For years, the outspoken priest has operated a shelter in Oaxaca, Mexico for mostly Central American migrants on their way north. He’s witnessed an increase in the dangers associated with the trek as organized crime has taken over immigrant smuggling routes and has spoken candidly about corrupt officials who have allowed criminals to develop a presence in the area.

(audio: Alejandro Solalinde speaks in press conference, reporter interprets)

In a Mexico City press conference, Father Solalinde told reporters that the decision to leave the country temporarily came as a result of orders from his superiors in the church as well as from a series of recent death threats. He characterized the situation in Oaxaca as a state of impunity in which criminals and corrupt officials are working together to leave migrants as unprotected as possible.

Father Solalinde’s shelter is located along a key route used by migrants who move via Mexico’s freight train network. He has documented and publicized cases of mass kidnappings of migrants and has worked closely with Central American organizations formed by relatives of persons who have gone missing while crossing Mexican territory.

Father Solalinde says he will use his time abroad to speak publicly about the dangers faced by migrants in Mexico.

[Transcript of headline produced for May 17, 2012 morning broadcast of CBC News "World Report"]

By mid-day social media users were reporting another 14 bodies had been left inside of a vehicle near the Association of Customs Agents and three coolers containing human heads had been discovered near city hall. Last month, a minivan containing 14 dismembered bodies in plastic bags were left in front of Nuevo Laredo’s city hall.

Journalists march in Mexico City to protest killings

Journalists are marching today in Mexico City to demand the government take action to investigate and punish crimes against media workers. Today’s protest comes on the heels of a multi-homicide in Veracruz.

The remains of two photojournalists, a former cameraman, and a newspaper administrative worker were found yesterday – World Press Freedom Day – tortured, dismembered and dumped in plastic trash bags in a canal in Veracruz. Relatives of the two photojournalists, Guillermo Luna Varela and Gabriel Huge, reported the two as missing Wednesday afternoon.

The third man, Esteban Rodríguez, worked as a crime photographer for 5 years but left the profession in August of 2011 after the murder of two of key staffers of the regional Notiver newspaper. All three had expressed serious concerns for their personal safety in 2011.

The fourth victim was Irasema Becerra, who worked in the sales department at another local paper, El Dictamen, and was the girlfriend of one of the other victims.

The sadistic quadruple homicide came just five days after investigative journalist Regina Martinez was beaten and strangled to death in her home in the state capital of Veracruz.

Download audio file (symp3.mp3)

Of the hundreds of permits granted to foreign mining companies in Mexico, more than half have gone to Canadian firms. Some of the more contentious mining projects involve operations within indigenous territories. A common complaint in these cases is the lack of community consultation beforehand.

AMBI: reading statement at protest

At a recent protest in front of a state office for foreign investment, indigenous rights activists called on the government to abide by the terms of the International Labor Organization’s Convention 169 and consult with local communities before approving projects within their territories.

Residents of San Jose del Progreso – where Canadian firm Fortuna Silver owns a 55 million dollar mine – say that didn’t happen.

(Bernardo Vasquez audio in Spanish, reporter interprets)

Mine opponent Bernardo Vasquez Sanchez said residents began to notice the then-mayor was holding long, closed door meetings with businessmen in 2006…and that residents were only informed of the plans for the mine once the project was in its exploratory stage.

Vasquez, a college educated avocado farmer, became a lead organizer. On the night of March 15th, he became the second opponent of the San Jose mine murdered this year. He spoke with FSRN weeks before his death and alleged the mine was funding local officials who, in turn, created an armed group to intimidate opponents of the mine.

This is something Fortuna Silver CEO Jorge Ganoza denies.

JORGE GANOZA: “We categorically deny any involvement of the company or its subsidiaries in acts or even condoning any such violence.”

Ganoza told investors during a teleconference this week that the conflict in San Jose pre-dates the arrival of the Fortuna Silver owned mine.

JORGE GANOZA: “What we are aware of is a long, historic conflict in San Jose that is a cause of local struggle. This is not unusual in Oaxaca which is a state marked by local political disputes and land struggle.”

But many San Jose residents say the rift within the community is more recent. Eustacio Vasquez Ruiz says the mine is the root cause of the social division within the town:

EUSTACIO VASQUEZ RUIZ: “Everything started to change when this mining company arrived. It started to divide our people…and I think that’s the aim of these big companies; to divide and conquer. And those of us who have experienced it first-hand can attest to it.”

