Fray Matías de Córdova A.C. Human Rights Center in Tapachula, Chiapas is circulating this report on the government´s neglect before, during and after Hurricane Stan, that has increased damage to land and loss of human life.
With regard to the damages caused by Hurricane Stan in the coastal, border, and mountain zones of Chiapas, the Fray Matías de Córdova A.C. Human Rights Center, member organization of the National Network of Civil Human Rights Organizations, "All Rights for Everyone", asserts that there was a lack of adequate preventative measures on the part of authorities responsible for public safety. The authorities failure to totally evacuate the people located en areas affected by floods, their permitting of settlements in high risk zones and the continued ecological devastation of the region, resulted in a greater level of material damages and human losses, whose complete results can still not be accurately measured.
This assertion is supported by the statements of affected individuals, who affirm that they were not advised by any authorities of the imminent risks, nor evacuated from dangerous areas, leading to the loss of their homes, animals, furniture and the death or disappearance of relatives. Institutions like the IMSS, the State Justice Department and even private businesses, such as a car dealership, that were located near the Coatán River, were seriously affected by the floods and suffered many losses. They also were not advised of the risk nor evacuated in time.
The reasons why the authorities did not evacuate the high risk zone are unknown. One could speculate that it was to avoid the cost of maintaining the evacuated people in shelters, or possibly due to the lack of professional capacity in matters of prevention, and inability to foresee the risk, on the part of the Municipal Director of Public Safety. Whatever the case, the authorities have the obligation to give a plausible explanation.
The consequences of the lack of preventative measures- human and material losses- could become legal issues on judicial, political and administrative levels. This could be the reason that the municipal and state authorities are hiding the real number of dead, are not accepting reports of missing persons and are not facilitating the process of quantifying the damage in order to declare the area a disaster zone.
As of the 17th of October, the authorities had recorded as many as 52 dead. However, information provided to this non-governmental organization by people participating in the removal of the bodies from flooded areas (they asked that their names not be revealed out of fear of reprisal) reports close to 80 bodies removed from Tapachula by October, 13th. Also, one local paper has published a list of 74 people reported missing as of yesterday.
With regards to the Tapachula Justice Department’s refusal to receive reports, the reason given is that the current priority is the removal and processing of the corpses of flood victims, and thus they cannot receive any reports of other problems.
When we refer to the authorities permitting settlements in high risk zones, it must be emphasized that after the damages caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, it was known that people should not settle on the banks of rivers. Nevertheless, regardless of prevention and safety norms, the authorities permitted the establishment of these settlements. Now with Stan, a storm three times more intense than Mitch, we see the results: death and destruction.
In reference to the ecological devastation, we will make note that the Soconusco, Coast, and Sierra Madre regions of Chiapas have suffered ecological damage that has caused changes in the ecosystem, with sever consequences. Some examples of this human-caused environmental damage are deforestation, changes in the land due to large zones of cattle ranching, intentional fires, erosion, construction of dams, rerouting of rivers, devastation of bodies of water, and the occupation of hillsides and highlands for houses and agriculture.
Practices known to have damaged the local ecology include the growing of non-native crops, the poaching of endangered species, including marine birds and turtle eggs, the collection of shate palm, and the extraction of timber.
Greenpeace stated on the 5th of October with respect to the effects of Stan in Chiapas, that the origin of the floods was the accelerated deforestation of the forests and jungles of Chiapas. They stated that "The layer of plants in forests and jungles retains soil with its roots, diminishing the force of rainwater and aiding its absorption into the subsoil. This impedes erosion and mud slides, regulates the flow of water in creeks and rivers and prevents bodies of waters and dams from overflowing."
The emergency has not ended. The rescue of people in communities that are cut off from communication is still not complete, and the supply of food is insufficient. Food is running out. Shelters are over capacity, and the survivors of Stan are living in very crowded conditions.
In light of all this, we demand:
That the authorities of the three branches of the government - municipal, state, and federal - effectively coordinate to rescue and bring humanitarian aid to the affected communities, offer adequate shelters that permit flood survivors to live in dignified conditions, and not politicize the disaster for electoral ends. That international humanitarian aid is accepted, because the state has not shown the capacity to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.
That a special investigation be undertaken into the actions of authorities to protect people and their lands, in order to clarify culpability in cases of proven neglect.
