We, the Tseltal, Tsotsil Indigenous peoples, and the mestizo community, express our opposition to the Palenque–San Cristóbal de las Casas Highway project in Chiapas, and to the construction of the first stretch from Palenque to Ocosingo, as it violates our right to self-determination, to our territory, to live in harmony with nature, and to a healthy, safe, and sustainable environment. We want to make it clear that from its inception, this highway has been a discriminatory, racist, and exclusionary project aimed against those of us who work the land and inhabit the territory.
The Palenque–San Cristóbal de las Casas highway project is not new—it has been proposed since the administration of Chiapas Governor Juan Sabines Guerrero (2006–2012), in collaboration with the Federal Government. Although it has been justified under the guise of “development,” the highway has not been built thanks to the resistance of organized communities that emerged due to the lack of official information and transparency about the project.
In this current administration, the present governor, Eduardo Ramírez, has revived this construction project, and in alliance with the federal government, it has now become one of the most significant projects in the country.
Eduardo Ramírez stated to the media that he would not carry out the construction of the highway without first consulting the people and Indigenous communities. Therefore, on February 17, 2025, the “Guidelines for Conducting Public Consultations Related to Strategic Development Projects in the State of Chiapas” were published in the Official State Gazette, inventing a participation mechanism called a “Public Consultation.”
The so-called “Public Consultation,” according to the government’s published Guidelines, is a mechanism through which people can decide whether or not they agree with the implementation of projects that the government classifies as “strategic development.” These Consultations are overseen by the governor himself and the General Secretariat of Government and Mediation, without including specialized authorities such as the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).
Thus, on March 23 of this year, a Public Consultation was held regarding the first stretch of construction—from Palenque to Ocosingo—in the municipalities of Chilón, Salto de Agua, Palenque, and Ocosingo. In this consultation, the authorities did not respect our right to access environmental, social, cultural, or project execution information. The communities were not informed in advance; the invitation was only shared via social media, failing to reach the many communities where there is no cell phone or telephone service. Furthermore, polling stations were only placed in municipal centers—between two and six per location. We witnessed serious irregularities, including people who were not from the municipality being allowed to vote, thus making decisions about land that is not theirs. The true owners of the land, and those most directly affected, were not taken into account.
Once again, the bad government directly discriminates against the Indigenous peoples who inhabit this region. Racism and contempt for Indigenous communities persist, even after the constitutional reform to Article 2, which recognizes our right to consultation and self-determination.
In response to the repeated violations of our human rights, today, March 31, 2025, we have filed two legal injunctions (amparos): one against the guidelines for conducting public consultations, because they are unconstitutional; and another for violating our right to a free, prior, informed, culturally appropriate, and good-faith consultation, which is part of our right to self-determination. We have also decided to exercise our right to petition by submitting requests for information to the Governor of the State, to the Head of the General Secretariat of Government and Mediation, and to the Secretariat of Infrastructure of the State of Chiapas. We demand that they make public the information on the environmental, cultural, and social impacts related to the construction of the Palenque–San Cristóbal highway and the stretch from Palenque to Ocosingo, so that we may freely and informedly decide the future of our territory, ensuring care and respect for our Mother Earth.
Finally, we inform society in general that, based on our right to decide on our own development, the preservation of our cultural and ancestral heritage, our territory, health, equality, self-determination, and autonomy, we—the original peoples—have signed the Declaration of Peoples Free from Megaprojects, a document that represents our collective decision to resist the government’s imposition of a project that violates our rights and threatens the life of our communities.
The land is not for sale—it is cared for and defended.
Movement in Defense of Life and Territory (MODEVITE)
Community Government of Chilón
Communities organized for the defense of territory