Urgent Action Alert -- IFCO/Pastors for Peace
January 10, 2002

Ten Tons of Humanitarian Aid Destined for Chiapas Denied Entry into Mexico

1) Fax President Vicente Fox to Demand that the Aid be Cleared for Delivery to Indigenous Communities in Chiapas!

2) Organize a Demonstration at the Mexican Consulate in Your City

Since December 12, 2002, 10 tons of urgently needed humanitarian aid destined for the indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico, have been held at the Mexican border. The aid includes tens of thousands of dollars worth of medicines, medical supplies and computers, donated by dozens of churches, community organizations, religious orders and schools throughout the US and Canada. As each day passes, these vital medicines come closer to their expiration dates while indigenous people are forbidden access to this life-giving aid! For eight years IFCO/Pastors for Peace has delivered humanitarian aid to poor, indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico, always in accordance with Mexican law and with months of previous communication with Mexican authorities. However, upon this caravan’s arrival at the Mexico border, IFCO/Pastors for Peace was informed, for the first time, that new customs regulations would not allow the aid to cross the border. Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., Executive Director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, immediately traveled to Mexico City to meet with high level governmental officials in a good-faith effort to address the urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Chiapas that requires the timely passage of these vital medicines. After meeting with Mexican authorities, Rev. Walker expressed concern that “the refusal to authorize the entrance of the humanitarian aid now appears to have political motivations. It is very disturbing that this denial of aid to the poorest of the poor in Mexico’s indigenous population comes at the same time that hundreds of poor indigenous people are being thrown out of their homes. Is this a “war” against the poorest of the poor?” On December 13, three caravanistas remained with the aid while 16 caravanistas crossed the border in a school bus. They traveled to Chiapas to express our solidarity with the indigenous communities, to document the urgent human rights situation in the militarized region of Chiapas, and to communicate with the communities, clinics, hospitals and NGO’s, who are waiting for these medicines, why this aid is being denied entry into Mexico. On the road through Mexico, the caravan met extreme surveillance and aggressive confrontation by security forces, the military, and federal, state, municipal, and local police. The caravan was questioned, videotaped, and photographed during all of its activities including its visit to the parish of the Sisters of St. Francis, its visit to the refugee community of Pohló, and its participation in the fifth anniversary commemoration of the Acteal massacre of 45 indigenous people. In response to the clear obstruction of humanitarian assistance to our brothers and sisters in Chiapas, IFCO/Pastors for Peace needs your help to organize the following urgent activities: 1) Sign and Fax the Spanish version of the enclosed letter to President Vicente Fox to express your concern about the immediate need to release the aid. Gather as many signed letters as possible to immediately fax to 1) President Fox, 2) the office of the Secretario de Gobernacion, and 3) to IFCO/Pastors for Peace. President Vicente Fox Presidencia de la Republica Fax: 011-52-555-276-8011 Lic. Santiago Creel Miranda Secretario de Gobernación Fax: 011-52-555-093-3410 IFCO/Pastors for Peace Fax: 212-926-5842 2) Organize a Demonstration at the Mexican Consulate in Your City Fifteen demonstrations have already been confirmed for this Wednesday, January 15 at Mexican Consulates across the country. If you do not know about a demonstration yet in your community, call Taleigh Smith at IFCO/Pastors for Peace to confirm your city’s participation in this national coordination of demonstrations. If you do not know whether there is a Mexican Consulate in your city, check http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm. Letter to President Vicente Fox (English version proceeds Spanish version) President Vicente Fox President of the Republic Dear President Fox: I write in support of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO)/Pastors for Peace to ask your assistance in authorizing the entrance of 10 tons of urgently needed humanitarian aid destined for the indigenous communities of Chiapas. These vital medicines and medical supplies have been held up at the US-Mexican border since December 12, 2002, and as each day passes, each medical item gets closer to expiration, and more poor people continue to suffer without access to this life-saving aid. Dozens of churches, schools, clinics and community organizations and thousands of individuals from throughout the US and Canada have responded to the plight of the poorest of the poor in Mexico and donated this humanitarian aid during the caravan’s stops in more than 50 cities prior to arriving at the border. The IFCO/Pastors for Peace caravan was developed to facilitate this people-to-people response to the urgent call of rural clinics, parishes, schools, non-governmental organizations, and indigenous communities from throughout Chiapas in need of humanitarian aid. Since 1988, IFCO/Pastors for Peace has delivered aid to the people of Chiapas on 10 national caravans. IFCO has also crossed into Mexico with more than 30 additional caravans of aid destined for Central America and the Caribbean. For the first time in its history, this IFCO/Pastors for Peace humanitarian mission has not been authorized to