That statement came during a press conference held in Mexico City last week ahead of a demonstration in front of the Canadian Embassy. During the question and answer session, an audience member from the state of Veracruz stood up to make his own statement.

(Guillermo Rodriguez audio in Spanish, reporter interprets)

The man introduced himself as Guillermo Rodriguez, a member of a newly-formed group which opposes plans for an open pit gold mine near Mexico’s only nuclear power plant. The project is known as Caballo Blanco and the permit belongs to Goldgroup, another Canadian-owned firm. In his short speech, Rodriguez said Bernardo Vasquez’s murder struck a personal nerve because he had travelled to Veracruz just weeks before his murder to share the experiences of the anti-mine struggle in San Jose.

GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ: “We say that Bernardo isn’t dead. He’s been planted and he sewed a powerful seed in Veracruz. And in our most recent meeting of our organization, we determined that we will honor Bernardo’s memory by fighting until the Canadian mine, Caballo Blanco, is eradicated.”

Over the past few of years, opposition to mining projects in indigenous territories has been relatively contained and limited to regional struggles…but the recent murder of activist Bernardo Vasquez seems to be changing that. His death has focused international attention on controversial mines in Mexico and established a concrete connection between previously isolated environmental and indigenous rights movements in southern Mexico.

Bernardo Vásquez and Rosalinda Dionicio in the CPUVO office in San José del Progreso. Photo credit: Dawn Paley

A prominent opponent of a Canadian-owned mine in Mexico has died after armed men opened fire on his car. Bernardo Vásquez was the outspoken leader of a regional movement opposed to a silver and gold mine in southern Mexico. The mine is operated by a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Fortuna Silver. Shannon Young reports from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Download audio file (twtw_20120317_Oaxaca.mp3)
Thirty-two year old activist agronomist Bernardo Vásquez was fatally shot while driving along a rural highway about one hour south of Oaxaca City, Mexico.

Bernardo Vásquez’s brother Andrés and a cousin, Rosalinda Dionicio – both active in the local anti-mine struggle – were also in the car when armed men opened fire. Both sustained serious gunshot wounds and remain in the hospital.

(audio: Leovigildo Vásquez in Spanish, reporter interprets)

Another brother told local reporters on Friday that Vasquez received a death threat about three weeks ago.

Bernardo Vásquez documented the violence of a pro-mine group he said has been funded – and armed – by mining interests since 2009.

(audio: Bernardo Vásquez decribes documentation file – fade under)

Last month, Vasquez showed CBC News a case file containing a list of crimes committed by the pro-mining group which included

Men open fire on residents protesting the installation of infrastructure to pipe water to the mine

photographs of members carrying high-power rifles reserved exclusively for military use. Bernardo Vásquez said his group was planning to turn over the folder and other documents to the Canadian Embassy. He said the state government refused to adequately respond to the January murder of a local mine opponent.

Bernardo Vásquez: “The state can no longer continue to protect these men, especially with all of the evidence we’ve made public. We’ve filed more than twenty criminal complaints against these people and not one case has advanced. It’s clear the state government – or at least its attorney general – is protecting them.”

Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s poorest states and the government actively promotes investment opportunities in the mining sector.

The apparent lack of political will to prosecute violent crimes against opponents of the mine in San José has spanned years and political administrations. Father Martin Garcia, the area’s former parish priest, was brutally attacked in mid 2010, allegedly by members of the pro-mine group; many of whom he could identify by name. No one has been formally charged.

(audio: Father Martín García in Spanish, reporter interprets.)

Andrés Vásquez Sánchez read a spray-painted death threat aimed at his brother, Bernardo in February 2012

Father Martín García says he and many parishioners felt the government should inform and consult with local populations before approving projects within indigenous territories.

Bernardo Vásquez’s organization saw the fight over the local mine as a part of a larger set of demands for greater self-determination and territorial control in Oaxaca; Mexico’s most indigenous state.

Bernardo Vásquez: “The problem with the San José mine isn’t just limited to San José del Progreso. It’s a problem for the whole state of Oaxaca, for the whole nation. It’s practically a war declared on the small towns and their people because government officials, in their eagerness to look productive, are giving away our gold like in times past.”

