PBI-Mexico accompanies the People’s Front at press conference demanding justice for Samir Flores Soberanes
PBI-Mexico has posted: “In the framework of the Global Day: Justice for Samir Flores Soberanes! 6 years of impunity, yesterday we accompanied the @fpdtampt [the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water, Morelos Puebla Tlaxcala] in the press conference and delivery of documentation for Justice for the murder of the Nahua defender.”
Investigation by FGR FEADLE
Proceso reports:
“Seven days before the sixth anniversary of the murder of Samir Flores Soberanes, an opponent of the Morelos Integral Project (PIM), representatives of the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water, Morelos Puebla Tlaxcala, with the support of social organizations, requested the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to follow up on lines of investigation that involve politicians from the Morena party with crime and organized crime.
They added that because Samir was a broadcaster for an indigenous radio station, through a request from his family members, six months ago the FGR took over the case through the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Attention to Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE).
However, they pointed out, so far the FEADLE “does not have a theory of the case”, hence the Front decided to deliver its considerations on the lines of investigation that would have to be addressed to punish those materially and intellectually responsible for the murder of the community leader.”
Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Hugo Erik Flores
Mexico Times reports organizations have presented their theory of the case that evidences the relations of the narco-government in Morelos in the death of Samir Flores. “Among those who point out and demand that an investigation be carried out are federal deputies Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Hugo Eric Flores, as they are allegedly involved with the material authors, members of the Los Aparicio cell.”
Photo: Juan Carlos Flores Solís of the Peoples’ Front in Defense of Land and Water Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala (FPDTAMPT) at the press conference points to a banner titled: “Narco-government relations in the murder of Samir Flores”.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco was the governor of Morelos at the time of the murder, while Hugo Erik Flores was the delegate of the federal government for the state of Morelos.
Photo of Hugo Erik Flores and Cuauhtémoc Blanco from Animal Politico.
Role of cartels
The Mexico Times also reports:
“Juan Carlos Flores, a lawyer for the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water of Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala … indicated that “it is an open secret in the eastern region of Morelos, that it was they (Los Aparicio) who killed Samir and that from this they have achieved political and criminal control of the entire area.
He also recalled that on January 4, 2022, a photo was released in which [Mexican politician] Cuauhtémoc Blanco [who is “allegedly involved with the material authors, members of Los Aparicio”] appears with members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel – linked to the Los Aparicio group -, Guerreros Unidos and Comando Tlahuica.”
Photo from Tercera Vía.
Role of AMLO
And the Proceso article notes:
“The activists recalled that Samir Flores was murdered ten days after the then President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited the region where the PIM [Morelos Integral Project] is being built, on February 10, 2019, and unleashed “expressions of hatred” against the indigenous peoples who were demonstrating against the mega-works, calling them “conservative left-wing radicals”.
They emphasized that on February 19, one day before his murder, Samir Flores confronted Hugo Erick Flores, who served as state delegate of the Welfare Secretariat for Integral Development Programs in Morelos, and who was pointed out by the members of the Front as a political operator to silence the protests.”
Global Day of Justice
Somos el medio adds: “During the press conference, the collectives detailed the activities of the Global Day “Justice for Samir Flores Soberanes!”, which will take place from February 19 to 23, 2025. The objective is to make impunity visible and demand justice in a case that remains unsolved.”
Periodistas Unidos further notes: “So far, 69 activities have been registered in 17 countries, with the participation of 234 conveners, 147 organizations and 87 individuals.” There will also be “a massive mobilization on February 21 in Mexico City, which will depart from the Ministry of the Interior to the Zócalo.”
Global Day in countries whose companies involved in PIM
Educa Oaxaca highlights: “The global day will include the installation of six busts of Samir Flores in Mexico, the United States, the Basque Country, France and Italy, countries whose companies were involved in the PIM. Among them are [the Spanish company] Elecnor, [the French company] Saint Gobain, [the Italian company] Bonatti and [the Australian company] Macquarie.“
The PIM megaproject
And the EU-LAT Network has explained: “The PIM consists of two combined cycle gas thermoelectric plants in Huexca, Morelos; a 160 km gas pipeline that crosses the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos; two 12 km aqueducts to transport drinking water and discharge water that will be used by the thermoelectric plant, modifying the composition and flows of the Cuautla River (Morelos); and a 20 km high voltage network.”
