Purépecha Communities in Michoacán Prevented Two Consultation Forums on the General Law on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples
Purépecha communities in Michoacán prevented two consultation forums for the General Law on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples, promoted by the Federal Government and scheduled for Sunday morning in the municipal seat of Pátzcuaro and in the community of Cheranástico, municipality of Paracho.
The communities of Cañada de los Once Pueblos and the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán (CSIM) had previously spoken out against the organization of these forums, questioning, among other aspects, that the format does not correspond to that of a prior, free, and informed consultation and, above all, lacks a binding nature to ensure that the proposals presented are actually addressed.
Members of the Supreme Indigenous Council arrived at the forum that was scheduled to take place in Pátzcuaro at nine in the morning to prevent the proceedings from taking place. The council brings together communities from the Purépecha, Otomí, Matlatzinca, Nahuatl, and Afro-Mexican peoples.
“The consultation is simulated, since it is not culturally appropriate because the customs and traditions of the communities are not respected, as the highest authority of the peoples, which is the General Assembly, is not consulted; it is limited to forums that do not even respect the communities’ schedules and procedures,” the Council accused in a statement released as part of the day’s mobilization.
It also condemned the fact that the forums are presented as “a consultation” that does not comply with international standards on Indigenous matters, “since it is in no way possible to explain, analyze, comment on, and debate 453 articles during one day or during the five hours that the forums last on average.”
In Cheranástico, residents of Cañada de los Once Pueblos were present once the forum was about to begin at ten in the morning. There, they removed the banner bearing the event’s official insignia and demanded the organization of “a genuine consultation.”
They recalled that on September 30, 2024, the reform to Article 2 of the Constitution was decreed, granting Congress 180 days to issue the secondary laws; however, “President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo presented the initiative after 637 days had elapsed, that is, on June 29,” which shortened the time available for communities to be consulted and to analyze the proposal.
“We find it perverse that they intend for all the Indigenous peoples of Mexico to learn about and analyze this initiative within 38 days,” members of Cañada stated in a position paper they made public on Saturday during a press conference held in Cherán.
The Indigenous communities in Michoacán accuse the initiative of representing a setback compared with previously won rights, along with a double discourse from political actors, “who turn to the communities during campaigns, but afterward exclude them from their agendas.”
Source: proceso
