La Jornada
August 8, 2000
Alejandro Nadal

Government officials maintain the army is currently reforesting part of the Montes Azules reserve. The action of the Army constitutes a threat to the viability of Montes Azules in the short and medium terms. There will be no long term for the reserve. This is the clearest signal that time is not on the side of the Montes Azules, one of the most important reserves in the country because of the biodiversity it protects.

The Montes Azules reserve, established by decree in 1978, is one of the biggest in Mexico, with a landmass of 331,000 hectares. The ecosystems within the reserve are very important due to their biodiversity; They contain medium pine, oak forms and savanna. The majority of the reserve is covered by high perennial jungle.

The vegetation in the reserve is very dense, containing an extraordinary diversity of species. Because different species lose their leaves at different times the jungle is always green. The Mahogany, mulatto, ceiba and cedar trees contain epiphyte plants and bromeliads. Cacti are common due to the humidity in the reserve. In the lower forest stratum, palms and plants of all types make the jungle almost impenetrable. Species of insects, reptiles, birds and mammals of all kinds inhabit the valleys while fish and tortoises live in the rivers and lakes. The number of endemic species is notable. The question is how will the Federal Army be reforesting the Montes Azules reserve? Reforesting the jungle is not easy. The reforestation of the pine and oak forest, in which there is not such diversity of species, is complicated, and there are many examples of reforestation projects that were flawed in their planning and even worse in their execution. In many cases, pine and oak trees have quickly died due to other natural inhabitants of the forest not allowing them enough space to grow.

In the case of the rain forest, the problems are infinitely more complicated. The great diversity of species per hectare makes the success of a standard reforestation project almost unthinkable. Under these conditions reforestation means, esentially, to sow disaster. The best thing that can be done to restore the quality of vegetation in tropical jungle is to leave it untouched.

It is possible that the reforestation project, eagerly promoted by government officials, is a simple façade intended to disguise the action of the army. The work could simply be a cover intended to trick na•ve people into believing that the Army is dedicated to conservation work while it is actually hiding the real reason why the soldiers are on the outskirts and in the interior of the reserve. The pressure that the federal troops are putting on the village of Amador Hernandez is intended to consolidate positions in order to attack one of the autonomous municipalities most committed to the fight for the rights of indigenous peoples. Amador Hernandez is located at the opening of the valley of the river Perla, which flows to the Montes Azules reserve. The operation intends to secure the base for the construction of a road that will connect Amador Hernandez to San Quintin and the valley of the river Perla. This route would pass through various villages that support the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), and would extend south through a network of military roads towards the big axis connecting Comitan to Margaritas and Ocosingo.

The network of roads that the federal Army has been building has finally reached the Montes Azules reserve and connects many of the villages in the reserve. The roads serve military purposes, but also constitute a threat to the outer and central regions of the reserve, which will be destroyed in a very short time.

The National Institute for Ecology and Semarnap, which is responsible for the national program of natural protected areas, must pay more attention to the damage caused by the land rovers and military excursions. The federal Army must stop making feeble excuses to justify its unconstitutional presence inside the Montes Azules reserve.

Translated by Sarah Pearson