Mr. Emilio González Márquez
Governor of Estate of Jalisco, México.
Mayors of the metropolitana area of Guadalajara:
Guadalajara, Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz
Zapopan, Héctor Vielma Ordoñez
Tlaquepaque, Miguel Castro Reynoso
Tonalá, Juan Antonio Mateos Nuño
Tlajomulco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez
El Salto, Gerardo González Díaz
Officer of the Federal Enviroment:
1. The causes that drive us to be sensitive to this situation are:
With all our respect, we like to express that we are not environmentalist, we are not considered ecologist, we are only farmers that decided to be organized and confront the attack we have received in our land to the rivers, streams, forests, farms, basic foods, animals, archeological sites, culture and traditions.
We are people that defend our land from invasion, still, and poisoning the place we live with trash, industrial garbage with residual water, and instead of plant corn buries cement in a fertile soil of the Valle and forests, we are victims from this poisoning and killing of Cuencas of Rios Blanco, Agua Prieta, Agua Zarca-Los Camachos, El Taray-La Soledad y el Arroyo Grande de Milpillas the river cities today in danger; we re prisoners of people that the land cheap and speculate with that, forgetting about food and Oxygen from subterranean water and rivers that give us life.
We don’t want to experiment in ourselves, the obligated moving like already happened in El Tempisque (indigen community of Mezquitan), because in their surrounding with deposit of toxic waste that will produce the macro plant of dead water treatment, the project of the city of your government.
The fakes project of “Development of progress”. Make an impact in our people, families and individuals. The bad results, are showing us, that who is planning this, is authorizing, programming and controlling the future of the city of Guadalajara, they don’t show any appreciation for this house that is belong to everyone, from our mother earth, and for each step they do, like burning or cutting forests, the danger of toxic wastes and more is only an economic and politic business, the privatization of land, water and forest and denying the citizenship rights that they talk so much.
If we fight for our land our indigenous communities and small properties, conservation of identities, life, history, knowledge, natural and cultural resources and the most important to keep a life the house for everyone, without her we will not have rights to fight, food to taste, no books, no houses, language, towns, children’s and roads, without our old heritage, no women, oceans, man, nothing only dead and desolation.
2.- Who we are and what we support
The towns of Exhacienda del Laoz, San Isidro, San Esteban, San Miguel Tateposco, Copala, Mesón de Copala, Los Patios de Copala, Río Blanco, Los Camachos, San José, Paso de Guadalupe, Ixcatán, La Soledad, Huaxtla, San Lorenzo, Milpillas, El Escalón y San Cristóbal de la Barranca, that they are located North of the metropolis zone of Guadalajara in the area of River Santiago and part of Sierra Madre Occident, started most of them before the metropolis of Guadalajara zone.
This region is environmental and socially week, is an area natural protected by the government.
You Know, the reach diversity of different animals and vegetables species, the mountains, roads, cannon, archeological sites that exist in la Barranca del río Santiago, are a cultural option of ecological equilibrium for the urban population and citizens that are in the government.
At this moment and beside of public politics and government, the natural resources of de la Barranca del río Santiago are very important, because in this place they live 53 different kinds of mammals, what represent 31% of 168 species in the whole state. This number is larger than 29 species registered in the spring forest, and only is lower of the Reserves de la Biosfera de Chamela-Cuixmala and of the La sierra de Manantlán, with 70 and 110 species.
The species of mammals registered we have 7 endemics, these ones we can’t find in any part of the country, the existing ones are 2 genders (hodomys and tlacuatzin), and other 4 species with protection from the law by category: 2 felines (herpailurus yagouaroundi and leopardus pardais), and 2 kinds of bats (leptonycteris and choeroncycteris Mexican)
Beside that we have 9 species of amphibious and 34 reptiles. One of the amphibious is in danger and 9 counts with status of special protection, from the reptiles, 3 are in danger and 2 in danger of extinction.
If we talk about flora, exist 869 species, then from that 47 have an special importance due to category of endemic , unique in this site, 6 have protection, 2 are considered in danger of extinction, 2 are in danger, 1 is with special protection and 1 have status of special.
In relation with entomofauna, insect’s species that exist in the area, we have more than 200, that are part of a huge biological diversity in this region were we live and resist.
Con relación a la entomofauna, las especies de insectos existentes en la región, se han registrado más de 200, lo cual contribuye a la gran diversidad biológica de esa región en la que vivimos y resistimos.