That action is taken to mitigate, and avoid future occurrence of ecological damage in the Soconusco, Costa y Sierra Madre regions of Chiapas, particularly in La Encrucijada, El Triunfo and La Sepultura, three of the most important ecological reserves in the state.That the necessary actions be taken to avoid the reestablishment of settlements in the region’s flood risk zones, and that programs are designed to relocate the affected populations.
That all information on the seriousness of the problem is published, and coordinated efforts are made between the three sectors of the government and the private sector to create economic development programs for the region to prevent larger amounts of poverty, massive migrations, and a potential social problems.
National Network of Civil Human Rights Organizations,
"ALL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE".
Acción de los Cristianos para la Abolición de la Tortura, A. C. (ACAT); Asociación para la Defensa de los Derechos Ciudadanos "Miguel Hidalgo", A. C.; Asociación Jalisciense de Apoyo a los Grupos Indígenas (AJAGI); Centro de Estudios Fronterizos y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, A. C. (CEFPRODHAC); Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña, Tlachinollan, A. C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos "Don Sergio", A. C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas", A. C. (CDHFBC); Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Francisco de Vitoria O.P.", A. C. (CDHFV); Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Matías de Córdova". A.C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos "Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez", A. C. (Centro Prodh); Centro de Derechos Humanos Ñu’u Ji Kandií, A. C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos Solidaridad Popular, A.C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac del Istmo de Tehuantepec, A. C.; Centro de Derechos Humanos Victoria Diez, A.C.; Centro de Derechos Indígenas A. C. (CEDIAC); Centro de Derechos Indígenas "Flor y Canto", A. C.; Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL-DF); Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL-Guadalajara); Centro "Fray Julián Garcés" Derechos Humanos y Desarrollo Local, A. C.; Centro Regional de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos José María Morelos y Pavón, A. C.; Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos "Bartolomé Carrasco", A. C.; Ciudadanía Lagunera por los Derechos Humanos, A. C. (CILADHAC); Ciudadanos en Apoyo a los Derechos Humanos, A. C. (CADHAC); Colectivo Educación para la Paz. (CEPAZ); Comisión de Derechos Humanos "La Voz de los sin voz"; Comisión de Solidaridad y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, A. C. (COSYDDHAC); Comisión Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos, A. C. (CIDHM); Comisión Intercongregacional "Justicia, Paz y Vida"; Comisión para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, A. C.; Comisión Parroquial de Derechos Humanos "Martín de Tours", A.C.; Comisión Regional de Derechos Humanos "Mahatma Gandhi", A. C.; Comité de Defensa de las Libertades Indígenas (CDLI); Comité de Derechos Humanos Ajusco; Comité de Derechos Humanos de Colima, No gubernamental, A. C.; Comité de Derechos Humanos de Comalcalco, A. C. (CODEHUCO); Comité de Derechos Humanos de Tabasco, A. C. (CODEHUTAB); Comité de Derechos Humanos "Fr. Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada", A. C.; Comité de Derechos Humanos Pueblo Nuevo, A. C.; Comité de Derechos Humanos "Sierra Norte de Veracruz", AC.; Comité de Derechos Humanos y Orientación Miguel Hidalgo, A. C. (CODHOMHAC); Comité Sergio Méndez Arceo Pro Derechos Humanos de Tulancingo, Hidalgo, A. C.; Comité de Derechos Humanos "Sembrador de la Esperanza". A. C.; Franciscans International, México, A. C. (FIMx); Frente Cívico Sinaloense. Secretaría de Derechos Humanos; Indignación, A. C. Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos; Instituto Guerrerense de Derechos Humanos, A. C.; Instituto Mexicano para el Desarrollo Comunitario, A. C. (IMDEC); Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente, Centro de Investigación y Formación Social (CIFS-SOJ-ITESO); Programa de Derechos Humanos. Universidad Iberoamericana-Puebla; Programa Universitario de Derechos Humanos. Universidad Iberoamericana-León; Respuesta Alternativa, A. C. Servicio de Derechos Humanos y Desarrollo Comunitario; Servicio, Paz y Justicia, México (SERPAJ-México); Servicio, Paz y Justicia de Tabasco, A.C.; Taller Universitario de Derechos Humanos, A. C. (TUDH).
