No to the El Zapotillo dam: Collective force at the III International Meeting
Temacapulín, Acasico, and Palmarejo are historic villages on the banks of the Rio Verde in the state of Jalisco, Western Mexico. Threatened since the late 1990s by the construction of the El Zapotillo dam, the region was fertile ground for the III International Meeting of People Affected by Dams, seven years after the first one in Thailand.
From October 1st to 7th, 2010, the residents of Temacapulín welcomed more than 300 affected people, representatives of civil organizations and social movements from around the world, into their own homes. The delegates, from 60 countries, in addition to holding a demonstration at the site where the dam was being built, internationalized the struggle that the people affected in the three villages had been waging for five years and committed to carrying out actions worldwide against the construction of El Zapotillo.
The meeting drew international attention to the fight against the dam and in defense of the rights of those affected, increasing global understanding and support and, consequently, pressure against the construction of the dam, which would flood Temacapulín, Acasico, and Palmarejo to guarantee the water supply for the large city of Guadalajara. This scenario provoked the immediate retreat of the Mexican government, since the project presented a series of administrative irregularities, in addition to the fact that it foresaw the eviction of more than 800 families from the three historic villages.
The spokesperson for the Save Temaca, Acasico and Palmarejo Committee, Gabriel Iñiguez, recalls that the presence of delegates from so many countries helped Mexicans understand the scope of the problem of dams, forced displacements, ecological imbalances, water privatization, human rights violations, and the appropriation and voracity of companies and governments that cause the death of rivers.
Gabriel notes that a fundamental legacy of the III International Meeting was “the organizational strength and the conviction that, united, we internationalize hope.” For him, it was this collective articulation that ensured that the dam project was substantially modified. After being paralyzed for 10 years, the dam was built based on a new project: instead of affecting 4,000 hectares – as planned in 2010 – only 400 were flooded, so that the villages and farmland were not inundated.
“The operation of the small dam, with six sluice gates, currently provides the necessary amount of water for the city of Guadalajara. And from our struggle, other peoples of Mexico have learned the lesson of never surrendering. Our cry for dignity and self-determination was so strong that we forced the government to listen and act,” says Iñiguez.
Although they have secured the protection of their territory against the El Zapotillo project, those affected continue to fight against privatization projects and other initiatives that threaten their territories and cultures, access to water, and the organization of the residents of these localities. “The problem persists because companies and governments seek to privatize water for national and international industrial and economic interests. It is urgent to restore social organization to resist, adhering to the principles of autonomy and respecting the customs and traditions of each territory,” concludes Gabriel Iñiguez.
Delegates to the III International Meeting held at the El Zapatillo dam construction site. Photo: Alexania Rossatto / MAB
Towards the IV International Meeting
Gabriel joins other comrades from his country (Mexico) and hundreds of affected people from around the world at the IV International Meeting of Communities Affected by Dams and the Climate Crisis, which begins next Friday (07), in Belém, in Northern Brazil.
He says that he brings with him the struggle against El Zapotillo as inspiration for the new necessary confrontations and that he hopes to leave the meeting motivated to new paths: “I hope to learn at the IV Meeting new routes to overcome the climate crisis and to carry the testimony of our achievements and the memory of our ancestors who, in spirit, have been an essential foundation of our work in favor of life, justice and peace”.
The meeting in Belém should mark the decision to consolidate the International Movement of People Affected by Dams and the Climate Crisis, as reported by Soniamara Maranho, from the coordination of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAR) in Latin America. According to her, this is the first decision to be made, preceding a process of repositioning and nationalization of all organizations, in all countries, with a common strategy at the international level.
Sonia shares her expectations and believes that the meeting will be an opportunity for “us to articulate ourselves in a more qualified way by continent and come away with the definition of the V International Meeting”. For the years to come, she believes that this IV Meeting should pave the way for “building a process of political-ideological training, with the construction of coordination in each continent and international coordination.”
“Let us amplify the strength of those affected by dams and the climate crisis worldwide, interfering with the logic of the capitalist system, building the necessary force to have in each country another order, an alternative society that takes ownership of the construction of popular energy projects in all countries and continents,” says Soniamara.
Starting Thursday (November 6), you can follow on our website the coverage of the IV International Meeting of Communities Affected by Dams and the Climate Crisis and, subsequently, the participation of the Meeting delegates in the People’s Summit, between November 12 and 16.
