|
Esta nota de prensa esta disponible en espanol Sierra Club Honors Mexican Forest Defenders with Chico Mendes Award MEXICO CITY - Today the Sierra Club presented its prestigious Chico Mendes Award to imprisoned environmentalist Felipe Arreaga Sanchez, his wife Celsa Valdovinos Rios and Albertano Peñaloza for their outstanding environmental heroism. The award recognizes the activists' courage and leadership in defending the forests of Mexico’s Sierra de Petatlán from illegal deforestation by multinational timber companies, powerful landowners and drug traffickers. "Defending the environment for future generations is not a crime," said Alejandro Queral, International Policy Advisor for the Sierra Club. "Environmentalists are sitting in jail while the individuals who have violated their human rights and broken Mexican environmental laws for personal profit remain free. In this dangerous climate it is imperative that elected officials pass and enforce strong laws protecting the civil liberties of environmentalists." In November 2004, Felipe Arreaga was arrested on unsubstantiated charges of murder widely accepted to have been in retaliation for his leadership in protecting the forests of the Sierra de Petatlán. He is currently being held in a Guerrero, Mexico prison. Arreaga is one of the founding members of the Organization of Farmer Environmentalists of the Sierra de Petatlán y Coyuca de Catalán (OCESP by its Spanish name), which organized community members to oppose the rampant - and often illegal - logging in the mountains of Sierra de Petatlán. Celsa Valdovinos, Arreaga’s wife and founder of the Organization of Women Environmentalists of the Sierra de Petatlán (OMESP) has continued her work for the environment despite threats to her personal safety. Under her leadership, OMESP has undertaken a successful reforestation campaign, developed a system of sustainable organic gardening for local families, and carried out education campaigns to prevent local air and water pollution. "Celsa is not only well-respected, but actually revered by the women of the Sierra de Petatlán for her work and dedication to preserving the environment," said Stephen Mills, Director of the Sierra Club’s International Program. "This award recognizes the vital importance of her work and the risks she takes in a dangerous climate." The third award recipient, Albertano Peñaloza, a timber company whistleblower and another founding leader of OCESP, was with his family when they were ambushed by thugs believed to be working for the local land boss Bernardino Bautista del Valle. Two of his sons, ages nine and twenty, were killed during the attack. Mr. Peñaloza and his other two sons were seriously wounded. "The Peñaloza family's tragedy is an ugly example of the dangerous nature of protecting the environment in Mexico," said Queral. "The long history of attacks against environmentalists by local land owners in this part of Guerrero makes clear the need for legal protections of activists’ civil and political rights." The Sierra Club is urging the administration of President Vicente Fox to champion such legal protections at the federal level. Felipe Arreaga’s and Albertano Peñaloza’s case is not the first time environmentalists have been incarcerated for defending local forests. On May 2, 1999, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera - both members of the OCESP - were arrested by a battalion of the Mexican Army, who beat them, threatened them at gunpoint, and tortured them, resulting in a forced confession to trumped-up charges of drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons. The Sierra Club and Amnesty International believe that these charges were created to imprison Montiel and Cabrera for their environmental activism. Under international and domestic pressure, President Fox pardoned them in November 2001 for humanitarian reasons. In 2004, Arreaga was wrongfully imprisoned based on a fabricated investigation surrounding a 1998 murder, despite the fact that Arreaga is documented to have been out of town when the crime occurred. Arreaga’s attorneys expect a decision by the presiding judge in the next two days. Felipe and Celsa have been chosen as runners-up for this year's Conde Nast Traveler Environmental Award. The Sierra Club established the Chico Mendes Award, named after the late Brazilian rubber tapper and environmentalist, in 1989 to recognize individuals or non-governmental organizations outside of the United States who have exhibited extraordinary courage and leadership at the grassroots level in the struggle to protect the environment. Previous recipients include Rodolfo Montiel (Mexico), the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Nigeria), and Aleksandr Nikitin (Russia). The award to Felipe Arreaga Sanchez reads: Sierra Club 2005 Chico Mendes Award for global environmental heroism Is presented to Felipe Arreaga Sanchez Organización Campesina Ecologista de la Sierra Petatlán y Coyuca de Catalán For extraordinary courage and leadership in defense of the forests of Guerrero, Mexico
Sierra Club Premio Chico Mendes 2005 por la heroíca protección al medio ambiente global Es presentado a Felipe Arreaga Sanchez Organización Campesina Ecologista de la Sierra Petatlán y Coyuca de Catalán Por el valor extraordinario y el liderazgo en defensa de los bosques de Guerrero, Mexico To see photos of Felipe, Celsa and Albertano, visit http://www.tlachinollan.org/videos_galeria/galeria/gallery/albums.php |
