PBI-Mexico accompanies the National Meeting of Struggles against Gas Pipelines and Death Projects

On January 19, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project tweeted: “On January 15 and 16 in Puebla we accompanied the organizations and communities that gathered in Altepelmecalli —La Casa de los Pueblos— to participate in the National Meeting of Struggles against Gas Pipelines and Death Projects.”

PBI-Mexico adds: “We celebrate that this meeting has been an opportunity for defenders of the territory and the environment to share their words and experiences on the road to articulating a culture of peace, justice and respect for community rights.”

Resistance and upcoming actions

La Jornada reports: “Communities in resistance throughout the country, opponents of the so-called ‘Death Projects’, marched this Sunday [January 16] … to pronounce themselves against the Morelos Gas Pipeline, the Mining Law and the presidential decree that declares megaprojects as issues of ‘public interest’ and ‘national security’.”

Somos el Medio adds: “Under the slogans of uniting the struggles and turning them into solidarity, it was proposed to prepare the ‘Children’s and Youth Meeting for the Fight against Gas Pipelines and Death Projects’, as well as multiple joint actions that will later be published.”

And Pie de Pagina notes: “The final result of the Meeting was the announcement of the Caravan for Life that will depart from the Altepelmecalli on March 22. The caravan will advance through towns, communities and territories in resistance to megaprojects and will conclude a month later, on April 22, in the city of Juchitán, Oaxaca, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.”

Peoples’ Front

One of the organizations that took part in the National Meeting is the People’s Front in Defence of Land and Water – Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala (FPDTA-PMT).

They oppose the PIM megaproject that consists of the 171-kilometre gas pipeline across the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos; a gas-fuelled thermoelectric plant in the town of Huexca, Morelos; and a 12-kilometre aqueduct to divert water from the Cuautla River near Huexca to cool the turbines at the thermoelectric plant.

PBI-Mexico has accompanied the Peoples’ Front since early 2020.

Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples

The Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples in Defence of the Territory of Puebla and Hidalgo was also present at the National Meeting.

They oppose the 287-kilometre Tuxpan-Tula gas pipeline being built across the states of Veracruz, Puebla and Hidalgo by the Calgary-based company TC Energy.

This report was recently published about Indigenous opposition to this pipeline.

When the report was presented to the Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples in Defense of the Territory of Puebla and Hidalgo, the council “accepted and celebrated the document, and pledged to continue their fight, and eventually to establish links with the Wet’suwet’en communities that resist TC-Energy in Canada.”

PBI-Canada was present on Wet’suwet’en territory in November 2021 to support their struggle against the TC Energy Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline being built on their territory without their free, prior and informed consent.

The National Meeting took place in the town of Cuanalá in the State of Puebla at the Bonafont bottled water plant (owned by Paris-based Danone) renamed Altepelmecalli, La Casa de los Pueblos (House of the People) when it was taken over by Indigenous and local communities on August 1, 2021.