On 15th and 16th of June, 2012, communities and indigenous peoples of the Montaña and the Costa Chica, traditional authorities, civil organizations, social organizations, human rights defenders, and resistance movements that give life and strength to the tradition of struggle in Guerrero came together for the eighteenth anniversary of Tlachinollan Human Rights Center on the Montaña, to carry out the forum "From the heart of struggles" [extract from the final declaration of the XVIII Anniversary of Tlachinollan].
Participants included landowners of Carrizalillo, who shared the health impact of the mining company Goldcorp in their territory, a committee of the Student Council Raul Isidro Burgos Rural Normal Ayotzinapa, campesino people from Tecoanapa and Me'phaa community members of Ojo de Agua, who gave testimony about how water rights are defended in community organization, relatives of Marcial Bautista and Eva Alarcon, members of the Organization of Ecologist Campesinos of the Sierra of Petatlan and Coyuca de Benitez (Organización de Campesinos Ecologistas de la Sierra de Petatlán, OCESP) disappeared on December 7, 2011, also gave their testimony, as did the Purepecha people's representatives, who explained their experience of demands for autonomy.
The event was held in the context of recent threats to the lawyer Vidulfo Rosales, who was not present for the anniversary. The final statement stressed "from the heart of our struggle we demand the assurance that our colleague Vidulfo Rosales Sierra, Tlachinollan lawyer, social activist, a close friend and an example for his commitment to all of our struggles, be able to return immediately to Guerrero with adequate safety measures. We hold all three levels of government responsible for the attacks against defenders."
More information
Full Final declaration of the XVIII Anniversary of Tlachinollan (Spanish): "From the heart of the struggle" (Desde el corazón de nuestras luchas), 16 June 2012, Tlapa de Comonfort (Guerrero).
Desde el grito más hondo y digno, Report XVIII, 'Tlachinollan' Human Rights Center of the Montaña, May 2011 - June 2012, Tlapa de Comonfort (Guerrero).