In Mexico, legislators are debating the approval of the biosecurity law that in reality is a law promoting the cultivation and commercialization of transgenetics to the benefit of the agribusiness transnationals.  This law will leave the consumers unprotected; it will do away with organic production; it will displace rural producers; it will finish off the biological wealth of the country; it will worsen the irreversible genetic contamination; it will lead to the disappearance of cultures; it will provoke an increase in illnesses and allergies; it will accelerate the race to see who will be the owner of genetic riches; and consequently, it will worsen the expulsion of the rural populations in the zones of greatest biodiversity such as Montes Azules in the state of Chiapas.

Given this, among the things that concern us the most is seeing a politician make decisions with business interests; without having the information, the knowledge and still less without having asked the opinion of experts and of society in general or without wanting to listen to them, because they have given their opinions many times.  This provokes the declarations such as the one made last June by an official of the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), Alberto Cardenas, who put forth as a proposal:  a “gradual opening to transgenetics” in the “protected zones of Mexican corn breeds”.  According to him, this is with the end to “work adequately with biotechnology to convert the cultivation of corn into an emporium in the nation where the seed originated”.  (La Jornada, June 26, 2004).

While they say this, in reality, transgenetic corn has already arrived in many ways.  It has already contaminated the indigenous lands in Oaxaca, it is already in Chiapas and in all of the tortillas that Mexicans consume from the Maseca tortilla shops where they mix native corn with imported transgenetic corn that has been highly subsidized coming from the United States.  According to Silvia Ribeiro of the ETC Group, Mexico has been violently invaded by transgenetics and many of the breeds that the politicians say they want to protect have already been contaminated.  In Puebla for example, Semarnat’s Ecology Institute has found contamination since 2001.  According to Ribeiro, nine states have already been contaminated.

The Monsanto company also has commercial transgenetic soya plantations in the Soconusco region of Chiapas.  But transgenetic foods are also present in the industrialized foods from the Kellogg’s, Maizoro, Nestle, Hellman’s and other brand names.  In Central America, they arrive through these brand names and also through food aid to the poor who have suffered droughts and other catastrophes.  Politicians often form part of the company boards to facilitate the entrance of products to their respective countries.

And as if that weren’t enough, Monsanto has abandoned 90 barrels of toxic materials in one of their warehouses for more than 20 years in an urban zone of San Miguel in the east of El Salvador.  Many of the barrels have already opened sending out thousands of pounds of Toxafeno.  Hundreds more were buried in the neighbourhood.  The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency requires that the leaking of 1 pound of Toxafena be reported to authorities given that this organochlorine insecticide contains more than 670 chemicals.  Its use is prohibited in El Salvador.  It damages one’s lungs, nervous system and kidneys and it can even cause death.  According to the organization, CESTA, in El Salvador, “the surrounding community suffers from kidney failure, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, respiratory problems and stomach problems.  Animals have died due to poisoning.  Toxafeno affects recently born animals if their mothers have been exposed during the pregnancy.  As well, animals exposed to Toxafeno develop thyroid cancer.  The United States’ Health and Human Services Department has determined that it is highly probable that Toxafena is carcinogenic.  In addition to Toxafena, there are many other unknown and abandoned chemicals in the warehouse.”

For these reasons the indigenous, campesino and urban communities and society in general are placing more importance on awareness of the environmental problems of transgenetics and the role of corporate investments.  Recently, a campesino from Chiapas told a federal political candidate in his area what he thought of transgenetics, Plan Puebla Panama and the FTAA (the Free Trade Area of the Americas).  The rancher, who has been accused of repressing indigenous peoples was left speechless – he didn’t know how to respond.  He didn’t know anything.  The campesinos told him, “We don’t want anything to do with you. You don’t know anything.  You aren’t ready to govern.”

The First Week for Biological and Cultural Diversity was held in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas in June 2001.  More than 500 participants wanted to continue with this process of learning, formation, information, exchanging of experiences and searching for hints in support of alternative development from and for the people.  They also came from Central America and for this reason in 2002, the Second Week was held in Guatemala with the participation of 800 people.  In 2003, the Third Week was held in Honduras with more than 900 people participating.  The wave is growing and in Meso-America the contamination continues but it’s the unity and the consciousness of the struggle of the people.  At these gatherings, the people of Meso-America debate, analyse and exchange experiences relating to the problem of transgenetics, monoculture, mining, PPP and the FTAA, free trade agreements, agri-chemicals and their impact on the environment, shrimp farming and the privatization and destruction of wetlands, human rights and indigenous rights, alternative media, etc, etc..  Now, in 2004, the Fourth Week was held in El Salvador in the framework of the Meso-American Forums.  Here we present their declarations.

THE CAROLINA DECLARATION

Under the framework of the Fourth Meso-American Forum on Biological and Cultural Diversity, celebrated in the community of Carolina, El Salvador, 400 people, among them women, men, indigenous, social, communal, non-governmental organization and international organization representatives and other people committed to the theme have come together and we declare:

Given that the Neoliberal Economic Model has developed mechanisms of appropriation of biodiversity, such as biopiracy and bioprospection, putting at risk the rights of local, indigenous and campesino community rights to autonomy and knowledge. 

Given the presence of international trade deals such as the FTAA, the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and Central America, PPP and Plan Colombia – all of which are instigated by international financing institutions such as the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American Economic Integration Bank and even by rich countries for poor countries, for example the “Washington Council” or the “World Trade Organization”. 

Given that these agreements have generated and continue to generate the loss of national sovereignty, the weakening of the state, the increase in poverty, the violation of human rights, migrations, environmental degradation, the privatization of biodiversity, the erosion of culture and several forms of violence. 

