In December of 2008 in the community OSTIONAL, began a national movement to vindicate the dignity of about 50 thousand families in 60 communities that inhabit coastal areas and islands of our country.
On Feb. 12 in the presence of dozens of families from 7 Guanacastecas Communities, there was a mobilization where the (black) door from the Legislative Assembly was opened, to demand the justice be made to the Costarrican Coastal Culture. We demand the existence of a network of communities that have since historic times, inhabited a series of territory including the Coast, islands and some lands at the border.
We denounce that over time there have been implemented a series of public political laws that go against our historic rights.
In the majority of the cases, the institutions have taken advantage of our poverty and lack of knowledge and resources to defend ourselves, therefore forcing us to live illegally in extreme poverty by denying our right to a decent housing, electricity and drinking water. The laws and politics have supposedly been created with the function to protect
the natural resources despite the fact that in our culture it is our communities who are the main protectors of Nature.
We have examples of sustainable management that my be declared within the so called ”Wonders of the World”, the plan of harvesting the eggs of the Lora turtles in Ostional of Santa Cruz; the project of local sustainable Tourism and culture in Montezuma of Punta Arenas, sustainable Coastal Management of Deer Island are only three cases of some of our sustainability projects.
These politics and Laws attempt to go directly against our psychological, anthropological, historic, socioeconomic and cultural rights.
We announce that after diverse processes of organization and resistance that we have pushed forward all these communities to converge in the decision to create THE FRENTE NACIONAL DE COMUNIDADES EN EXTINCION.
In the same way we inform that we have presented before the ASAMBLEA LEGISLATIVA the bill to establish the LEY DE CREACION DE LOS TERRITOROS COSTEROS COMUNICARIOS (Coastal Territories of the Community).
On May 16, 2009, we deliver this bill to the deputies, but prior to this, in different occasions, we had solicited a hearing, with the proper protocol, with the President of Costa Rica to implement a Presidential decree to prevent the eviction of thousands of families living in the Coasts and islands of the
country.
Therefore in order to stop the possibility of a social conflict which would endanger the frail peace in Costa Rica. A request to do in Costa Rica something similar to what is happening in Honduras (negociate).
But after 2 months that we presented this bill to the deputies and countless requests to the e President, we have not received a clear answer to this situation.
This week, the principal leaders of the FRENTE DE COMUNIDADES have realized a tour of several coastal communities in Puntarenas, and with great sorrow in our
souls we have witnessed the anguish of dozen of women and men as they showed us the immediate eviction notices.
The community of MUELLE DE TAMBOR in Montezuma has been notified by the efficient Municipal Mayor of Cobano with dates for demolitions and evictions.
Although the management of this type: rural road lastreo, garbage collection, paving urban streets is a disaster, to whom is this Public Officer serving?
The community of Pochote Paquera has also been notified but to the unfortunate of these neighborhoods, they are in the e path of influence of the Mega Project BARCELO.
In the Communal assembly of Paquera we received testimony from the leadership of the community of Punta Morales of being beaten and assaulted by the Police and Municipal Officials of Puntarenas, which also raid homes and even the village
Catholic Church, but they didn’t touch Luis Roman’s mansion that has been built above the mangrove (located in the zone of the 50 mts from the ZMT).
We have spent our patience during these periods of several months and today we say THE TIME HAS COME, starting Monday July 13, we declare CIVIL DESOBEDIENCE
and proceed to implement relevant actions of protest.
We call the rest of the Costa Rican people; their organizations to proved the necessary support so the deaf government ruling class will listen and fulfill their duty since it is they the responsible party of our tragedy.
We request the immediate intervention by the DEFENSORIA DE LOS HABITANTES as well as the Costa Rican Church so that with their support contribute to the implementation of the justice for the neglected families.
The day Tuesday, July 14th we will be conducting the first National Strike in the location of Puente sobre el Rio Tempisque in the Nicoya Peninsula.
The same day, friendly officials and those committed to the Coastal Communities will submit a motion to integrate the SPECIAL COMMISION that will dictate the bill of the LEY DE TERRITORIOS COSTEROS COMMUNITARIOS.
A representation of community leaders will supervise who is really in our favor, at least on these issues.
In the same way we started the process of collecting signatures to submit the request for a RECALL REFERENDUM of all those Mayors and Governors enemies of the community who will soon know the lists.
FRENTE NACIONAL DE COMUNIDADES AMENAZADAS POR POLITICAS DE EXTINCION.
WILMAR MAATARRITA
Coordinador General
