Indigenous peoples from 51 towns in the Las Margaritas municipality of Chiapas are speaking out against plans to build a hydroelectric generation plant on the Santo Domingo river.

Citizens of Tziscao, Cataratas and Tzeltal-Tzotzil claim that the plant and its dam would have a negative impact on their communities and a large part of the protected natural reserves of the region.

As far they are concerned, “water is sacred, a source of life, and not to be negotiated with.”

“This project intends to flood several hundred hectares,” they say, “stripping us of our fundamental rights” and land.

They claim they have not been informed or consulted about the plant, as required by law and are demanding the “immediate cancellation of the hydroelectric project.”

Source: El Universal (sp)