2011: Mesoamerica

Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Panamá

Costa Rica

A Full Month of River Celebrations
On the 26 and 27 of Febuary there was a festival in Cascajal Vázquez de Coronado, San José. During the first week in March students at the University of Cascajal and river activists put on a play about rivers to raise awareness about threates to free flowing rivers and the environment. Finally on March 13 there was a march and river cleaning day in Cascajal and Las Nubes (Vázquez de Coronado, San José) in celebration of the Day of Action For Rivers.

Contact:
Eduardo Boza
eeboza@gmail.com

 

Dominican Republic

Day of Action for the River Ozama
Community Action Program For the Environment (PACMA), a group based in Santo Domingo organized a Day of Action for the River Ozama. They held different actions along the length of the river, to raise awareness about the need to clean and maintain the river. Check out their action on Facebook.

Guatemala

Experts Pressure Guatemalan President to Support Chixoy Reparations
On March 14 experts sent a letter to the president of Guatemala demanding reparations for more than 33 communities affected by the Chixoy Hydroelectric Dam. Read the press release. On March 17 thousands of Chixoy Dam affected people held a peaceful march in Guatemala City to protest the government's delay in signing an executive order that would make binding a reparations plan for communities.

Contact:
Monti Aguirre
International Rivers
monti@internationalrivers.org

Mexico

(Otros Mundos, Chiapas)
(Otros Mundos, Chiapas)
Chiapas: 8th Meeting of Dam-Affected People
The Mexican Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAPDER) held their 8th annual meeting in Chiapas, Mexico on the 12 and 13 of March. The declaration from this meeting was streamed live on March 14.

MAPDER Press Conference
The Mexican Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAPDER), MAPDER held a press conference in Mexico City to speak about the International Day of Action For Rivers and the 8th meeting of Dam Affected people which took place over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of March.

 
Contact:

Gustavo Castro
MAPDER
guscastro@otrosmundoschiapas.org

Oaxaca: March Against Mega-Project Paso de La Reina
The Council for United People in Defense of the River Verde (COPUDEVER) organized a peaceful march through the main streets of Pinotepa Nacional in Oaxaca, Mexico to demand the cancellation of the hydroelectric project Paso de la Reina. More than six thousand people took part, carrying signs and banners, calling for the protection of the River Verde.

Contact:
COPUDEVER
municipio@educaoaxaca.org

Guadalajara: River Film Premier
In honor of the International Day of Action For Rivers activists gathered in the open air for the Guadalajara film

Guadalajara premier of A River Runs Through Us
Guadalajara premier of A River Runs Through Us
Carmen Diaz
premier of "A River Runs Through Us", a documentary filmed at the Rivers For Life meeting in Temaca, Mexico. Many Temaca residents were present at the event. The film was followed by a discussion and presentation of the MAPDER meeting declaration.

Contact:
Carmen Diaz
carmen.diaz.alba@gmail.com

Guerrero: Hand Made Boats on River Papagayo
In Guerrero, Mexico children and families gathered by the River Papagayo in solidarity against the construction of La Parota Dam. Children made hand made boast with messages of protest and floated them down the river to show the importance of free flowing rivers in their lives. They filmed part of a documentary about the struggle against La Parota which you can see here.

Contact:
Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a La Presa La Parota (CECOP)
rodoprt@hotmail.com

Torreon: Los Rios y Las Presas
In Torreon groups published an article to commemorate the International Day of Action For Rivers entitled "Los Rios y Las Presas" (Rivers and Dams). You can read the article here.

Contact:
Francisco Valdés Perezgasga
Instituto Tecnológico de La Laguna

Panamá

No More Dams in Bocas del Toro
On March 14, in the province of Bocas del Toro, community members from the towns of Naso and Ngabe came before the mayor of the Municipality of Changuinola to lobby for a district law that would guarantee that no more dams could be built on these indigenous territories. 

Contact:
Felix Sanchez
Fundación Naso

Indigenous Naso Leader Honored
On March 14, Panamá honored the Naso Indigenous leader Esteban Torres Durán, an amazing example of the fight, resistance and dignity of dam affected people who died on March 8.

Contact:
Larissa Duarte
Movimiento Campesino en Defensa del Río Cobre
mocamderco@hotmail.com

Strategic Actions Throughout Panamá
Environmental organizations in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and Panamá, appeared before the Supreme Court to demand that Resolution AG 01-27, 2006, be nullified. The resolution establishes the ecological capital of Panama and sets out actions that detrimentally affect water sources and water resources in the country, particularly through the construction of dams and hydroelectric project. Indigenous leaders also presented a bill to National Assembly members, for the "Protection of Mineral and Water Resources" in Bugle Ngabe and the surrounding communities. There was then a meeting at the University of Panamá to discuss the objectives of the protection bill and to pay homage to Esteban Torres. 

Contact:
Larissa Duarte
Movimiento Campesino en Defensa del Río Cobre
mocamderco@hotmail.com