[NYTr] Central America Mobilizes for Indigenous Peoples Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:35:21 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com CentAm Mobilizes for Indigenous Peoples Havana, Oct 12 (Prensa Latina) Central America joined on Friday a continental mobilization of indigenous peoples to denounce plunder, genocide and destruction of the habitat left by European conquest and neoliberal economic models. National People"s Resistance Coordinating Committee, from Honduras, is stating a march countrywide demanding their human right to water, the protection of the environment and derogation of the differentiated salary. In El Salvador, social organizations are denouncing human rights violations, demanding a rise in minimum salary and a freeze on prices of the family shopping basket, and they are rejecting mine working and privatization of water and health care. Meanwhile, Guatemala"s National Mayan Convergence and Coordinating Committee Waqib" Kej and the National Coordinating Committee of Farmer Organizations are leading a march to reject plunder, invasion and contamination of their territories and persecution of their leaders. The Cry of the Excluded and other social movements in Costa Rica are leading their demonstrations today against the free trade agreement with the US approved in the referendum last Sunday. The Third Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Abya Yala declared October 12 as the Day of Resistance of the Indigenous Peoples in demand of recognition and exercise of their collective rights. The occasion also marks the Continental Cry of the Excluded, which highlights the significance of the struggles of resistance of peoples in this continent against First World interests. ef rma cm PL-32 *** Mexican Indigenous People Defend Sovereignty Mexico, Oct 12 (Prensa Latina) The holding of the National Indigenous Congress in Mexico is a message of the Latin American people's rebelliousness in defense of their sovereignty and against capitalism, the Organizing Committee said on Friday. The meeting is an initiative against hegemony, which tries to take away from us the territories inhabited by the first dwellers of the nations, peoples and tribes from the Americas, said Juan Chavez, representative of the Purepecha people. He told reporters that the National Indigenous Congress inaugurated the Meeting of Indigenous People from the Americas in Vicam Station, in the state of Sonora, on Friday. "Agonizing capitalism has set eyes on our jungles, deserts, forests, mountains, rivers, waters, winds, seas, beaches, maize, which we have learned, defended and taken care of for thousands of years," he said. For his part, Mario Luna, secretary of Yaqui traditional authorities in Vicam, noted that it is an honor for indigenous people of the Americas to meet on the territory of the Yoremes, who have protected the aboriginal blood for centuries. A message from the National Indigenous Congress said that aborigines are still alive after 515 years of invasions and, together, they will build a project of life for humankind, against death and for the destruction of neoliberalism. The meeting is being attended by leaders of 54 indigenous peoples from 12 American countries. Mexico is represented by 25 ethnic groups from 21 states, the United States by 14 groups, Canada by eight, and Central America and South America by seven. ef jg ydg PL-23 * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================