Latin
America: Redmanglar International Assembly
Between 8 and 13
October, fisher-folk organizations, artisanal gatherers, environmentalists
and academics from 10 Latin American counties organized in Redmanglar
International, met in the locality of Cuyutlan, State of Colima,
Mexico.
During a whole week
of work, it was reported that a policy for appropriation and use
of coastal and marine spaces is being reaffirmed and strengthened
worldwide, placing the economic interests of a few before ecosystem
conservation sustaining the life and fundamental rights of local
communities.
During the first
day, representatives from each of the Redmanglar International
member countries presented the current local situation of marine-coastal
ecosystems and the work carried out in their defence. The efforts
made by countries such as Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela are noteworthy
as they have achieved, over the past year, to set up national
networks of organizations linked to the Redmanglar International
mission: that of defending mangrove ecosystems and marine-coastal
ecosystems, guaranteeing their vitality and that of the ancestral
user populations who live in association with them and are faced
by threats and impacts likely to degrade the environment, alter
the natural ecological balance and/or violate the local communities’
human rights.
On the following
days the presentation by Fernando Lopez, Professor at the Central
University of Ecuador on the present political and economic situation
and on the natural and cultural heritage of Latin America, launched
the discussion of general issues affecting the region. “The situation
we are facing is enormously complex due to the intertwining of
powerful global interests, the magnitude of the hazards threatening
populations and the environment and to the political and social
communities and organizations’ scant capacity for resistance,”
explained Fernando Lopez. He also made an analysis of the Integration
of South American Regional Infrastructure (IIRSA), showing how
this implies market integration and a serious threat to the peoples.
Subsequently, at
the University Picture Gallery in the city of Colima, a talk was
given on “Marine-Coastal Ecosystems, Water and Food Sovereignty”
by Jorge Varela Marquez, delegate of the World Forum of Fisher-Folk
Peoples, Dolores Gonzales of the Central University of Venezuela
and Alberto Villarreal from Food and Water Watch.
Sessions continued
throughout the week, with reports on the network’s participation
at international fora, campaigns, mobilizations and signing of
declarations as effective and legitimate tools for ancestral coastal
peoples. A statement was also made against coastal privatization
and governments were required to guarantee access by fisher-folk
and artisanal gatherers to their territories. At the same time,
joint rejection of the commercialization of environmental goods
and services was proclaimed. .
An analysis of shrimp
farming certification made by Jeovah Meireles from the Federal
University of Ceara, Brazil, moved the Assembly to ratify its
position against organic certification of industrial shrimp farming,
regarding it to be a green masquerade, which attempts to conceal
environmental, social and economic crimes committed by the shrimp
industry.
Furthermore, the
Assembly made statements on various specific issues regarding
the member countries of the network. One of these was a request
to the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, to cancel the project
for the Manzanillo Liquid Gas Terminal, considering it to be highly
hazardous for the Cuyatulan Lagoon ecosystems.
As a result, during
their last day in Mexico the participants at this III General
Assembly of Redmanglar International paid a field visit to the
Cuyutlán Lagoon and also met with the fisher-folk from the community
of Ventandas to find evidence of how this project is a threat
to the lagoon system and mangrove ecosystem.
Lider Gongora Farias,
outgoing Executive Secretary and the Ecuadorian C-CONDEM team
installed Juan José López, in representation of the Colombian
Association of Producers for Community Development of the Bajo
Sinu Cienaga Grande (ASPROCIG), as new Executive Secretary of
Redmanglar International for the three-year period 2008-2010.
The Declaration of
Cuyatlan was signed at the end of the Assembly and it’s available
at:
http://redmanglar.org/imagesFTP/8221.declaracion_cuyutlan.pdf
