"La Tierra, es Nuestra Esperanza; La Resistencia al Plan Puebla Panama, Mexico"

(Premio a la Defensa de los Derechos de los pueblos Indigenas durante el VII Festival Internacional de Los Pueblos Indigenas, realizado en Walpu, Chile en el 2004)

Este video se enfoca en la problematica que enfrentan las comunidades indigenas de la region del Istmo de Tehuantepec, en relacion a la construccion de la Supercarretera Oaxaca-Istmo-Huatulco y es presentada en el contexto de las movilizaciones de resitencia junto con otros pueblos indigenas y campesinos contra el Plan Puebla Panama, el area de Libre Comercio de las Americas y la Organizacion Mundial del Comercio, manifestada en Cancun, Mexico del 9 al 14 de Septiembre del 2003.

"Nuestra Lucha Por Vivir, Construyendo Alternativas Para los Pueblos"

Este video muestra la lucha de los pueblos indigenas del Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, en el sur de Mexico, por construir alternativas de desarollo comunitario, frente a la marginacion economica y cultural agudizada por la economia global. Los testimonios e imagines de este video, son como una ventana donde podemos ver que hay otros mundos posibles.

ADONDE: 425 W. 11th St.(en la esquina con Hope) en Los Angeles, CA WHERE

CUANDO: Sabado-11 de Febrero 2006 WHEN

HORA: 6:30 pm HOUR

H A B R A C O M I D A .... M U S I C A Y DESDE OAXACA....DISCUSION CON LA PRODUCTORA
BERTHA RODRIGUEZ

PARA MAS INFORMACION (323) 829-4135

SPONSORED BY
COMITE PRO-DEMOCRACIA EN MEXICO

During the '03 WTO protests in Cancun, I had the opportunity to meet a small group of farmers from Oaxaca -- decedents of the indigenous tribes who had practiced & passed down their trade since the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. The name itself, "Oaxaca", I learned, was derived from a word in one of the native dialects, meaning, "land of the seed".

I was surprised to learn that, unlike most of the foreign protesters, and those who had bussed in from the cities, the 20 or so farmers from Oaxaca held political views very similar to my own free-market views. They wanted to maintain communal ownership of the land they worked -- not the usual capitalist model for sure, but not incompatible with it either.

What they wanted most, though, was exactly what I was there protesting for -- REAL free trade; and an end to the US & EU subsidies that make it impossible for them to sell their goods for a reasonable price in the open market. Farm subsidies might seem like a domestic issue to most Americans, but when the borders are opened and Mexican farmers find themselves competing with US farmers backed by billions of dollars of subsidies, it sure feels like an international one to them.
Despite their communitarian leanings, we worked out wording for a flyer that both groups could put their names on, to be printed in Spanish & English, & to be handed out by Bureaucrash activists & the Oaxacan farmers. They were happy to have access to another way to spread their message, and we were happy to have the help of 20 additional activists to help spread ours -- that regulations, protectionist policies, tariffs, subsidies, and all the other barriers to free-trade (both those imposed by the WTO, and those being called for by the other protesters), hurt the very people that they're supposed to be helping.

Personally, I was also endlessly entertained by the looks on the other protesters faces when they realized that the very people they thought they were there to help, were handing them flyers supporting free trade…but that was just an added bonus ;)

I've included the text of our flyer below, in both Spanish and English. I think it's important to be aware of what the Oxacan people were saying on the scene, regardless of what they may or may not be saying in this film.

sh(A)ne
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Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca
“Ricardo Flores Magon”

Enemigos de la injusticia

El gobierno debe dejar de robarnos nuestras tierras!
Demandamos respeto para nuestros derechos de propiedad comunitaria!

Tradicionalmente y a lo largo del tiempo la propiedad de la tierra le ha pertenecido a la gente de un modo communal y queremos mantener ese derecho de propiedad, tener control sobre ella y beneficiarse de ella, no que el gobierno se beneficie de ella!

La gente de Oaxaca y de todo el pais debe tener la libertad de ponerle precio a los productos que venden y no que lo haga el gobierno mexicano o los burocratas de la OMC!

No es justo que ellos nos digan que no podemos vender nuestros productos a personas en otros lugares que quieren comprarlos bajo las condiciones que la OMC y los gobiernos de Mexico y de otras naciones nos imponen.

No es justo que los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y de Europa subsidien a corporaciones multinacionales para ayudarles a vender maiz, frijol, leche y otros productos. Como puede competir loa pequenos contra esto?

Este sistema no es libre comercio verdadero. No estamos pidiendo subsidios para nosotros mismos, solo queremos tener las mismas ventajas que todos.

Les pedimos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas de la comunidad internacional que han venido aqui a la conferencia o a protestar contra la OMC que le digan al mundo entero que no estamos en contra del libre comercio, simplemente queremos tener la misma oportunidad de para alcansar una vida digna.
Nuestra tierra no esta en venta !!!!

Este es un servicio publico de sus amigos de Bureaucrash.com
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Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca
“Ricardo Flores Magon”

Enemies of Injustice

Government must stop stealing our land!
We demand respect for our property rights!

The people who live on the land and have traditionally owned this property on a communal basis must control the land and profit from it – not any government!

The people of Oaxaca and all of Mexico must be free to set their own prices for the things that they sell and not have this dictated to them by the Mexican government or WTO bureaucrats!

It is not fair for them to tell us that we cannot sell our products across borders to other people who want to buy them unless we meet certain conditions.

It is not fair that the governments of the United States and Europe give subsidies to corporations to help them sell their corn, beans, soy, milk, and other products. How can ordinary people compete?

This system is not real free trade. We aren’t asking for subsidies for ourselves, just a level playing field.

We ask our brothers and sisters in the international community who have come here for the conference or to protest against the WTO to tell the world that we are not against free trade – we simply want the opportunity to make money just like other people.

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A public service of Bureaucrash.com