Our people produce food for the habitants of the region: cactus verdulero, tuna, squash, chile, cilantro, lemon, lima, orange, avocado, cocuixtle red and wahite, coffee, banana, mango barranqueño, 6 kind of plums, guamuchil, guaje green and red, anona, zapote black and white, forrajes, corn and beans, medicinal plants, gualacamote, quelite, verdolaga and japites, cow , pig meet, poultry, eggs and more.
We have Traditional Doctors, midwifes, natural medicine, holistic medicine, clothes artisans, wood artisans, musicians, groups of tambora, chirimia, norteño and wind bands, dancers of tastuanes, traditional celebrations, constructions workers, teachers, professionals from a variety of institutes and public universities.
At this time of XVI Pan-American games in Guadalajara 2011.
What the city gave us back with your government? Silence and indifference, waste, garbage, industrial waste and when we have your word, we don’t have any results.
3.- To Survive
A sector committed journalists, scientists, academics and affected people we have express to the municipal authorities, state and federal, public opinion we stated about the social disaster, cultural and environmental impacts to the people of Santiago River Canyon, but so far, ecocide continues, the remedial actions are almost nonexistent and environmental damage, economic and health to our people is a debt that must be repaid.
For this reason and in accordance with Article 180 of the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection asked the intervention of the federal, state and municipal authorities, universities, institutes and academic and research centers to be the solution of the following list of demands.
I. - That will immediately stop the pollution and destruction of these basins and sub-tributaries of the Rio Santiago:
a) Rio Blanco-Cola de Caballo, affected by the drilling of deep wells, subdivisions, industrial waste, household and farms that affect the people of Río Blanco, San Esteban, Tateposco, San Isidro and Finance of the Loop.
b) Agua Prieta, the subdivisions in its western part, farms and deep wells affect the people of Copala, San Esteban and Tateposco.
c) Water-The Camachos Zarca, all high-density housing developments built and being planned for about 80 thousand inhabitants, drilling deep wells and farm wastes that harm the life of the people of Los Patios, Tateposco, San Esteban , Los Camachos and Paso de Guadalupe.
d) Rio Frio Ixcatan, drilling of deep wells in the valley and forest fire Tesistán threatening and affect the indigenous community of Francisco Ixcatan.
e) The Tarya- La soledad, subdisiones affected Tesistan Valley, drilling of deep wells, leachate from the dump Copalita impact negatively on the people of Nuevo San Martin, La Soledad and Ixcatan Ejido.
f)-Huaxtla Milpillas heavily threatened by leachate from the waste PicachosHasar'sy the Taray, as well as two pig farms that affect people Milpillas, SanLorenzo and Huaxtla.
g) Santiago River, which receives all the above and that affects all people that arein close proximity, between the villages most affected include: Hacienda Loop, Paso de Guadalupe, Ixcatan, La Soledad, Huaxtla, San Lorenzo and San Cristobal the Barranca.
II .- Founded on advances in science and technology less harmful to humanity and the natural environment, control the pollutants discharged to the river already mentioned, are studied and treated soils, forests and waters under the owners of subdivisions, governments of the three branches and companies, using the principle of "polluter pays" principle.
III .- That it is paid to people already mentioned, present and future environmental damage caused by the creation of subdivisions, landfills operation and private, deep drilling, forest destruction and pollution of surface and ground water historically used for our people.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Zapopan, Jalisco 12 de septiembre de 2011.
“Tierra y Libertad”
Commissary of the comunal Property: Comunidad Indígena San Francisco de Ixcatlán; Comunidad Indígena de San Esteban; Comunidad Indígena de Mezquitán. Commissary of the Ejido system: Ejido San Francisco de Ixcatán; Ejido Los Camachos; Ejido de San Esteban; Ejido Mesón de Copala; Ejido Copala; Ejido Hacienda del Lazo; Ejido Mesa de San Juan; Ejido Tesistán; Ejido Cofradía; Ejido Santa Lucía; Ejido Lázaro Cárdenas; Ejido San Juan de Ocotán; Ejido La Primavera; Ejido El Colli; Ejido Santa Ana Tepetitlán; Ejido Mesón de Copala-Los Patios; Ejido Los Belenes; Ejido Nuevo San Martín; Ejido Copalita; Ejido Nuevo Milpillas; Ejido Milpillas Mesa de San Juan Bautista; Ejido Nextipac. Small Landowners: Huaxtla, Milpillas, San Lorenzo, Ixcatán y La Soledad. Union of Ejidos y Comunidades de Producción Rural R. I. Zapopan; Comité Municipal Agrario de Zapopan; Ejidatarios de Monte del Favor, Hostotipaquillo. Sociedad Cooperativa “Balneario Huaxtla” S. C. de R I.; Balneario Hacienda San José; Agrupación un Salto de Vida A. C.
