Mexican Farmworkers Continue to Fight for Land in Shadow of Airport

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2014-09-19 14:49:51

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Mexico City, September 19 (teleSUR-RHC) --- Farmworkers carried out a march in Mexico City to the Agrarian Superior Court, demanding that it appeal a decision by a farmer's cooperative assembly to modify the status of a vast extension of land, to be sold for the construction of the new US$9.2-billion airport announced by President Enrique Peña Nieto earlier this month.

The cooperative farmworkers from San Salvador Atenco, about 22 miles northwest of Mexico City, mobilized on Thursday in an attempt to block the sale of over 1,000 hectares of comunal land.

The farmworkers, members of the Peoples' Front in Defense of Land (FPDT), marched from the capital’s iconic Angel of Independence toward the the Agrarian Superior Court.

Ignacio del Valle, one of the spokespeople of the FPDT said that this is the second demonstration in front of the Agrarian Superior Court, which is the highest institution that can annul the decision of the communal assembly.

On June 1st, a core group of the assembly forced through a decision to change the communities land use from that of communal to public domain so as to sell the land. The FPDT argues that it is a form to sell the agricultural territory for the new so-called mega-airport project proposed by the current administration.

The FPDT has filed the 400-2014 agrarian lawsuit to overturn the assembly. For years, the FPDT has opposed the change in land use and the pressure tactics used to convince people to sell their lands.

On August 22nd, when the hearing on the change of land use was originally scheduled, the FPDT was physically attacked by hired thugs, resulting in 15 people being wounded.



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