[narconews] Davies: Geographic Survey Of Mountain Region in Oaxaca Draws Opposition
David B. Briones
Please Distribute Widely
Dear Colleague,
The American Geographical Society (AGS) is encountering resistance to
its efforts to survey the mountainous Sierra Juarez area from
community organizations in Oaxaca. While AGS claims the surveying is
innocent, others disagree.
The group failed to mention two of its important financial backers:
the US military and the weapons manufacturer Radiance Technologies,
along with the Mexican Government. From Oaxaca, Narco News Nancy
Davies brings us her analysis of what appears to be a thinly veiled
attempt to accumulate intelligence about this area of the State.
Davies mentions that the surveys target areas seem to be suspiciously
in areas that have been strong supporters of the Popular Peoples
Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO) since 2006 and areas that are communal lands
of the indigenous.
Davies writes:
What is the true reason for a geographic survey of the Sierra Juarez
paid for by both the US and Mexican governments? Many possible reasons
come to mind, such as theft or purchase of forest timber, locating
natural resources like minerals or water, narcotics activities, bio-
piracy, counter-insurgency, geo-piracy, and preparing for
privatization of communal land. UNOSJO's press release discusses
several possibilities.
The American Geographical Society (AGS) director, Jerome Dobson,
asserts that academics commonly accept US Army funding, and hand over
their results with no qualms. AGS sponsors Bowman Expeditions in
places like Colombia and Jordan.
According to Melquiades Cruz Miguel, a native of Yagavila, many
people saw something fishy behind the project's offer to give the
local people maps of their lands and to train young people in mapping.
No one promised to reciprocate actual information; indigenous people
in the past have supplied valuable information to investigators and
received in return, as now, only a map or a book.
These Mexico Indmgena maps also name families living on some
described parcels, despite the Yagila people expressly demanding they
not be published. A recent publication of the AGS photos show members
of the communities and members of UNOSJO.
Read the entirety of Davies revealing commentary online at Narco News:
From somewhere in a country called Amirica,
David B. Briones
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The Narco News Bulletin
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