On June 8, PBI-Mexico posted: “On Saturday, May 29, PBI accompanied a mobilization of the indigenous communities of Mogotavo, Bacajípare, and Huetosachi, of the Sierra Tarahumara for the defense of life and ancestral territory.”

PBI-Mexico further highlights: “These Indigenous communities are at risk for the dispossession of their lands.”

Among the groups accompanied by PBI-Mexico that day was the Sierra Madre Alliance (ASMAC) which is based in Chihuahua.

On May 31, PBI-Mexico had also tweeted: “Team in Chihuahua observes the mobilization of indigenous communities affected by the tourist projects in Barrancas del Cobre, who defend their territory.”

That followed a tweet from ASMAC that noted: “The peaceful protest of the Mogótavo community continues in the company of 10 other Odami and Rrámuri communities in defense of their territories.”

Defensa Tarahumara had also tweeted: “Entrepreneurs intend to deprive their territory of 80 Rarámuri families. For this reason, a peaceful march is being carried out where the communities of the Sierra Tarahumara are asking for respect for their territories and their human rights.”

In their Facebook post of June 8, PBI-Mexico shared this article in Raichali that explains: “A group of 5 businessmen … denounced for the dispossession of some 154 hectares to the Rarámuri community of Mogótavo … [are] looking to develop a large tourist complex.”

“Recently, the Agrarian Superior Court ruled against the community because it allegedly did not respond to a lawsuit of which it was not notified and determined that the owners of that territory are the [five] businessmen.”

That article adds: “After the ruling, the businessmen sued the community representatives for dispossession.”

PBI-Mexico has accompanied ASMAC since 2018.

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