December 25, 1994
DECLARATION FROM THE MOUNTAIN OF GUERRERO
CONVENCION NACIONAL INDIGENA (CNI)
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS CONVENTION
Having reunited during the 16,17,18th of December of 1994 in the ancient
territories of the People of the Rain, the People of the Heart of the
Mountain, and the People of the Tiger in Tlapa, Guerrero the Indigenous
Pueblos and Organizations of Mexico have spoken our Word, we have listened
to our hearts and made them as one in this DECLARATION.
After 502 years of resistance, after 502 years of rights denied, the
participants of the Convencion Nacional Indigena celebrated in the Heart of
the Mountain, in Tlapa, Guerrero decide the following:
1. Profoundly concerned over the struggle of of our brothers in Chiapas, we
salute their effforts to remove the yoke of exploitation and oppression. We
take as our own the 13 positions of the EZLN and understand the reasons for
their decision to take up arms as the only method to be heard. From the
Heart of the Mountain in Guerrero we declare: "YOU ARE NOT ALONE".
Neither are you alone in terms of the conditions under which you live. The
situation of the Indigenous Pueblos of Chiapas is the same for all the
Indians of this country. The conditions of poverty, anti-democracy,
intolerance, racism, discrimination and so many other agressions under which
the Indian Peoples of Chiapas have suffered daily for 502 years we share
completely.
For this reason we say that Chiapas is not the "hot spot" of the country.
Chiapas has erupted in fire! The "hot spots" are in found everywhere
throughout the national territory, in each of the indigenous regions of
Mexico, where the life of the Indians of Chiapas is reproduced daily. There
should be no surprise over what is so evident.
At his moment Chiapas is in the heart of each Mexican Indian. The example
of the struggle that the Indigenous Pueblos and campesino organizations of
Chiapas are leading, a heroic effort to avoid open war, is inspiring. The
search is for new social formulas among Chiapanecos which would depart from
the old colonial relationships . This is how we interpret the declarations
of of "autonomy in fact" and the constituting of "indigenous parliaments"
among other efforts being brought forth by indigenous creativity to
contribute to peace in Chiapas.
We support our brothers from Chiapas in the demand for a new constitution
which recognizes the the right to Autonomy, the installation of a
constituting congress to establish the foundation for a new social pact for
state, and the full recognition of the Government in Transition, just as we
join in repudiating the taking of power by the fraudulent government headed
by Eduardo Robledo Rincon.
We join with the will of the indigenous people of Chiapas in saying NO to
war and YES to a solution of the conflict via negotiation and and the
political process. We demand of the government of Ernesto Zedillo rapid and
efficient action to initiate NOW the the negotiations for peace. There is
no more time for commissions and commissioners. What is needed are
negotiators with the capacity of decision. We consider insufficient the
proposal of Ernesto Zedillo to involve only the legislative branch as part
of the solution. We consider that an effective negotiating commission must
include the presence of the three governmental powers: the executive, the
legislative, and the judicial, so that each according to their powers shall
commit to undertake concrete actions towards peace.
The participants of the CNI demand of the government of Mexico the immediate
withdrawal of the Mexican Army from the occupied Chiapan terrritories.
Likewise we repudiate the escalating militarization of the indigenous
regions of our country and we reiterate that the solution to the actions of
indigenous resistance shall never be resolved by force. The only solution
shall be with the full satisfaction and attention to our demands, and not in
repressive measures.
2. The participants of the CNI conclude that AUTONOMY constitutes one of our
principal rights, which has been until now denied. In spite of the negation
of our rights, nevertherless the practice of Autonomy has been constant
among our Pueblos even though it has been clandestine. We do not want this
situation to continue. We demand the constitutional recognition to the right
of Autonomy. This right must clearly be established in the constitution, in
a Chapter specific to Indigenous Rights. As a consequence we consider as
insufficient the content of Article Four, in that this article must be
amplified to include recognition of our political and territorial rights.
We shall continue pursuing the Autonomy of our Pueblos, communities,
municipalities and regions in spite of the government and their
cacique-bosses in an expression of indigenous resistance. We shall recoup
and reinforce our autonomy in each of our decisions, whether at the
communal, municipal, or regional level.
>From the Heart of the Mountain of Guerrero we call on all our brothers to
realize a great national crusade for Indigenous Autonomy, to strengthen the
governments of our communities, our municipalities, our regions, and thus
recuperate our liberty which has been trampeled.
This permanent Journey for Autonomy will include a national campaign of
debate and sensitivity regarding our RIGHT TO AUTONOMY, that will encompass
completely the significance of this right. From here we wish to reinterate
that "automony is not seccession", on the contrary automony is the first
opportunity that our indigenous pueblos would have to become for the first
time true Mexicans. The Indian Pueblos of Mexico desire and hope to become
integrated completely into Mexico, but without the implication of
assimilation or integrationism. The juridical recognition of autonomy is
the guarantee that this should not occur. The recognition of indigenous
autonomy constitutes the only way to establish a democratic foundation for
the relationship between the indigenous pueblos and the state, and also
between Indians and mestizos.
3. The constitutional recognition of the right of indigenous autonomy forms
part of a much larger process which includes other profound transformations,
including the construction if a new State, with a new federalism, a new
territorial distribution of the country and a new social pact among
Mexicanos.
