Mexico: Indigenous community stands up to gangs, illegal loggers

A Purepecha community is standing up to organized criminal gangs in the state of Michoacan, western Mexico.

On April 15, Purepechas from the indigenous community of Cherán detained a group of five loggers who were attempting to transport illegally-logged timber from their land.

Hoping to turn the loggers in, the Purepechas later informed local authorities about what had happened. But, two hours after doing so, a police car arrived in the community with two pick-ups that were occupied by more than a dozen heavily-armed men.

The armed men proceeded to open fire on the community, seriously injuring one person, Eugenio Sánchez Tiandón, who was shot in the head and remains in a coma.

Following the attack, the Purepecha, with few other options, declared an emergency “state of siege” and closed off all access points to the community.

The self-imposed state of siege is ongoing.

According to a May 5 report by Amnesty International, on April 23, “the community presented the five illegal loggers to representatives of the Federal Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) along with 140 complaints from residents.”

Four days later, another group of illegal loggers tried to gain access to the community; but they, too, were stopped by the Purepecha.

Unfortunately, the community came under fire once more–only this time, the armed men didn’t have a police escort. Two community members, Pedro Juárez Urbina and Armando Hernández Estrada, were killed in the attack.

It has been over three weeks since the two Purepecha men were killed on April 27; however, the community reports that warnings of reprisals have been sent to community leaders by the armed gang, which is believed to have ties to the main drug cartel in Michoacan.

According to the very latest reports on the “Cheran rebellion” as it’s been labelled by the press, the Mexican government has sent troops and federal police to patrol the outskirts of the community; something the Purepecha had been calling for since the state of siege began. But it remains to be see if they’ll actually do anything.

Providing some background, a community spokesperson recently told reporters that Cheran has been under attack for the past three years. Speaking on the condition that he remain anonymous, the spokesperson said that, since 2008, a total of nine people have been killed and five others have been disappeared.

In that same amount of time, Illegal loggers have deforested nearly 80 percent of the region’s 30,000-acre forest. “But during the past year, the groups seem to be supported by organized crime groups,” the spokesperson said.

In light of the ongoing state of siege and the clear need for justice in Cheran, Amnesty International asks you to PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language to support the Purepecha:

• Call for the federal authorities to ensure that residents of Cherán are protected from attacks and threats by criminal gangs acting in collusion with local authorities and that the community has access to food and basic services during the protest;
• Call for a full, impartial and prompt investigation into the attack on Cherán by armed men and municipal police on 15 and 27 April, for the results to be made public and for those responsible to be brought to justice;
• Ensure full and impartial investigation of the complaints of killings, enforced disappearance, threats and illegal logging filed by the community members and ensure those responsible are held to account.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 JUNE 2011 TO:

Minister of the Interior
Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora
Secretario, Sec. de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez,
Delegación Cuauhtémoc,
México D.F., C.P. 06600,
MÉXICO
Fax: +52 55 30032900 ext. 32356
Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado
Señor Secretario

Governor of Michoacan State
Mtro. Leonel Godoy Rangel
Gobernador del Estado de Michoacán
Palacio de Gobierno
1er. Patio planta alta, Av. Madero Poniente No. 63, Morelia C.P, 58000
Estado de Michoacán,
MEXICO
Fax: +52 443 322 90 73
E-mail: lgodoy@michoacan.gob.mx
Salutation: Dear Governor/Estimado Gobernador

Secretary for Public Security
Lic. Genaro García Luna
Secretaría de Seguridad Pública
Constituyentes n° 947, edif. “B” planta
Col. Belén de las Flores, México D.F., C.P. 01110,
MÉXICO
Fax: +52 55 1103 6189
Email: genaro.garcia@ssp.gob.mx
Salutation, Dear Minister/ Estimado Secretario

Copies to: Asociación Nacional de Abogados Democraticos: anadmexico@yahoo.com.mx.

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
Ambassade des Etats-Unis du Mexique
Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 94
1050 Bruxelles
eMail: embamex@embamex.eu
Fax 02.644.08.19