Enegas and Elecnor sell to Macquarie
La Jornada de Oriente has explained: “The PIM was concessioned to three Spanish companies: Elecnor and Enagás, for the construction of the gas pipeline, and Abengoa for the construction and operation of the thermoelectric plants.”
In December 2021, the Chicago-based international law firm Baker McKenzie noted it had “advised Enagás and Elecnor on the agreement to jointly and equally sell the Mexican companies Gasoducto de Morelos and Morelos O&M to Macquarie for a total amount of US$173.8 million (154.2 million euros). Specifically, the purchase of the Mexican companies was carried out by MIP V International, a subsidiary of the Macquarie fund.”
Now, Educa Oaxaca notes: “The Macquarie company “bought the Morelos gas pipeline at a very low price of 160 million dollars, when the gas pipeline cost 400 million,” Juan Carlos Flores Solís, a member of the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala (FPDTAMPT), reported at the press conference.”
Chart: Macquarie offices in Canada.
Abengoa
Writer-researcher Martha Pskowski has also noted that in November 2010 “the governor [of Morelos] awarded the construction of the thermo-electric plant to the Spanish company Abengoa, with a $440 million investment.”
Bonatti
PODER has explained: “The Italian company Bonatti was contracted to install the 160-kilometer-long pipeline and was responsible for carrying out the initial conversations and negotiations with inhabitants of the communities through which the work would pass to obtain the permits for passage.”
Saint-Gobain
And this statement on Samir’s assassination signed by multiple organizations – including Friends of the Earth international , 350.org, Institute for Policy Studies, CIVICUS, Corporate Europe Observatory – highlighted: “French company Saint-Gobain is one of the main beneficiaries.”
Additionally, La Jornada de Oriente has reported: “Abroad, groups from France and Germany spoke out against the Saint-Gobain firm for being an essential part of the lobbying or international lobbying for the construction of the Morelos Gas Pipeline. They stressed that the work was carried out during the mandate of former governor Rafael Moreno Valle, in Puebla, and Graco Ramírez, in Morelos, who on a trip to the French country stressed that the comprehensive project ‘opens conditions for the expansion of companies in the manufacture of glass and automobiles.’”
Le Journal de Montréal further reports:
“The French company is considered a giant in the construction industry around the world. At the end of 2023, it had 160,000 employees in 76 countries, including Canada. The former CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu, has been a member of the company’s board of directors since June.
Photo: “Sophie Brochu Independent Director Member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee”
In its most recent annual report (2023), the Caisse de dépôt et placement [an institutional investor that manages the Québec Pension Plan] revealed that it owns nearly 2.4 million Saint-Gobain shares for a value of $231 million. This is considerably more than the 318,478 shares held by the Caisse in 2022, for a total of $21 million as of December 31, 2022.
Its main shareholders: Group Savings Plan Fund (8.73%) BlackRock Inc. (8.07%) Caisse de dépôts et consignations [a French public financial institution] (3.53%).”
Chart: Top institutional holders in Saint-Gobain.
Image from Saint-Gobain report.
Alamos Gold and Zacatecas Silver
And the People’s Front has linked Toronto-based Alamos Gold (its Esperanza Gold Project mine is situated in Morelos). In November 2020, they posted: “Lopez Obrador’s [support for the PIM] betrays the peasant and the promise of change of his government, to favour transnational corporations [including] Canadian miners like Alamos Gold.”
In February 2022, Toronto-based Alamos Gold Inc. announced “it has entered into a binding agreement to sell its non-core Esperanza Gold Project (“Esperanza”) located in Morelos State, Mexico to Zacatecas Silver Corp. (“Zacatecas Silver”) for total consideration of up to $60 million…”
Images: The Zacatecas Silver office in Vancouver, Canada.
Photo: Alamos Gold is located at 181 Bay Street (in suite 3910) in Toronto. That’s the office tower with the “TD” symbol at the top.
Avispa Midia has also reported: “Gathered [at the “First Assembly of the Nahua people of Morelos against mining and megaprojects of death” in April 2022], the Nahua peoples denounced the mining project “paradoxically called ‘Esperanza'”, for the exploitation, in open-pit pits, of gold and silver. This concession, for the Canadian companies Alamos Gold and Zacatecas Silver, is located just 500 meters from the Xochicalco site [an archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site].”
Photo: The Xochicalco Archaeological Site.
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