“I don’t want flowers at my funeral, because I know they will be taken from the forest.” Chico Mendes

Although the destruction of the Amazon rainforest was already an alarming issue for decades, with the acceleration of this process due to the negligence of the government of the extreme rightist Jair Bolsonaro, but above all to its direct complicity with agribusiness, livestock and mining companies, it becomes even more urgent is that our species takes decisive measures to stop the catastrophe. In turn, this highlights the organic link between environmental devastation and the prevailing political and economic relations: the fate of our planet and our civilization should not be left to a system that promotes private gain at the expense of the common good.

It is imperative to understand that, although the deforestation of the Amazon most directly affects the peoples of the nine countries that host it, especially the indigenous peoples who form part of the forest, its degradation and destruction has regional and global impacts. It contains about 20% of the planet’s fresh water, is one of the most bio-diverse ecoregions and constitutes one of the most important carbon stores in the world, so the loss of this ecosystem not only deprives humanity of multiple material and intangible contributions to its well-being, but also alters the planetary living conditions under which both our species and those on which we depend have evolved.

Of particular concern is the immediate impact that the release of tons of greenhouse gases, produced by the combustion of the forest biomass, will have on global warming, especially when, according to the estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are in the limitation period to carry out the necessary civilizational transformations to strengthen some possibility that planetary change does not impede our life as we know it. Bolsonaro, in the manner of a disastrous Brazilian Donald Trump, denies scientific evidence and, along with his racist, misogynist, anti-secular, anti-worker and anti-sexual diversity policies, erodes environmental regulations for the benefit of extractive companies , which is why articulating a broad political opposition to his regime and its international supporters is key to the future of the Amazon rainforest and humanity.

We who subscribe to this statement, call for internationalist solidarity with the indigenous communities of the Amazon, especially with the thousands of women who marched in Brasilia to defend it; with the agroecological movements, with the scientific community that resists reactionary obscurantism, with the workers of the countryside and the city who oppose the resurgence of neoliberalism, with the students who take to the streets and, in general, with all sectors inside and outside Brazil that fight for the jungle and for humanity. It is important that, at the same time, we put pressure on governments and the United Nations Organization itself to take actions to stop and mitigate fires, while identifying and ceasing the promotion of companies and sectors directly benefiting from the destruction of the Amazon jungle.

As for Mexico, which, like Brazil, is part of the group of mega-diverse countries, threats to biocultural wealth through government policy are also a challenge. As part of a global contest for the future, it is up to us to question, challenge and oppose in an organized manner the Tren Maya, Corredor Ferroviario Transístmico, “Sembrando Vida” and the Proyecto Integral Morelos which, together with the Special Economic Zones and agricultural projects, roads, tourism, energy, port and mining still in progress, maintain the neo-liberal and extractivist orientation that benefits a minority at the expense of the welfare of ecosystems, communities and the working population. In Mexico, we also fight for the Earth contesting the present and seeking to have a dignified future, without exploitation, misery or extermination: Our struggle is for life!

Signatory organisations :

Ciencia para el Pueblo

Carnaval del Maíz

Haciendo Milpa A.C.

Red Universitaria Anticapitalista (RUA)

Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME)

Nueva Central de Trabajadores (NCT)

Colectivo de Jóvenes de la Nueva Central de Trabajadores

Organización Política del Pueblo y los Trabajadores (OPT)

Partido Revolucionario de las y los Trabajadores (PRT)

Agrupación de Lucha Socialista (ALS)

Red Humedales de Colima

La Otra Ciencia

Pro Pedregal - Ciencias

AxM Colectivo

Colectivo Transdisciplinario de Investigaciones Críticas (COTRIC)

Colectiva Feminista Socialista Voces de Lilith

Pacto Morelos por la Soberanía Alimentaria y Energética y los Derechos de las y los Trabajadores

Comisión Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos A. C. Rebelión

Espacio Estudiantil 2 de Octubre

Revive México A.C.

Colectivo ¿Qué hacer aquí con esto?”

Brigada Animal México

The Save Movement

Climate Save Movement

Centro Integral de Comunicación Comunitaria

Cooperativa TRADOC

Red Yo voy 8 de Marzo

Cuerpos Parlantes

Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de México (CUT)

Colectiva Vulvurina

Colectivo de Mujeres de Puerto Vallarta

Frente del Pueblo (FP)

Comité de Unidad Popular (CUP)

Consejo Popular Magonista (COPM)

Sendero socialista (SS)

Organización Nacional del Poder Popular (ONPP)

Organización Proletaria Emiliano Zapata (OPEZ Histórica)

Grupo Socialista Obrero (GSO)

Partido Revolucionario del Pueblo (PRP)

Frente Socialista (Fp, CUP, COPM, PRT, SS, OPT, ONPP, OPEZ Histórica, GSO y PRP)

Sindicato de Independiente de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Académicos de la UNAM (SITTAUNAM)

Laboratorio de Ecología de Paisajes Fragmentados del IIES-UNAM

Colectivo Latinoamérica Socialista

Pro Fauna Silvestre Animalis

Individual signatories:

Julio Muñoz Rubio (Researcher CEIICH, UNAM)

Francisco De Parres Gómez (COTRIC, RUA

Carolina Elizabeth Díaz Iñigo (COTRIC y RUA)

Mayvelin Flores Villagómez

Argelia Guerrero Rentería

Claudio García Ehrenfeld

Carlos Corona Saldaña

Oscar Vélez Ruiz Gaitán (Revive México A.C.)

Juan Esteban Martínez Gómez

Mayvelin Flores Villagómez

Argelia Guerrero Rentería.

Carlos Corona Saldaña Raúl Romero

Alejandro Espinosa (INIFAP)

Diego Luz (assistant professor, Faculty of Economics UNAM)

Melissa Tzitziki

David Emigdio Andrade Hidalgo y Costilla

Sergio Prieto Díaz (ECOSUR Campeche)

José Martínez Cruz

Juliana G. Quintanilla

Marco Aurelio Palma Apodaca

Paloma Estrada Muñoz

Carlos Ezequiel Hernández

Lilia Flores

Héctor Sotomayor (DEPD/BUAP)

Carla Daniela Escobar Ortiz

Sarah Alejandra

Edgard Sánchez

Josefina Chávez

Apolline Anor

Martín de Jesús Cervantes López (student, IIES, UNAM)

María Fernanda Merlos Pérez (student, IIES, UNAM)

Emilio Arenas Guerrero (IIES-UNAM, Morelia)

Raúl Tauro (Red Mexicana de Bionergía)

David Alejandro Brindis Badillo (IIES, UNAM)

Amiel Aketzali Moreno

José Santos

Germán Hurtado

Alberto Bárcenas

Javier Contreras Villaseñor (teacher and choreographer)

Antonio Casas Castillo (teacher SEP Educación Indígena and university teacher)

Antonio González Rodríguez (Researcher IIES UNAM)

Gabriela Arroyo Robles (IIES)

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