22 Oaxaca community members considered as “dead” to take away their right to land

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Officials consider 22 community members dead to take away their right to land in Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, Oaxaca.

Officials of the Civil Registry of Oaxaca declared as “dead” more than one thousand community members of Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, including 22 citizens who are still alive.

“This situation caused the loss of their rights as individuals and the right to land”, denounced Maurilio Santiago Reyes, President of the Center for Human Rights and Advice to Indigenous Peoples (Cedhapi).

The lawyer and defender explained that a group of people, who are supposed to be representatives of the agrarian community of Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, endorsed and imposed by the Agrarian Attorney’s Office (PA), held an assembly on August 12, 2018, when they decided to separate 1,013 community members from the register.

The 22 citizens affected by this situation have denounced this “irregularity” before the head of the Center for Human Rights and Counseling for Indigenous Peoples (Cedhapi), Maurilio Santiago Reyes.

Santo Domingo Ixcatlan, Oaxaca (File Photo)

The head of the Legal Unit of Civil Registry, Daniel Víctor Merlín Tolentino, received, endorsed, and fulfilled the official letter DRC / UJ / 699/2018, regarding the meeting minutes.

Immediately afterwards, the National Agrarian Registry (RAN) also validated the assembly minutes of the supposed representation of communal property of Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, on September 7 of that same year, thus violating the rights of the community members of that agrarian community.

Santiago Reyes highlighted that the Civil Registry and RAN officials declared the 1,013 community members dead by order of the cacique family of the region, indicated by the triple homicide that took place in Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, on April 30, 2008.

He highlighted that living community members are violated their right to name, property, the right to protection of dignity, the right to identity, and others of the American Convention on Human Rights, as they are considered as deceased persons to take away the land that they rightfully own.

Therefore, the legal representative of the victims and the Council of Principals of Santo Domingo Ixcatlán, demanded that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) investigate these events and punish the responsible officials.

Source: Excelsior

The Oaxaca Post