The gold and silver mine in San José began full operations in September 2011. On its website, Fortuna Silver states it expects the mine to produce “1.7 million ounces of silver and 15,000 ounces of gold” this year.

A spokesperson for the company says it is in touch with local authorities about Vasquez’s murder and says it doesn’t know if his death is connected to his work as an anti-mine activist.

The murder comes as C-323, a bill which would allow foreigners to file tort claims against Canadian mining companies in Canadian courts is before the House of Commons.

Shannon Young, CBC News, Oaxaca.

(NOTE: The above is a transcript of a report produced for the March 17, 2012 broadcast of the CBC Radio program, The World This Weekend.]

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez speaking at a mining opposition event in Xalapa, Veracruz (Feb 25, 2012)

A well-known environmental activist in Oaxaca, Mexico was murdered Thursday night in a highway ambush about an hour south of the state capital. Thirty-two year old Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez – a vocal opponent to a Canadian-owned mining project – was shot multiple times in the chest when armed men attacked his car along the road which connects his hometown, San Jose del Progreso, to the regional hub of Ocotlán.

Download audio file (sy_fsrn_16March2012.mp3)
His brother, Andrés Vásquez and his cousin, Rosalinda Dionicio – both active in the local struggle against the mine – have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Bernardo Vásquez died upon arrival at a regional clinic.

The men responsible for the attack have not been identified, but the organization Vásquez led – the Coordinating Committee of the United Towns of the Valley – has meticulously documented the actions of a group they say has been funded and armed by mining interests.

In a recent interview with FSRN, Bernardo Vazquez Sanchez described how in 2006, the then-mayor of San Jose del Progreso signed a deal with mine representatives without consulting the town’s residents.

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez: “We found out about it in 2008. That year was marked by demands and peaceful protests against the mayor. In 2009, with the occupation of the mine, the pressure became more notable. And it was in May of 2009 when we found out about the pro-mine organization. And it was that month when we began to see armed men who belonged to said organization. Those armed men who belonged to that organization, are now part of the town governing council and they’ve now brought in guys from other towns to act as their gunmen.” 

Water reservoir in San José del Progreso

The mine in San José del Progreso operates as Minera Cuzcatlán, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Fortuna Silver.

Bernardo Vázquez showed FSRN a case file of documentation, including photographs of men with weapons reserved exclusively for military use. His group had identified the men by name and – in the face of state government inaction – had planned to deliver the evidence to the Canadian Embassy.

While opposition to the mining project is a main thrust of the Coordinating Committee of the United Towns of the Valley, it’s part of a larger set of demands for greater self-determination and territorial control in Oaxaca; Mexico’s most indigenous state.

Again, Bernardo Vazquez Sanchez.

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez: “The problem with the San José mine isn’t just limited to San José del Progreso. It’s a problem for Oaxaca. It’s a nationwide problem. It’s practically a war declared on the small towns and their people because government officials, in their eagerness to look productive, are giving away our gold like in times past.”

The gold and silver mine in San José began full operations in September 2011. On its website, Fortuna Silver states it expects the mine to produce “1.7 million ounces of silver and 15,000 ounces of gold” this year.

Although opposition to the mine will likely continue, Thursday night’s murder of Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez means local movements of mostly indigenous small farmers in the Ocotlán Valley have lost a young and committed leader.

[This report was produced for the Friday, March 16, 2010 broadcast of FSRN]

Shootouts erupted in Saltillo, the capital of the border state of Coahuila, at around 8:40 this morning. Via its Twitter account, the state prosecutor’s office urged citizens to stay inside and avoid certain areas of the city.

The shootouts in Saltillo came after an unusually violent night in the border city of Piedras Negras. Gunfights and blockades there prompted US authorities to close both bridges that connect the city to Eagle Pass, Texas. It’s the first time the Eagle Pass bridges have been shut down in response to drug war-related violence in its sister city.

According to Coahuila state authorities, last night’s shootouts in Piedras Negras began around 6:20pm when an armed group ambushed members of a special police unit recently deployed to the city. A female officer died in the attack. While vehicles, weapons and ammunition were confiscated, an official press release made no mention of arrests.

Recent street battles have been particularly violent and public, characterized by the use of automatic weapons and grenades. The hardest hit are areas dominated by the Zeta cartel.

