Mexico is a country with great cultural and ethnic richness, that is home to dozens of different indigenous ethnic groups, whose existence had not been recognized by the Mexican law until very recently.
An extremely important segment of the Mexican society has been forgotten. The social rights of indigenous peoples and communities of our country have been trampled for centuries. They have been marginalized in their economic, political, social and cultural development, making them feel ashamed of their own fantastic culture, instead of feeling proud.
Article 2 of the Constitution establishes a general framework for the development of representative organizations of indigenous communities, recognizing their rights to autonomy and self-determination as well as the use and application of customary laws and access to land tenure and the use and enjoyment of natural resources.
Indigenous populations anywhere in Mexico have the right to appoint representatives to town councils.
In addition, they can boost their representation and participation in the adoption of public policies, especially specific to promote the development of indigenous communities, and in the formulation of the established National Development Plan, and encourage political participation by modification of the territorial demarcation of the uninominal districts.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or DOTROIP). delineates and defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including their ownership rights to cultural and ceremonial expression, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues.
In August 2019, the CNDH indicated that 15.7 million people are part of the indigenous community of Mexico and 6.6 million of them speak a dialect.
With the arrival to power of López Obrador on December 1st that year, representatives of the peoples gave him the “baton of command” in a symbolic act that gave off hope.
However, some of AMLO’s practices are not very encouraging for the indigenous peoples.
A clear example of this is the Maya Train, the railway infrastructure project that will be one of the symbols of the AMLO’s administration, a train that will connect six states in the south and southeast of the country, the region most lagging behind socially.
Because at least here in the Yucatan Peninsula, the last name “Maya” is bringing abundance to everybody except for the Maya themselves!
At The Riviera Maya, the only Maya you’re going to see will be gardeners, or janitors… Transportes Mayab, Ruta Maya, Sueños Mayas, and now “El Tren Maya“… fact is that 80% of the Maya people are against this project that could seriously harm the fragile ecosystem of the Yucatán Peninsula and Southeast Mexico.
The AMLO administration has not presented up to this date one single result on any type of environmental study practiced in the region.
By Alejandro Azcárate for San Miguel Times
