papaya and lemon are grown. “In Huatulco, people have already realized that they are making us, our lands, something that the Huatulqueños do not deserve,” said one protester.
Blockade has not affected tourism
The protesters expressed their concern about the possibility that the project, which covers more than 2,800 hectares, will affect their properties and deprive them of the benefits they obtain from the land.
Although the blockade has not affected the arrival of tourists to the Huatulco Bays so far, the community members warn that they will continue the protest until they obtain guarantees that their lands will not be expropriated.
The inhabitants of the area have denounced that the new decree represents a threat to their traditional way of life, based on agriculture and fishing. In addition, they fear that the project could generate a negative environmental impact in the region.
Given this situation, the authorities have been called upon to engage in dialogue with the community members and seek a solution that guarantees the rights of the inhabitants of the area. So far, no meeting between the parties has been reported.
The community members have called on society in general to show solidarity with their cause and to demand that their right to land be respected. They have also requested the support of civil and human rights organizations to make their struggle visible.
Source: tvazteca
