On February 10, PBI-Mexico tweeted: “Currently we accompany and observe the beginning of the indigenous consultation process that takes place in #Zacatepec, #Puebla and that was ordered by the Electoral Court of the State of Puebla (TEEP).”
They also tweeted:
“Both the Mexican constitution and international treaties indicate the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination, autonomy and/or self-government.
In this sense, we express our concern about the intimidation against the traditional authorities and their legal advice to the community that occurred in a meeting with the Electoral Institute of the State of Puebla on February 5.
We call for said consultation process to be carried out with an intercultural approach to guarantee the political and collective rights of the community of Santa María Zacatepec.”
El Universal Puebla further explains:
“Residents of Santa María Zacatepec denounced the authorities of [the municipality of] Juan C. Bonilla before the local electoral justice for meddling in an indigenous consultation in which it will be defined how to choose their authorities according to customs.
This was reported on Thursday [February 10] by the United Peoples Front of the Cholulteca Region and the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala [which is accompanied by PBI-Mexico], which have been at the forefront of protests against the [PIM megaproject] gas pipeline, the textile corridor of Huejotzingo and Bonafont [bottled water plant].”
According to the organization, they initiated a process before the Electoral Tribunal of the State of Puebla (TEEP) considering that Mayor José Cinto Bernal seeks to filter false leaders in the consultation process.
As part of the indigenous consultation that the same court resolved in 2020, on February 5 a community meeting was held with authorities of the State Electoral Institute (IEE) in which it will be defined if the community needed interpreters for the plebiscites.
However, according to the complainers, Cinto Bernal took advantage of the electoral meeting to present false Zacatepec authorities as representatives of the community.
“In a devious and bad faith manner, he provided a list of around 30 people he wanted to pass off as traditional authorities, holding the position of leaders,” they said in a statement.
Along with the complaint before the TEEP [Electoral Tribunal of the State of Puebla], they called for the IEE [State Electoral Institute] to act in the preparation of the consultation with respect to the indigenous community and for the mayor to stay on the sidelines.”
Angulo 7 also reports on this at Edil de Juan C. Bonilla busca interferir en consulta de Zacatepec, acusan.
Photo: PBI-Mexico at the February 5 community meeting convened by the State Electoral Institute (IEE) was held at the “Francisco Villa” elementary school.
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