[This report is a transcript of a headline produced for the March 7, 2012 broadcast of FSRN]

===============================================================================================

Time limitations and deadline prevented the mention of other notable events of March 7, 2012 in the radio report above.

There was a brief exchange of gunfire in Reynosa, a report of a targeted attack against the police chief of Apodaca, multiple grenade attacks in Rio Bravo and deadly shootouts Miguel Aleman and the Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero. A baby injured in Sunday’s attack in the Nuevo Laredo Walmart was confirmed to have died. Also, a mass grave said to contain 15 bodies was discovered in Juárez, Nuevo León.

Shortly before the firefight in Ciudad Victoria, social media users in Nuevo Laredo were sending out alerts about a shootout at the local Walmart. Families and workers were trapped and taking cover in the store’s warehouse. Twitter reports indicated some bystanders were wounded in the attack.

None of this, however, appears in the state’s traditional media outlets. Tamaulipas has a reputation as Mexico’s most censored state. Local journalists usually remain silent when it comes to issues of drug war violence and government corruption. The bulk of information about the violence on the ground comes via social media posts, some of which can be hard to corroborate.

The Tamaulipas press isn’t alone in it’s silence regarding seemingly major events in the region. A Monday morning scan of the news showed zero coverage in the U.S. press of the incidents in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of a state which shares a border with Texas. The only mention of the shootout at the Nuevo Laredo Walmart was a brief anchor read at the top of a local Laredo television newscast. Laredo is located directly across the Rio Grande from Nuevo Laredo, meaning at least some of the firefights occur within earshot of residents on the Texas side of the border.

Sunday’s shootouts followed a military announcement regarding the death of the Zeta boss of Nuevo Laredo. The leader of the border city’s dominant organized crime group was killed along with 12 other unidentified persons last Thursday in daylight shootouts which lasted hours and spanned from the border city’s downtown area to one of its international bridges. Like Sunday’s incidents, it was not reported by local media.

A fire broke out inside the prison yesterday as prisoners’ families protested outside. Some media reports indicated a pending transfer of 400 prisoners to other facilities, but so far only three have been confirmed. The three prisoners have been linked to the Zetas and were transferred to Puente Grande in the state of Jalisco – the same prison Sinaloa Cartel leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán escaped from in 2001.

Relatives of inmates have been gathered outside of the Apodaca prison gates since Sunday, when guards on duty allowed imprisoned Zetas to kill 44 alleged members of the Gulf Cartel housed in a separate unit. The 30 prisoners believed to have carried out the massacre were allowed to leave the facility.

Earlier Tuesday, three inmates – all recent arrivals – were killed in Topo Chico, another Monterrey-area prison.

Warning signs of institutional corruption within the Apodaca facility have been evident for months. In May of 2011, fourteen prisoners were killed and their bodies burned in what prison officials attempted to pass off as a fire caused by an electrical short circuit. However, testimony from inmates – and a report by investigative journalist Sanjuana Martínez – indicated prisoners were given access to their rivals and permission to kill. At least one so-called “narcomanta”, a printed or painted banner with a message from criminals, was hung from a bridge in the summer of 2011, calling on the state government to keep an eye on Zeta influence within the Apodaca prison.

The Apodaca massacre and subsequent developments have focused national – and international – attention on official corruption within Mexico’s overcrowded prison system.

Now they want the Energy Secretary and the head of Pemex to explain the terms of the agreement. Ratification by Mexico’s Senate is
required for the agreement to take effect, but it is being presented as a done deal.

Oil and gas reserves in Mexico are national property – and Pemex, the state-owned entity which explores and extracts the reserves – is
Mexico’s number one source of national revenue.

Plans to open up the industry to private investment have met stiff political resistance in the past. But much of the country’s national attention has been diverted to the violence which has claimed more than 50 thousand lives since the militarization of the so-called Drug
War in late 2006.

Before assuming the presidency, Calderón was Mexico’s Energy Secretary.

(Press conference clip, reporter interprets)
Nuevo León governor Rodrigo Medina said the incident was premeditated and involved the complicity of some prison authorities. Eighteen guards and four corrections officials are under investigation.

Last May, 14 inmates were killed in a similar attack in this same prison. Less than two months ago, 31 prisoners were slaughtered in Altamira, Tamaulipas; the first massacre registered in Mexico this year.

[This report aired on the February 20, 2012 broadcast of FSRN]