Mexico has assigned a special commission to consider the protests of the Wixárika (Huichol) people against mining and other environmentally destructive projects within the Wirikuta Natural and Cultural Reserve, according to a letter Cultural Survival received from Mexico’s Office of Mining. Signed by the General Director of Mining, Lic. Miguel Angel Romero González, the letter says that the Wixárika case is being considered by a commission coordinated by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI), with representatives of the Ministries of Governance (SEGOB), Economy (SE), Agrarian Reform (SRA), Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Agriculture (PA), and the state governments of San Luis Potosi, Durango, and Nayarit. The commission’s objective is to “dialogue with the Wixárika people to hear their concerns directly and find a solution to the problem, respecting the rights of everyone involved.”
The letter asserts that the mining concessions issued to First Majestic Silver company (which overlap the Wirikuta Reserve) were issued legally. But, the director observed, this is only the beginning of a long legal process which will be scrutinized by his office. No mining activities have been approved to date.
Dowload the letter (in Spanish) attached below.
To send your own letter to Mexican authorities, urging them to prohibit mining within the Wirikuta Reserve and uphold the rights of the Wixárika (Huichol) people, please visit our campaign page.
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