cross into Mexico. IFCO/Pastors for Peace has a history of respecting Mexican law.IFCO/Pastors for Peace has always communicated with the appropriate authorities -- months before the actual arrival of the caravan at the border. IFCO/Pastors for Peace approached this caravan with the same good-faith spirit of openness about its ministry. It is for this reason that I and thousands of IFCO/Pastors for Peace members and supporters are perplexed at why the Mexican authorities are treating this caravan differently and delaying the authorization of its entrance into Mexico. Three tons of the aid (sent by the Sisters of St. Francis in New York) is designated to the Sisters of St. Francis in Palenque, Chiapas for their medical services and ministry in 142 communities in the region. During the month of February, the Sisters of St. Francis from New York will be sending two medical teams of doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists, and nuns from throughout the U.S. to Palenque. The urgent health needs of the poor people in this region require immediate access to these medicines to treat the sick. Indeed, the Sisters of St. Francis have called on their entire order to pray for the immediate passage of the IFCO/Pastors for Peace aid, stalled at the border. Though the aid was held at the border, nearly 20 volunteers from throughout the US and Canada, several representing the communities which collected the humanitarian aid, traveled to Chiapas and visited several rural clinics and hospitals. Members of the caravan gave testimony about the dozens of empty shelves they witnessed labeled for the placement of medicines being held at the border. We are aware that peace in Chiapas is a stated goal of your administration. We ask your assistance in allowing IFCO/Pastors for Peace to participate in the healing process by facilitating the entry into Mexico of these humanitarian supplies destined for the poor of Chiapas. Sincerely, cc:  Lic. Santiago Creel Miranda, Secretario de Gobernación IFCO/Pastors for Peace ******************************************************************************** Señor Presidente Fox Oficina de la Presidencia Saludos Cordiales. El propósito de esta carta es para expresar mi apoyo a IFCO/Pastores por la Paz y pedirle a Ud. que autorize la entrada de 10 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria urgentemente necesitada por las comunidades indígenas de Chiapas. Esta ayuda, que consiste mayormente en medicinas y equipo médico, ha estado esperando autorización en la frontera norte de México desde el 12 de diciembre del 2002. Cada día, los medicamentos se acercan a su fecha de vencimiento, mientras las comunidades siguen sufriendo, esperando esta ayuda esencial. IFCO/Pastores por la Paz organizó esta caravana que visitó más que 50 ciudades norteamericanas y recolectó ayuda humanitaria antes de llegar a la frontera. La ayuda fue donada por docenas de iglesias, escuelas, clínicas, organizaciones comunitarias, y miles de ciudadanos estadounidenses y canadienses con el fin de ofrecer una respuesta de “pueblo a pueblo” a la llamada urgente de clínicas rurales, escuelas, ONGs, y comunidades indígenas de Chiapas que trabajan con las poblaciones más pobres de México. Desde 1988, IFCO/Pastores por la Paz ha organizado 10 caravanas de ayuda humanitaria para las comunidades de Chiapas. Más de 30 caravanas de IFCO/Pastores por la Paz han pasado por México en camino a sus destinos en Centroamérica y el Caribe. Esa es la primera vez que los oficiales mexicanos no han autorizado una misión humanitaria de IFCO/Pastores por la Paz. IFCO/Pastores por la Paz respeta las leyes de México. IFCO/Pastores por la Paz se ha mantenido siempre en contacto con las autoridades indicadas - meses antes que las caravanas lleguen a la frontera. IFCO/Pastores por la Paz organizó esta caravana con el mismo espíritu de buena fe y transparencia que ha caracterizado todas sus caravanas anteriores. Es por eso que yo, y miles de miembros y amigos de IFCO/Pastores por la Paz, estamos sorprendidos por las acciones de las autoridades mexicanas que están reteniendo por primera vez la autorización de una caravana de ayuda humanitaria. Tres toneladas de la ayuda humanitaria fueron enviadas por las Hermanas de San Francisco en Nueva York para las Hermanas de San Francisco de Palenque, Chiapas. Esta ayuda está destinada a apoyar las clínicas y otros servicios que ellas brindan a 142 comunidades en la región. En febrero, las Hermanas de San Francisco de Nueva York enviarán a Palenque dos equipos de doctores, enfermeros, dentistas y monjas provenientes de diversas ciudades de los Estados Unidos. La profunda crisis de salud en que se encuentran las poblaciones pobres de esta región requiere atención médica y el aceso inmediato a estas medicinas. Como respuesta, las Hermanas de San Francisco han emitido una llamada a toda su orden para que reze por la autorización del pase de la ayuda humanitaria de IFCO/Pastores por la Paz. Aunque la ayuda humanitaria no ha ingresado, casi 20 voluntarios de la caravana viajaron a Chiapas y visitaron varias clínicas rurales y hospitales. Estos voluntarios, de diversas ciudades de EU y Canadá, representan a varias comunidades que recolectaron esta ayuda. Ellos pudieron ver las docenas de estantes vacíos que estaban preparados para recibir las medicinas que todavía esparan en la frontera. Estamos conscientes que uno de los objetivos de su presidencia es lograr la paz en Chiapas. Por eso estamos solicitando que Usted permita la entrada de esta ayuda humanitaria que tiene el mismo espíritu de avanzar hacia la paz. Atentamente, C.c.p.- Lic. Santiago Creel Miranda, Secretario de Gobernación IFCO/Pastors for Peace IFCO/Pastors for Peace fax: 212-926-5842

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