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San Cristobal de Las Casas (Agenzia Fides) – Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel of San Cristobal de Las Casas attended the Forum on "The San Andrés Accords,” promoted by COCOPA (Concord and Pacification Commission), held at the Senate on April 21, 2010. The Mexican Bishops' Conference of Mexico sent Fides his speech, which begins with these words: "I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you some concerns and proposals on the rights of indigenous peoples, not only in Chiapas but in Mexico and other places. I am no expert in law or other sciences, but only one that walks among them. I was in Chiapas for 19 years: nine with the native “Mames,” “Mochos,” and “Kanjobales” and ten among “Tseltales,” “Tsotsiles,” “Ch'oles,” “Tojolabales,” and “Zoques.” Before becoming bishop in Chiapas, I shared part of my life with “Otomies” and “Mazahuas” of the State of Mexico. As head of pastoral ministry among indigenous in the area, I had the chance to closely observe the national indigenous reality, and as head of the Department of Indigenous Peoples in CELAM, I had the opportunity to learn something about the indigenous peoples of Latin America."
Bishop Arizmendi Esquivel then divided his speech into 2 parts: situation and suggestions.
The situation: there are 42 million indigenous people in the world; in Mexico there are about 12 million, 56 recognized ethnic groups who suffer serious attacks on their identity and their survival. The vast majority does not have rights. There is a lack of respect for the right to health. Inhumane and anti-Christian racism continues against them. Although there are some services, there is still a lack of services in communications and education. Failing to realize this means denying the obvious.
Proposals: walk together with them, recognizing their cultural identity. The San Andres Accords "are a base from which others can grow and develop. We must recognize their legal personality as different peoples. A right has a certain autonomy within limits.
At the end of his speech, Bishop Arizmendi Esquivel called the leaders of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) to accept the dialogue on the San Andres Accords and deal with the many aspects that cover them, "not only to continue to fight for a more profound and stable peace in Chiapas, but to ensure that the natives of Mexico enjoy the rights in justice that correspond to them as a people who form part of our country." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 24/04/2010)
