Mazahuas Choose Jail Over Going Without Water

100,000 Mazahua people who live in the state of Mexico in 13 municipalities, the majority of them live in extreme poverty, live near a large water distribution center. The water system passes by most of these small rural villages, but most of them have no access to this life sustaining substance. The Mazahua Women’s Army in Defense of Water, despite its name, is a peaceful organization that advocates for the water rights of the Mazahua people. They recently occupied and shut off on of the valves of one of the water system’s plants. 50 to 70 people have set up an encampment outside the plant in protest and have warned that if their demands for water and rights are not met, the situation could become volatile.

MEXICO CITY, Dec 30 (Tierramérica) – Although they live near a gigantic water distribution system, the indigenous Mazahuas lack access to water and live in deep poverty. Since Dec. 11, when they shut off the valves of one of the system’s plants in protest, Mazahua women have kept up the vigil — and warn that it could turn radical.

“We prefer jail over continuing without water,” Beatriz Flores, a member of the “General Command of the Mazahua Women’s Army in Defence of Water”, told Tierramérica.

The group, despite its name, declares itself to be a peaceful movement. Its protest consists of maintaining an encampment of 50 to 70 people outside “Los Berros” water purification plant in the Mazahua town of Villa Victoria. The plant where the protesters shut off the valves is part of the Cutzamala water system, which supplies the capital and part of the state of Mexico, neighboring Mexico City.

Flores, 27, has three young daughters and combines her domestic duties with activism for water rights. Her family gets by thanks to a vegetable garden and the exhausting farm work of her husband.

“We asked them to supply water in our houses, and also an integrated development plan..

Posted by Partisano
Nací en Estados Unidos y tengo 22 años. Soy de origen español. Soy estudiante de uni y obrero. Soy partidario del sindicalismo y el socialismo libertario. Trato, por mi parte, luchar por un futuro mejor. En esencia soy un ser libre y amante de la aventura....

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