Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples trust in approval of reform on their rights

Carolina Gomez Mena

The newspaper La Jornada
Friday, August 9, 2024, p. 13

As never before in the modern history of Mexico, and much less in neoliberal governments, the 70 indigenous peoples and the Afro-Mexican We had had the support at the highest level Nor had there been such favorable conditions for the approval of a constitutional reform on their rights, said Janet del Rosario Cruz Gómez, general coordinator of the National Council of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples (CNPI).

The House of Representatives’ Constitutional Affairs Committee will today rule on the initiative to reform Article 2 of the Constitution, which recognizes indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities as subjects of public law, with legal personality and their own assets, and elevates prior and informed indigenous consultation to constitutional status, among other aspects. Participants in the CNPI national assembly therefore demanded that legislators respect the wording of the proposal.

On the occasion of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples (which is celebrated today), members of the CNPI, legislators and federal officials pointed out that we are facing a great and crucial moment for the indigenous communities and for the country.

Adelfo Regino Montes, head of the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, is confident that legislators will approve the ruling Respecting the initiative in essence, because we do not want the events of the past to be repeated, such as with the indigenous reform of 2001..

With this modification, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador keeps his word to our people and expressed his recognition to the virtual president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who has said that it is a priority reform, and that in September the new Congress will approve it.

Deputy Irma Juan Carlos said that in the aforementioned commission she will be attentive to the fact that The wording of the initiative should not be modified, because we are not prepared to allow a setback..

Amidst numerous cheers for López Obrador and his successor, the councillors expressed confidence that the proposal would be approved in Congress. Jesús Ramírez Cuevas, spokesman for the government of the Republic, told the participants: Receive a greeting from the President, a man committed to indigenous communities, and has demonstrated it with actions.