translated from Spanish: Michoacán Indigenous Council denounces deception and discrimination by the Federal and State Government

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Michoacán.- The framework of the visit of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to Michoacán, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán (CSIM), an autonomous council made up of indigenous authorities from 60 communities, publicly denounced the Federal Government, as well as the Government of Michoacán, to lie, exclude and discriminate against the native communities.
They revealed that in July 2019, on the visit to the rural hospital of Paracho, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, gave instructions to the State Delegate of Programs for the Welfare of Michoacán Roberto Pantoja Arzola so that the indigenous communities of the state, were addressed directly in Michoacán by Adelfo Regino Montes, Director General of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), however, one year from the instructions of the President to his subordinates, the Director of INPI has not deigned to visit, nor to attend to the indigenous communities of Michoacán, they state that the President of Mexico does not follow his word, or his subordinates lie or deceive him.
They also denounced the Federal Government’s endeputable task of keeping Celerino Felipe Cruz, who was described as a political mercenary, which was denounced in February 2020 by various human rights organizations, as an opponent of the processes of indigenous autonomy that are now undertaken by various communities p’urhépecha. Similarly, they argued that the Government of Mexico discriminates against the communities and peasants of Michoacán by excluding them from the “National Fertilizer Program 2020” and only benefits the peasants of Guerrero, Morelos, Mexico, Puebla and Tlaxcala with what discriminates and violates the principle of equal opportunities, as well as the collective rights of indigenous communities.

On the other hand, they argued that the Government of Michoacán also lies, deceives and discriminates against indigenous communities in the state, since it has not complied with the construction of high-impact works for peoples and communities, has not helped Michoacán farmers with the delivery of subsidized fertilizer, has not benefited most communities with the Michoacán program, and has not even set up working tables to know and solve the main problems of indigenous peoples.
Finally, they stated that both the Federal Government, and the Government of Michoacán, continue with the old policies of not seeing, not listening and not attending to the original communities, so the best way that indigenous peoples can follow is to continue to fight for their free self-determination, self-government and autonomy.
Below is the full communiqué:
THE MEXICAN STATE LIES, EXCLUDES AND DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE ORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
TO THE ORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
TO THE MEDIA
TO THE PEOPLE OF MICHOACÁN
TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO
K’eri Kunkorhekua Iretecheri, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán #CSIM, autonomous and independent council of governments, political parties and religions, consisting of Indigenous Authorities: Heads of Tenure, Commissariat Commissariate Commissioners and Representatives, Traditional Judges and Community Government Councils of 60 original communities, we jointly state the following.
The Mexican State, understood by the Federal Government and the Government of Michoacán, lie, deceive and discriminate against the entities’ communities. In July 2019, on the visit to the rural hospital of Paracho President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, instructed the State Delegate of Programs for the Welfare of Michoacán Roberto Pantoja Arzola so that the indigenous communities of the state, were served directly in Michoacán by Adelfo Regino Montes, Director General of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).
One year after the instructions of the President to his subordinates, the Director of INPI has not deigned to visit, nor to attend to the indigenous communities of Michoacán, even though there are more than 136,000 people in the entity who speak an original language, or the President of Mexico does not keep his word, or his subordinates lie to him or deceive him.  In addition, the Federal Government, is committed to keeping Celerino Felipe Cruz, a political mercenary denounced by various human rights organizations, in February 2020 as an opponent of the processes of indigenous autonomy that today undertake multiple P’urhépecha peoples. Finally, the Government of Mexico discriminates against the communities and peasants of Michoacán by excluding them from the “National Fertilizer Program 2020” and only benefits farmers in Guerrero, Morelos, Mexico, Puebla and Tlaxcala, thereby discriminating against and violating the principle of equal opportunities, as well as the collective rights of indigenous communities.
For its part, the Government of Michoacán also lies, deceives and discriminates against the indigenous communities of the state. It has not complied with the construction of high-impact works for peoples and communities, has not helped michoacán’s peasants with the delivery of subsidized fertilizer, and the vast majority of indigenous communities have not benefited from the Michoacán feed program.  It has not even been able to comply with the establishment of working tables to know and solve the main problems of the original peoples.
In short, the Federal Government and the Government of Michoacán continue with the old policies of not seeing, not listening and not attending to the original communities, so the best way that peoples can follow is to continue to fight for their free self-determination, self-government and autonomy.
#JucháriUinápekua.
TERUNHASKUA K’ OIA, ECHERI KA JURAMUKUKUA IAMENTU IRETECHANI
JUSTICE, TERRITORY AND AUTONOMY FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
K’ERI KUNKORHEKUA IRETECHERI #CONSEJOSUPREMOINDÍGENADEMICHOACÁN

Original source in Spanish

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