More than Monarchs
Documenting Local Stories in the Disappearing Monarch Forests of Mexico
Jun 3, 2003
|
To:
| |
Governor of Michoacán |
|
From:
| |
Alejo Claudio Cayetano
Agrarian Community
Crescencio Morales
Michoacan State |
Re:
(General Complaint)
(TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH)
Lázaro Cárdenas Batel
Governor for the State of Michoacan
This is to request attention to the problem the community of Crescencio Morales has undergone regarding illegal logging. The landowner’s chief and common property representative were arrested for defending the forest. We were victims of criminals from Ocampo municipality. In a general meeting, they offer to repair damages for a price of $350,000 (three hundred and fifty thousand pesos) in exchange of not being reported and that they wouldn’t go near forests in Crescencio Morales. Our general council accepted and we had no choice but to respect the majority and sign the agreement. But these individuals from Ocampo disregarded the agreement and brought a lawsuit against us for stealing, kidnapping, and unlawful deprivation of rights, and the Regional Attorney General from Zitácuaro, without even thinking about it expedited a location order and was close to bringing us before the authorities. This makes you think that the only criminals are the authorities from Crescencio Morales, without thinking that this problem was not created here and it’s not the only one we have presented. We have informed you in the past who the woodcutters are and they have not been called to appear in court. We reported Juan Diego Mondragón Gömez, Prudenciano Mondragón Huerta, Ricardo Cruz Benítez, Francisco Mondragón Velarde, Federico Mondragón Cruz, Demetrio Avila Medina, with known address in the second block in Lindero. Reynaldo Huerta Mondragón and Santos López Saturnino with known address in the sixth block in Lomas de Aparicio. The Attorney General won’t go near them and says that the complaint needs ratification, but we, the community’s authority have to be brought before authorities. What we see is that the Attorney General has business with woodcutters. It is necessary that you, Mr. Governor, intervene and change this man immediately because he is only provoking the communities. The Curungueo commission reported some people that were stealing wood from their forest giving license plates and color of vehicles. The Attorney General turned up at the place, saw the cars and let them go because they had already unloaded the wood. It is not possible that this happens. We do not trust Manuel Jiménez González and ask that you order a surprise operation on the sixth block in Lomas de Aparicio and arrest Pablo López Reyes, Saturnino Reynoso, Magdaleno Reynoso and a man named Daniel.
PROFEPA is aware of the same group that is cleaning our forest illegally.
The Common Property Commission offers them protection. According to them this man has documents authorizing him as representative and he is responsible for encouraging logging in exchange of financial resources and promising of making Lindero and Lomas de Aparicio ejidos and become a representative to cut the forest in Crescencio Morales.
González Claudio and León Mondragón Cruz are recognized by the landowner’s council of Crescencio Morales. We ask that you report those responsible and investigate if Juan Diego is trying to divide the community and where.
We attach copies of the community’s documents.
Sincerely,
Alejo Cayetano
Lanowner’s Chief
cc Leonel Godoy Rangel. Attorney General.
cc Alfonso Quintero Larios. Secretaria de Reforma Agraria Representative.
cc Gilberto Andrés García. Secretary, State of Michoacán Government
Stamped and received on June 3, 2003.
|
