Mexico & Nafta - 10 February 2004

Two human rights groups, the Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de la Casas and the Red de Defensores Comunitarios, made their accusation on 3 February. They claimed that the government was backing what they called a new offensive against indigenous peoples, and that the forced movement of 10 indigenous communities from a 332,000 hectare reserve in the jungle along the Guatemalan border was part of this offensive. The state government said that this is nonsense: it pointed out that the removal of the communities was entirely peaceful and was handled by the federal environmental agency, Profepa, with the support of the army.  

The human-rights activists say that the removal was insensitive because the communities were moved back to the places from which they had fled. The activities claimed that the Indians were now being subjected to the same sort of threats which had forced them to flee. They claim that the paramilitaries spent most nights firing guns at frightened Indians.

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