Unión Hidalgo-en
HISTORY
The agrarian community of Unión Hidalgo, defends its rights to land, territory, and natural resources against the wind power industry that established itself in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec without respecting the communal status of the land or the human rights of indigenous peoples.
Unión Hidalgo forms part of the indigenous Zapotec community of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca. In 2004, some communal land holders of this community individually signed leasing agreements with the company called Wind Power Development of Mexico (Desarrollos Eólicos de México S.A de C.V/DEMEX), an affiliate of Spanish company Renovalia Energy for the construction of Phase I and II of wind power park Piedra Larga.
These agreements were signed without respecting the communal status of the land, without information in the Zapotec language, and without information about the effects that the project would cause, such as damage to crop lands, soil pollution by the use of wind turbine oils, and the decrease of their land’s productivity, which also affects the local economy.
With ProDESC’s comprehensive accompaniment, in 2013, the organized communal land holders from Unión Hidalgo began the legal defense of their land, demanding the annulment of the lease agreements. This legal process is still in effect in the Collegiate Court on Civil and Administrative Matters in Oaxaca since a sentence has not been issued recognizing the human rights violations committed by the company against the communal land holders, nor has the court ordered the cancellation of the leasing agreements in order to return the land to the community.
Meanwhile, Unión Hidalgo faces the latent threat of the establishment of other foreign-owned wind power parks, for which in 2017 the community had to begin a new legal process in the Seventh District Court based in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca against the issuing of permits to other companies without free, prior, and informed consultation or consent.
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supports the community
Help us stop the Gunaa Sicarú wind energy project and avoid the different impacts that the project would bring:
Since 2014, the Zapotec community of Unión Hidalgo has defended their rights against the transnational company Électricité de France (EDF), which seeks to build the Gunaa Sicarú wind energy megaproject.
The energy giant seeks to settle in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec without respecting the rights of this indigenous people. EDF is responsible for creating an environment of violence against human rights defenders in the region, as well as violating the human, social and environmental rights of the community.
With your signature, you can raise your voice against the trampling of the human rights of the Zapotec community.
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News
PUBLIC CAMPAIGN
WHY SHOULD THE CFE CANCEL THE GUNAA SICARÚ MEGAPROJECT?
Wind resistance
This is the story of the struggle and survival of the indigenous Zapotec community of Unión Hidalgo, located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, in the face of the onslaught of transnational wind energy generation companies.
Community members, palm growers and women in resistance are confronting the dispossession of their territory in the name of “clean energy” and the invasion of their land. With the installation of wind giants imposed by transnational corporations, those who benefit from corruption and are willing to do anything to settle in the region, life is finding increasingly narrower paths.
The defense of their communal territory is the proposal for life and progress. A history in which that progress has a different face to the depredation and plundering. This is the story of resistance against those who think they own the wind, the tide, the land… of life.
This is the story of Unión Hidalgo, a community that resists in unity and strength to resume its community life and sustain its culture.
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A human rights-based approach with a gender and intersectional perspective is required for the French Duty of Vigilance Law to be able to develop its full potential as a preventive mechanism.
The application and implementation of the Duty of Vigilance Law must take into account, not only commercial perspectives, but also the perspective of those who are affected. For this reason, as civil society organizations, we are making the following call:
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MATERIAL TO SHARE
WHAT DO UGANDA AND UNIÓN HIDALGO SHARE IN COMMON?
Although France adopted the Duty of Vigilance Law in order to protect human rights and prevent violations resulting from its commercial activities, women and men community defenders in Uganda and Unión Hidalgo are at risk facing megaprojects carried out by two important French companies. This is unacceptable.
Transnational corporations play an important role in perpetrating, contributing to, or endorsing human rights violations against communities defending the environment or land against large-scale corporate projects.
Despite the fact that the authorities do not ensure the protection of the human rights of the affected communities, transnational corporations nonetheless keep moving forward with their projects.
In addition, transnational corporations influence the community’s decision-making regarding their projects:
– Promising community members benefits from their projects.
– Interfering with the community’s participation mechanisms.
– Generating splits and polarization within the community.
