International Day of Action 2008: Mesoamerica
Belize | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Panama | Mexico
Belize
Canoe Race Reveals the Sad Transformation of the Ruta Maya River
Belize Electricity Company (BECOL), which is part of Fortis Inc., sponsored a canoe race down the Ruta Maya River, which was once pristine and beautiful. Belizeans are being urged to compare the river that once was to the one that exists now as a result of BECOL efforts to generate electricity with new dams. Belizeans pay the highest price for electricity of all people in Central America, and on March 14th, many wrote letters, called in to talk shows and discussed ways to stop these powerful companies and their damaging projects.
Contact
Candy Gonzalez
Email: belpobz@starband.net
El Salvador
A Worthy Fight to Defend Rivers
The National Movement Against the Projects of Death in El Salvador held
protests against dams on March 14th, along with an indigenous ceremony
to pay homage to and call for the protection of the Torola River. A forum was also held in the Parque Central del Municipio de Texistepeque.
Contact
El Movimiento Nacional Contra los Proyectos de Muerte en El Salvador
Email: mesopermacultura@yahoo.es
Roadblock to warn people about dams
Contact
National Movement Against Dams and Mining
El Salvador
Forum and march for "Free Rivers and Free Communities!"
In collaboration with other organizations, the National Anti-Dam Movement of El Salvador (MONARES) carried out a forum entitled " Free Rivers, Free Communities" in the municipality of Texistepeque. Participants discussed the ten dam development projects that are in progress, especially Chaparral, which is the largest planned dam and would be built this year. Following the discussion, dam-affected people who had attended the forum marched through the main streets of the city bearing placards with the forum slogan as well as with phrases such as "Water for Life!"
Contact
Ana Raquel
Friends of the Earth - El Salvador
Email: raquel_cesta@ yahoo.com
Guatemala
Protecting Water Resources from 70 Potential Hydro-Electric Projects
The Guatemalan Front of Peoples Affected and Threatened by Dams and in Defense of Water (FGARDA) demonstrated peacefully for the duration of the 14th of March against the construction of dams and in defense of water in Guatemala and throughout the world.
Contact
The Guatemalan Front of Peoples Affected and Threatened by Dams and in Defense of Water (FGARDA)
Email: fgarda@uol.com.ar
Honduras
Protest on the International Day of Action
A demonstration was held in order to voice protest against dam projects in Honduras.
Panama
Actions Thwarted by Government Officials
Several actions were organized for the Day of Action, but news of the planning prompted the National Police to step in. In spite of this, indigenous Panamanians held an encampment at the Parque La Catedral in the City of Panama to protest the river projects that threaten the integrity of the affected communities. As they protested, they especially drew attention to the need to have water recognized as a right for all.
Contact
Alliance for Conservation and Development (ACD)
Email:acdpanama@gmail.com
Mexico
Action in Protest of the Parota Dam
The organization CECOP brought communities together to protest the Parota Dam on the 11th annual International Day of Action. This hydro-electric project threatens to displace 25,000 people and flood 17,000 hectares of forest and farming land in Guerrero, Mexico. A document that includes all of the members of the Frente Guerrerense contra la Represión y la Impunidad (FGRI), which includes more than 1000 members, was approved in an assembly in the town of Aguacaliente, the seat of the struggle against the La Parota dam.
Contact
Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a La Presa La Parota (CECOP) - Mexico
Web: www.cecop.coop
For further information, please contact:
Day of Action Coordinator
International Rivers
1847 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA 94703 USA
Phone: +1 510-848-1155
Fax: +1 510-848-1008
E-mail: dayofaction@internationalrivers.org'
