"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
The Mazahua community of Crescencio Morales, in Zitácuaro, Michoacán, decided to take up arms to defend itself from extortion, homicides and to take care of a forest in which part of the Monarch butterfly sanctuary is located.
* The community members installed 10 inspection points in the community of 14,000 inhabitants.
Men and women stop vehicles of outsiders coming into their towns and ensure that they’re not transporting weapons, drugs or wood.
In Michoacán, a group of community members in Zitácuaro have decided to take under their responsibility the care and surveillance of a forest in which the Monarch butterfly sanctuary is also part; not only have they organized inspection rounds, they have also decided to consolidate the system of uses and customs.
"We came from a community watch on the hill. Armed men come to attack me. We know how crime works, but we are standing up to keep what our ancestors left us," said Ricardo Salgado, community member of Crescencio Morales.
The Mazahua community of Crescencio Morales, in Zitácuaro, Michoacán, decided to take up arms to defend themselves from extortion, homicides and to look after.
"We have a very rich forest, very nutritious, because we are feeding even those in the city of Zitácuaro, the forest dam that I even believe sends water to Mexico," said María García, a comunera.
Since January, the community members installed 10 inspection points in the community of 14,000 inhabitants; men and women stop vehicles of people outside their town and monitor that they do not transport weapons, drugs or wood.
"We had many problems because they are more armed than us, but we still went and removed the wood, which sometimes as a woman is a little difficult because it is a little scary, but more than anything you have to be at 100 percent operability there," said Demesia Reyes, comunera of Crescencio Morales.
To support the work of its community round, composed of 400 men and women, the Crescencio Morales community began the process to manage its own budget without the intermediation of the Zitácuaro City Council.
"What that budget is going to be applied to is security and security protects us to protect our families, our forests and everything that our people know," said Erasmo Álvarez, communal commissioner.
On October 28, in a freehand assembly they supported a government of uses and customs; if the electoral institute and the Electoral Tribunal of Michoacán validate their last assembly, Zitácuaro City Council must give them the money that corresponds to them, estimated at about 28 million pesos.
"We are not asking for anything that we have invented. We also deserve respect, we have many needs and we will see what we invest it in," said María García, comunera of Crescencio Morales, in Zitácuaro, Michoacán
Hummm
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