Given that militarization and repression by neoliberal governments are violently appropriating our resources and that they are doing away with Meso-American culture, intimidating and assassinating the indigenous, campesino and African-descent warriors who are defending their patrimony and territory.

Given that state power is almost non-existent in the development of social and economic policies, power is then established in the hands of transnational companies through mechanisms such as Intellectual Propriety rights, invalidating the rights to autonomy, self-determination and free access to the ancestral knowledge of the local indigenous and campesino communities. 

Given that the role of the state in Central America is characterized as being a facilitator of said agreements, trying to diminish social participation, using methods of repression, coercion, intimidation and control over local, indigenous, African-descent and campesino communities.

Given that the attacks and invading actions on our territories and natural ecological reserves puts in serious danger the autonomy and culture as with all forms of life.

Given that transgenetic seeds, products and anything that is transgenetic threaten our local communities, our culture, our food sovereignty and our present eco-agricultural and forestry-related models, in addition to the genetic contamination, act as latent threats to biodiversity.

Given the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UPOV (the Union for the Protection of Obtaining Vegetation), or initiatives for Central America such as the Meso-American Biodiversity Corridor (CBM in Spanish), which are put forth by supposedly biodiversity conservation, protection and management interests but which actually have objectives oriented toward the appropriation of the region’s natural resources.

Given that Meso-America is the second-most biodiversity rich region in the world, after the Amazon, converting it into a lucrative attraction for biopiracy and bioprospection by transnational food or pharmaceutical companies, research institutions or supposed conservation organizations.

Given that that public spaces for ideological reflection and construction, such as the media, have been man-handled, bought, coerced and manipulated by transnational communication companies and national economic and political powers, it is of vital importance that local or national alternative media are built, given how information has been distorted and misinterpreted.

Given the relevance of local, indigenous, African-descent and campesino communities to the use and management of biodiversity such as means of protecting, conserving and rehabilitating natural resources, it is important to emphasize sovereignty and local autonomy in the making of decisions for its development and not the meddling of external agents such as transnational companies. 

Given that local communities have a right over their territories and over their biodiversity acquired through a process of building knowledge, relations, values and traditions, the actions of the communities through organization, formation, awareness, solidarity links and integration become indispensable.

We strongly reject:

1.       The Neoliberal Economic Model and its accompanying structures that, through unjust, excluding, violent and processes, violate human rights, degrade cultures, destroy natural resources and privatize life.

2.       The construction of hydroelectric mega-projects in Meso-American territory as we consider them to be a threat to our lives and local economies and, above all, for biodiversity.

3.       All the agreements and accords for commercial trade that through unfair means have managed to put the biological and cultural resources of Meso-America in the hands of transnational capital, provoking the major deepening of poverty and inequality in local, indigenous, African-descent and campesino communities.

4.       The complicity, ineffectiveness and inability of our Meso-American governments for their implementation of policies and interests in favour of the transnational companies and genocidal administrations such as that of George Bush in the United States.

5.       The suspicious and macabre intentions of the Convention for Biological Diversity that refer exclusively to the access to genetic resources promoting biopiracy and the expropriation of the resources of local communities.

6.       The contamination of our native seeds by transgenetic seeds.

7.       All said initiatives that refer to Meso-American integration though the road construction and private conservation of natural resources promoted by the Meso-American Biological Corredor, with a significant  impact on the most socially, economically and ecologically vulnerable local, indigenous, African-descent and campesino communities.

8.       The hypocrisy, the lack of transparency and the ill-intended management of information put out by large national and transnational communication companies responding to economic and political interests.

WE DEMAND:

-The total, immediate and integral rejection of the free trade agreement between Central America and the United States.

-The cancellation of mining, petroleum, hydroelectric and biopiracy concessions as well as the suspension of mega-projects detrimental to nature.

-The ratification of International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 which deals with the recognition of the rights and autonomy of indigenous, African-descent and local peoples in the member nations of this international convention. 

-That Central America be declared Transgenetic Seed Free thereby avoiding the contamination of our native seed.

-The respect for the communities ways of indigenous, African-descent and campesino peoples in the use and management of biodiversity.

-The immediate freeing of our indigenous Lencas brothers, members of the COPIHN – Marcelino and Leonardo Miranda – unjustly incarcerated for defending their territory, as well as the 29 imprisoned CGTG peers and also the political prisoners in Meso-America.

-A stop to the repression by the Oaxacan government of our indigenous brothers of the CIPO-RFM in Oaxaca, Mexico, and of Raul Gatica, who fight for their autonomy and the defense of their rights.

- A stop to the repression, intimidation and coercion of community, organizational and social institution leaders who fight forcefully for social and equitable justice, for life and for their rights.

-A complete environment not part of an environment.

WE PROMISE:

-To continue to strengthen our organizational and fighting processes to defend our rights, autonomy and sovereignty, ancestral and fundamental and our indigenous, African-descent and campesino identities.

-To strengthen the practices and renewed esteem for traditional, natural and alternative medicine as well as using and exchanging native seeds.

-To coordinate and articulate Meso-American actions and initiatives through conferences, forums, exchanges of experiences, etc..

-To uphold and we ratify the agreements, considerations and compromises of the Third Forum in Intibuca, Honduras in 2003.

-To gather again at the Fifth Meso-American Forum for Biological and Cultural Diversity.

To this end:

We make an urgent call to those men and women, be they young, campesinos, indigenous, of African-descent, communes, workers, professionals, members of cooperatives, union members, feminists, women’s organizations, ecological organizations, environmentalists, “preservationists” or conservationists, international organizations, anti-globalization movements – all possible social groups and moreover interested individuals – to act upon and adhere to this present declaration.

July 15, 16 and 17, 2004, the community of Carolina, San Miguel region, San Salvador.

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