NAFTA Protest In Mexico

The 4 Coalitions took the opportunity to meet and discuss joint strategies for 2008. A significant portion of the time focused on the March 5-7 meetings in Washington. The focus there will be on NAFTA Agriculture, Migration, and on the SPP. March 7 will feature meetings between progressive legislators and civil society organizations to consolidate plans to push back FTAs in North America. There was also a meeting of the 'follow-up group' to the August 2007 Montreal Energy Sector meeting to discuss progress in joint work to date. The meeting emphasized the importance of broadening participation in this energy work in the face of the SPP inspired assault to privatize PEMEX, as well as the overall drive to 'secure' the provision of oil and gas for the US while disregarding the negative impacts on the environment and sustainable levels of development both in Canada and Mexico - the SPP junior 'partners'. - See more pictures in our Gallery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 1, 2008 200,000 protestors take to the streets in Mexico City to protest NAFTA Rally organizers for the march from the Angel of Independence to the Zocalo estimated that more than 200,000 people took part to demand that the Agricultural Chapter of NAFTA be renegotiated. Marchers also demanded that the privatization of the energy sector be halted, and that the new Social Security law be repealed. Side note: The Globe and Mail has a mention of the march in today's Report on Business section (Page B6 - Reuters) where the crowd is described as "Thousands of mexican farmers...". The Toronto Star didn't carry the story at all. - Report filed by Common Frontiers' Executive Director Rick Arnold, who is in Mexico for meetings with the four civil society networks. (See story below) - Foto by María Meléndrez Parada - See more photos in our Gallery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 27, 2008 Photo offering to goddess Omeotl: Renegotiate NAFTA & stop geneticaly engineered corn An altar to the goddess Omeotl was recently found in an archeological dig in Mexico. It is thought that corn was offered up at this altar to guarantee a plentiful harvest for the next growing season. The giant cob shown at the right travelled 300 kilometers in the "Sin maiz no hay pais" (Without corn there is no country) caravan that entered the Mexico City Zocalo on Saturday, January 26th. A copy of this altar was erected on a centre stage in the Zocalo and corn was offered up there during the demo to bring luck in the anti-NAFTA struggles - the renegotiation of the NAFTA Ag. Chapter, and to protect against genetically engineered corn arriving from the USA. - Report filed by Common Frontiers' Executive Director Rick Arnold, who is in Mexico for meetings with the four civil society networks. (See story below) - Photo by Yazmín Ortega Cortés http://www.commonfrontiers.ca/

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