They murdered in Chiapas Mariano Abarca, leader opponent of the Canadian miner Blackfire

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From: la haine.com
project of informational disobedience
29/11/2009

A Member of the Mexican Network of theAffected by the Mining (REMA), sustained a constant struggle against the transnational. On August 17 he was kidnapped illegally by the police

Today (November 27, 2009), at 20:30 approximately, Mister Mariano Abarca Roblero was cowardly murdered in front of his house in the municipal head of Chicomuselo, Chiapas, Mexico. According to witnesses, a person in a motorcycle riddled don Mariano Roblero with a firearm. His companion, Orlando Velazquez was gravely hurt and moved to the hospital of Comitán. Mariano Abarca leaves a wife and four sons.

Don Mariano Abarca Roblero, a member of the Mexican Network of the Affected by the Mining (REMA), maintained a constant struggle against the Canadian transnational miner who, in the municipality of Chicomuselo, has placed it's principal interests with the development of the barita, gold and antimony by means of 10 mining authorizations. From June, Don Mariano held a sit-in at the municipal head with other members of the REMA demanding the exit of the Canadian Blackfire from the municipality.

On July 10, Mr. Luis Antonio Flores Villatoro, Manager of Public Relations of Blackfire and original of Chicomuselo, interposed a demand addressed to the Canadian company against Mr Abarca. It includes crimes of 'criminal affiliation', 'organized crime', 'attacks to the routes of communication', 'damages to the patrimony of the company' and 'offenses on the peace', 'the corporal and heriditary integrity of the community and of the state'. The company interposed the declaration of two persons supposedly as witnesses of the facts, Mrs. Brenda Liliana León Valadez with residence in Canada and of Mexican origin ; and Mr. Willis Bradley Craig of Canadian nationality.

In the same month, Mariano Abarca took part in a long sit-in in front of the embassy of Canada in the city of Mexico, where the affected by the mining Canadian companies participated, among them, the Wide Front Opponent (FAO - Frente Amplio Opositor) demanding the withdrawal of the transnational from the Hill of San Pedro in the state of San Luis Potosí. Some days later he took part in the Forum that was held in Congress about the mining, where he denounced the effects that the company Blackfire causes in Chiapas. In August 17 don Mariano Abarca was kidnapped illegally with luxury of violence by the police to be brought up in arraignment.

In the following days, the government of the state tried to negotiate with Mariano Abarca his liberation in exchange for leaving the struggle of resistance against the mining or, of preventing the REMA Meeting II in Chicomuselo Chiapas by the end of the same month. Don Mariano Abarca chose remaining a prisoner rather than negotiate with that planning. Finally, the government of the state, due to the national and international pressure and the absence of elements to "indict" him ('Bound over'), decided to release him ten days after his violent detention. In September the Governor of the State came to Chicomuselo and verified the rejection of it's inhabitants to the mining Canadian company.

In recent days, Mariano Roblero Abarca filed with the corresponding authorities an "Administrative Act for the possible commission of criminal acts and the crime of THREATS AND THE ONES RESULTING of existing and sanctioned by Article 227 and 228 of the penal code in force in the State of Chiapas , against the CC. CIRO ANTONIO PEREZ and LUIS FLORES VILLATORO (Public Relations Manager Blackfire) and the person or persons found responsible (...) ".

The complaint Roblero Mariano Abarca affirms that "Once back in this town, I learned that the municipal agent of the colony New Morelia of the Chicomuselo Township, Chiapas, had filed and Act because of a complaint he had received, dated 20 'August twenty' 2009 'two thousand and nine', where Mr. CIRO ROBLERO had arrived in the Municipal Agency saying that they had already gone to seek the undersigned, MARIANO, to "break the/his mother with lead" ('quebrarle la madre a plomazos' (Translation of this vindictive Mexican slang expression is meaningless in English - plain language is '"to shoot him'')), so as not to be in further disagreement with the mine in Chicomuselo and that the undersigned and others were already in the list of business owners and the manager of the mine, the latter being LUIS ANTONIO FLORES VILLATORO, WHO RESIDES IN THIS TOWN and serves as Public Relations Manager of THE BLACK FIRE MINING COMPANY, a company that is working in the mine located in the 'ejido' Greece ('land belonging to a cooperative') of San Ramon in the municipality of Chicomuselo, Chiapas.

"The Administrative ACT by Don Mariano affirms that:

"3 .- In relation to the arrest of the undersigned by the administrative authority, I was released without finding me guilty of any crime and the arrest was due to a complaint made by the mining company, same as I am aware, now wants to cause me harm, then by the remarks of Mr. CYRUS ROBLERO PEREZ and that were expressed before Mr. NESTOR ORTIZ VELAZQUEZ, municipal officer of the ejido New Morelia of this municipality, I'm on the list of people the company has decided to harm, as it clearly refers to me and they have already gone to look for me and "break the mother with lead" (See above)

4 .- "I Manifesto to You that I went with the president of the 'commissary ejidal' of the ejido Nueva Morelia, Municipality of Chicomuselo, Chiapas, and he said he had an act where it was established that the mining company had threatened several people and they have tried to run them over with cars, plus the talk of wanting to kill them, so I requested a copy of this Act and with this action I Exhibit it for you to act correspondely in simple copy, asking the authority to in turn "send official letter" ("girar officio'") to the President of the Ejido Commissariat PEREZ PEREZ HIPOLITO of said ejido, as well to Mr DIONICIO PEREZ GONZALEZ, who serves as chairman of the Supervisory Board of said ejido, to exhibit the original Act and after comparison with the copy that I display, they be given a return of ítems (or: of evidentiary ítems).

" 5 .- Given these facts, I turn to you so that Mr. CIRO ROBLERO PEREZ and Mr. NESTOR PEREZ VELAZQUEZ ORTIZ be heard in testimony, to testify regarding these threats, making clear to you that I have a justified fear that I might be caused harm inflicted by the threats inferred to my grievance. "

Yesterday (26 November), CIRO ROBLERO PEREZ y NESTOR VELAZQUEZ ORTIZ did not submit to the subpoena to testify before the appropriate authorities in order to explain "the circumstances of the offense as time, place, manner of execution, etc.. , in order to determine if this record rises to preliminary investigation. "Therefore, next Thursday they would be presented to testify. Today, Mariano Abarca Roblero has been murdered.

For all these reasons, we hold responsible the governor Juan Sabines Guerrero for not having acted in a timely manner to prevent this crime that further blood-stains the state of Chiapas. The government was aware of the actions of the Canadian company and the conflict it generates with its mining concessions.

We hold responsible the Canadian company Blackfire, its Director General Artemio Avila Cervera, its Public Relations Manager Luis Antonio Flores Villatoro, and the State government of the violence incidents against fighters who defend the water, land, territory and the environment.

Therefore, we demand:

- Immediate withdrawal of Canadian companies Blackfire and mining concessions in Chiapas.

- Immediate Justice and punishment to the perpetrators and masterminds of the crime to it's ultimate consequences.

- Protection for the family of Mariano Abarca Roblero.

- Protection for Mr. Orlando Velazquez, his family and other members of REMA

Canada and their transnational corporations "Out of Chiapas and of Mexico!

Otros Mundos, AC / FoE Mexico Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining (REMA)