PRESS RELEASE: COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES OF ALVARO OBREGON REQUEST ACCREDITATION FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF OAXACA.

ASSEMBLY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE ISTHMUS IN DEFENSE OF THE LAND AND TERRITORY

PRESS RELEASE

COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES OF ALVARO OBREGON REQUEST ACCREDITATION FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF OAXACA.

On January 14, 2014, the indigenous community council of the Colony of Álvaro Obregón, Juchitán, based on the specifications in Articles 2, Section A, subsections II and III, 8 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, Articles 16, 19, and 25 Section A, subsection II, and 79 last paragraph of the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, this January 14, 2014 we appeal to the General Secretary of the Government of Oaxaca to request the issuance of our respective ACCREDITATIONS as municipal authorities in the respective posts that were conferred on us by the General Assembly of the citizens of our Municipal Agency, held on December 8, 2013, to exercise these functions during the years 2014 to 2016.

In this regard it is important to note that in the year 2013, in the General Assembly of citizens held on August 10, the Municipal Agency decided to conduct the election of its Municipal Authorities under the regime of Internal Normative Systems, given that historically the authorities in the agency have been imposed from the Municipal seat of Juchitán de Zaragoza by the incumbent municipal authorities, regardless of political party. They have all ignored our position as citizens and have always imposed the Authorities, therefore we consider that this cannot continue in this manner, that we all have the right to vote and be voted for in the election of our authorities. For that reason, in various assemblies conducted in our community we have taken important decisions regarding our community life:

FIRST: Our Municipal Agency of Álvaro Obregón is an indigenous community under the terms established by Article 2 of the Federal Constitution, the Law on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the State of Oaxaca, and Article 1 of Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in independent countries. This is so because we conserve almost the totality of our economic, political, social, and cultural institutions, among others, inherited from our ancestors who lived in the territory which we currently occupy since before the establishment of the current state borders. Moreover, this is so because all of us individually and collectively self-identify as Zapotec indigenous people of the Isthmus, and consequently we identify ourselves as a Zapotec indigenous community.

SECOND: We unanimously adopt the decision that the General Assembly of Citizens should have the character of the highest authority in our community, and function as such in a permanent manner. Similarly we declare that with the recent conflict experienced due to the intention of the Mareña Renovables firm to impose a wind energy park in Barra Santa Teresa, we have realized that when an Assembly of citizens does not exist, the authorities make decisions capriciously and contrary to the interests of the people.

THIRD: In light of this situation, availing ourselves of the right of free determination that the community has and the rights of indigenous peoples established in Article 2 of the Federal Constitution, we determine that our community falls under the conditions for a change of regime for the election of our authorities, changing from Political Parties to the Regime of Indigenous Normative Systems as recognized in the Constitution and the laws of our State. This decision will allow all the citizens of this Municipal Agency to elect our authorities or to be elected to the positions of Authority in our town, which is nothing other than the autonomy that is constitutionally recognized under rights governed by Article 1 of the Constitution.

FOURTH: As an indigenous community under the terms established by Article 2 of the Federal Constitution and Article 1 of Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization, we have conducted the General Assembly of citizens on December 8, 2013 to designate the municipal public servants who will exercise their functions during the three-year 2014-2016 period, who are listed below:

COMMUNITY AGENT	C. ODELIO LOPEZ VICENTE
DEPUPTY COMMUNITY AGENT	C. JUAN MARTÍNEZ JIMENEZ
ADMINISTRATOR	C. ROQUE SANTIAGO SÁNCHEZ
SECRETARY	C. JOSE SANTIAGO GUTIERREZ
TREASURER	C. ADELITA GUERRA VICENTE
FIRST JUDGE	C. EUSTACIO GOMEZ VICENTE
SECOND JUDGE	C. JESUS HERRAN MONTERO
PUBLIC WORKS	C. MARIANO TRINIDAD LOPEZ
HEALTH	C. VIRGILIO SANTIAGO REGALADO
EDUCATION	C. VICTORIANO CHARIS VASQUEZ
SPORTS	C. FERNANDO LOPEZ VASQUEZ
MUNICIPAL SERVICES	C. CESAR LUIS VASQUEZ
FISHERIES	C. EDUARDO TOLEDO OROZCO
ECOLOGY	C.ANTONIO VASQUEZ GOMEZ

FIFTH: We have also determined that no Authority will be recognized who has not been elected by our highest internal authority, the General Assembly of citizens. And that if there is any attempt to disregard our sovereign decision on the part of any level of government, we will take it as a provocation to our community which we will defend at any cost.

Indigenous community authorities of Álvaro Obregón in defense of our territory!

Assembly of Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defense of the Land and Territory

The land is NOT sold, it is LOVED and DEFENDED.