Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

June 23, 2021

Europe rallies for Indigenous rights as Zapatistas arrive in Spain

Photo El Pais, Mexico


Zapata lives! Zapatista Army Squadron 421 disembarks in Galicia to begin its European tour


The delegation was received by an assembly of collectives from all over the continent in a festive atmosphere

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

The Zapatistas delegation disembarked from their ship on Tuesday to the sound of bagpipes and a festival, El Pais reports.

Manuel Raxo, the representative of Payasos Rebeldes, one of the collectives of the Galician assembly, said the defense of land and life is what unites them with the Zapatista army. "It is an opportunity to unite and wake up, as they claim, for the territory and all the struggles that unite us."

When the Zapatistas arrived in Vigo, Spain, supporters from France and Germany were among those demanding rights for Indigenous Peoples, pointing to assassinations in Mexico, including Yaqui water rights defenders in Sonora, and the continued use of Monsanto's dangerous pesticides in Mexico.

Currently, the Zapatistas delegation in Mexico City, planning to arrive by plane, is being refused passports by the Mexican government.

"The French group demanded justice for the members of the National Indigenous Congress of the North American country who have been assassinated for defending their territory.

"They confronted the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador for not granting passports to the other Zapatistas who will travel to Europe by plane," El Pais reports.

"The German representation, on the other hand, demanded a change in their country's industry and pointed the finger at Monsanto (owned by Bayer) for selling pesticides in Latin America that are already banned in Europe."

The owner of Monsanto and the U.S. pressured Mexico into eliminating its ban on glyphosate, The Guardian reports.

Meanwhile, from Ireland to Siberia, and from Turkey to Iran, supporters are welcoming the Zapatistas to learn from one another, including Basque, Saami, and Indigenous of Russia, the Zapatistas list of support shows.

El Pais, Mexico: Zapata lives!

The Guardian: Monsanto owner and Bayer pressured Mexico to eliminate Monsanto ban:

Watch videos of disembarking in Spain on the Zapatistas website, Enlace Zapatista. Global translations of the article are now in progress.

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