Likewise we proclaim our right to participate in all of the political
decisions within our regions and nationally. The indigenous pueblos demand
to be the authors of our own self-development. We pronounce in support of
the efforts of the Consejo Guerrerrense of the 500 Years of Indigenous
Resistance to realize the "Autonomous Fund for the Development of the
Indigenous Pueblos of Guerrero" and we salute with happiness the decision of
the brothers in Chiapas to throw off the control of the "indigenistas", to
expell the INI (National Indigenous Institute) from Chiapas and assume
control of the federal resources for development channelled to these
regions. We demand the cancellation of all forms of patronizing
"indigenism" and we defend the right of our indigenous pueblos to control
our own lives and decisions, as is established within the Article 169 of the
ILO (International Labor Organization), which is Constitutional Law within
our country since September 5, 1991.
In this context the CNI delegates, in agreement that poverty is the gravest
problem facing the indigenous pueblos, present before the new federal
government that this is nothing more than the result of ANTI-DEMOCRACY. The
poverty of the indigenous peoples is result of the lack of democracy and the
denial of rights. The poverty in the indigenous regions will NOT be
erradicated by "development programs" or with assistance projects such as
PRONASOL. The poverty in the indigenous regions can only be eradicated when
we as indigenous pueblos are allowed to decide how to administrate the
resources which by right are ours. To the official politicians we say that
we are NOT percentages of poverty or "indices of marginalized" which can be
dealt with through only economic measures. We are Indigenous Pueblos which
live under a condition of political oppression and whose problems only can
be resolved with political measures.
4. Nevertheless the delegates of the CNI conclude that the recognition of
the rights of our Pueblos will not result from a struggle isolated from the
rest of society, but only within a comprehensive process of national
democratization. In this sense the CNI delegates are are entirely convinced
that the objectives of our struggles can only be achieved within a national
transformation, for which reason we ratify our participation within the
National Democratic Convention, as the only road which at this moment is
viable to produce the changes which our Indigenous Pueblos and Mexicanos
demand.
The CNI ratifies our willingness to establish respectful alliances with all
those mestizos who also struggle to build a new Mexico. In a very special
manner we unite our efforts with our brother campesinos to recuperate along
with them our lands and territories, to fight together against poverty,
against economic exploitation and the anti-democracy which oppresses us.
This is the problematic which also unites and identifies us with all the
popular sectors in this country. The unity among the indigenous peoples and
the mestizos is a necessary basic condition for the changes which Mexico
requires. We insist nevertheless that this relationship must be based on
respect for our differences and equality of rights.
The indigenous pueblos shall continue resisting - no longer alone, no longer
separated. The participants of the CNI proclaim our right to resistance to
struggle and to political mobilization. We shall continue resisting until
we achieve a life with justice and dignity with autonomy.
5. The CNI salutes and congratulates the important and rich participation
of our women delegates. The participation of the women is felt strongly in
the indigenous struggle and even though there have been many, many more are
needed. We wish that more indigenous women become actively incorporated
within the transforming political dynamic. The CNI commits to respect and
promote in each our communities, municipalties, regions and organizations
the rights of women. We indigenous pueblos have initiated a process of
struggle and change which cannot be reversed. These changes involve the
life of our own pueblos as well. We shall make the transformations and
changes that are necessary, including our traditions and customs, to
guarantee fully the rights of women.
6. We indigenous pueblos know that we have been on a long journey. Within
the last 20 years the Indigenous Nations and Pueblos have been strengthened
in our struggle. With this renewed effort, the resurgence and empowerment
of the indigenous movement that now exists at the global level proclaims
that indigenous unity is today a reality.
On this road we have learned the importance of laws and international
juridical instruments because the indigenous struggle has been waged within
the national arena but also increasingly at the international level.
Nevertheless we have also realized that these juridical sources are
insufficient when we confront antidemocratic governments, such as the
government of Mexico, which has violated and does not comply with
international agreements they have signed in recognition of our rights.
For this reason we are pleased but yet doubtful regarding the recent
inauguration the "International Decade for Indigenous Populations" adopted
by the United Nations. We are pleased because this and each one of the
measures which the goverment-states undertake regarding the protection of
our indigenous rights comes as a result of our efforts and our struggles.
Yet we remain doubtful because we have had the experience of 1993 which was
declared by the United Nations as International Year of Indigenous Peoples
and yet the government of Mexico did nothing to fufill the commitments which
were made. Los Pueblos Indios know very well that the government never
gives anything freely, but must be forced to respond to our demands by our
unity and resistance.
Before this situation the participants of the CNI declare that this shall be
our Decade. Not because the government would do something in favor of the
Indios but because we Indios shall do for ourselves. This convention shall
make of this decade a decade of struggle, a decade of resistance, a decade
of recognition of our rights.
7. Indigenous Brothers and Sisters: the end of silence has arrrived. The
Heart of the Mountain of Guerrero announces a new birth. The People of the
Land, the People of the Rain, the men and women of the True Word, the People
of the Tiger, all of the men and women native to this land are now alert to
the birth of a new society.
We call out to all; let all come, let no one remain behind. To all of our
pueblos and sister organizations which at this time could not be with us: We
invite you to join with us to create the future that is needed in Mexico.
We announce that from this convention onward that all the pueblos and sister
organizations are welcome and that neither religion, nor political party,
nor ideology shall impede our indigenous unity.
The indigenous struggle is a road from which there is no return. No one can
any longer hold it back. This our word, this our heart.
!FOR LIBERTY AND DIGNITY WITH AUTONOMY!