Maps of the Montes Azules region correlating locations of natural resources and military occupation can be found here

A report written in October 2003, by Genetic Action Resources International can be found here

The Montes Azules Integral Biosphere Reserve (RIMBA-Spanish acronym) is emerging as the testing ground for the conflicting interests of corporate ownership and profits on one hand and human rights protection, biodiversity conservation and struggles for autonomy on the other.

Conflict surrounding the Biosphere has been reported in the press throughout 2002, however, the issue has been confused by successful misinformation campaigns by the Mexican government, the mainstream press and "environmental" groups such as Conservation International. Conservation International, for example, purports that the struggle for human rights and local indigenous autonomy conflict with the struggle to preserve the remaining tracts of biologically diverse regions in Latin America.

The Mexican government, prompted by corporate and military interests, is looking to relocate (forcibly or otherwise) approximately 28 communities located within the RIMBA. Under the pretext of environmental conservation, military presence in the RIMBA has increased heavily, and the Mexican Army has been assigned the new role of environmental supervision. Not coincidently, roughly half of the communities located within the RIMBA are Zapatista-affiliated communities. The relocation effort would serve two purposes: it would attack the heart of Zapatista communities, and grease the wheels for the absolute exploitation of Montes Azules' prolific natural resources.

It is important to note that just days after the Mexican Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Indigenous Rights and Culture Bill (opposed by every major indigenous organization in Mexico,) both Conservation International-Mexico and Mexico's Attorney General for Environmental Affairs (PROFEPA) renewed calls for the immediate removal of "guerrilla" communities from Montes Azules. Global Exchange fears that the recent outbreak of violence and subsequent militarization mark the final push to remove, at any cost, indigenous communities from Montes Azules.

A complete timeline of the events leading up the implementation of the Indigenous Rights Law (including the San Andrés Accords) can be seen here

Background -- History of the exploitation of the Lacandon Jungle

Located in the south-east corner of Chiapas, the Mexican portion of the Lacandon jungle covers 1.8 million hectares and is home to the diverse flora and fauna species that has landed Mexico as one of the top five "mega diverse" countries on the planet. The jungle is rich in natural resources such as biodiversity, water, precious timber and petroleum.

For more on Mexico's biodiversity click here

The history of the Lacandon jungle is one of continual exploitation from the Spanish conquest to the present day. The pillage of the jungle's natural resources has evolved to reflect changing needs and technology. Timber interests reined until the 1960's when massive deforestation for government subsidized cattle ranching destroyed 80% of the old growth forest. Petroleum exploration began in the 1960s, and with it came roads, contamination and further deforestation.

Today's pressures, facilitated by advanced power generation and biotechnologies, include bioprospecting and hydroelectric dams. The non-governmental organization Conservation International, in conjunction with Grupo Pulsar (the world's number nine biotechnology company,) has two "biological research" stations located in the Lacandon jungle. According to local communities and activists, the research stations carryout "biopiracy" (bioprospecting without regard for the rights of local communities) operations, supported by the Mexican government. Such projects are tantamount to legalized theft and the privatization of traditional knowledge and medicinal plants.

A full report about biopiracy in Chiapas can be read here

On June 30, 2002, the Mexican press announced that the Inter-American Development Bank had awarded the Mexican government a $240 million dollar loan to begin the construction of five hydroelectric dams along Mexico's largest and most important river: the Usumacinta (Tabasco HOY, "Autorizan presas en el Usumacinta.") The Usumacinta, Mesoamerica's largest river, supplies 30% of Mexico's fresh water. Fifty years of large dam construction around the world has demonstrated that such dams displace local communities, destroy biodiversity and are economically unviable in the medium to long-term.

Montes Azules

The Montes Azules Integral Biosphere Reserve, located in the heart of the municipality of Ocosingo, was created by presidential decree in 1978. The decree granted 614,000 hectares of land to 66 Caribe (an indigenous group of southern Mexico) families from three communities. However, there are presently 25 other communities living within the RIBMA. In addition there are two communities in the Nahá Flora and Fauna Refuge Area, and one in the Lacantún Biosphere Reserve, both cases often mistakenly included in the Montes Azules Biosphere. The RIBMA also includes two Zapatista autonomous municipalities -- Ricardo Flores Magón and Libertad de los Pueblos Maya.

Myths and Realities

Unfortunately, the current situation in Montes Azules is plagued by a number of myths. The first is that the so-called "Lacandon Indians" (sic) are the "true" inhabitants of the region. In reality, the Lacandons were eradicated roughly 300 hundred years ago at the hands of the Spanish conquerors. The indigenous peoples currently living in the region, in fact, originated from eastern Campeche and are actually of the Caribe Indigenous People. Evidence reveals that the Caribes migrated to the Lacandon jungle over the last two centuries. The Mexican government used the misnomer of "Lacandon" to refer to them and granted them huge land concessions in one of the most fraudulent land distribution schemes in Mexican history. The land concessions enabled the Mexican government to exploit the area's natural resources, such as lumber, with the quasi-consent of the Caribes.

Another myth is that the Zapatista and other communities are the primary source of local environmental destruction. While all human activity always has some impact on the environment, the Zapatista model could be exemplary of emerging ecologically sustainable community development standards. Zapatista communities have issued strict rules with respect to the environment, for example, slash and burn practices have been banned, agrichemical use is strictly prohibited, and they operate community forest management programs.

While some Zapatista communities are not originally from the Lacandon jungle, their exodus from their communities of origin are a result of external forces beyond their control. In fact many of the Zapatista "settlers" have fled to the Lacandon due to the Mexican government's intense counter-insurgency strategy which started in 1995. Others communities have been obligated to search for new land due to NAFTA-dictated policies that have forced the Mexican government to eliminate support for small farmers, open the Mexican borders to cheap imports (like corn) and facilitate the exploitation of natural resources by multinational corporations.

Currently Zapatista and other indigenous communities are being scapegoated for the current social and environmental crisis in southeast Mexico. While politically convenient for the Fox administration, such finger-pointing belies the fact that the lion's share of environmental damage and human rights violations correspond directly to the Mexican government and multinational corporations.

Meanwhile, the writing is on the wall for plans to violently relocate the Zapatistas from the jungle for "conservation" purposes. However, the underlying causes for the Mexican government's wish to relocated communities within the Lacandon are: 1) military-political control of Zapatista communities, and 2) to pave the way for the eventual, and absolute natural resource exploitation of the region.

In final analysis, the onus for the present crisis in Chiapas rests squarely on the shoulders of the Mexican government. Not only is the government impeding local communities' abilities to develop local initiatives for natural resources "management," but it is also blaming the victim and threatening violent retribution if the indigenous communities do not immediately vacate their ancestral lands.

To send a fax to President Fox expressing your concern for theconflict in the Montes Azules region, and urging him to find a peaceful solution, click here