Although studies have already found GM maize (corn) in Mexico, particularly in Oaxaca, GM maize is not “officially” or legally grown in Mexico….but that will soon change. Monsanto and other biotechnological seed companies have pushed for their transgenic seeds to be grown in Mexico for years. It appears that they are one step closer. The Science and Development Network reports:
[MEXICO CITY] Mexican farmers have signed an agreement with biotechnology giant Monsanto to buy and plant genetically modified (GM) maize.
According to the agreement signed earlier this month (18 April) by Mexico’s National Confederation of Corn Growers (CNPAMM) ? affiliated with the umbrella agricultural association National Campesino Confederation ? Monsanto will provide Mexican producers with GM seeds, as well as initiate activities to protect native maize, including setting up a maize germplasm bank.
Many environmental and indigenous groups oppose the introduction of GM plants, fearing that it may contaminate native varieties of maize in the country.
Maize originated in Mexico and is home to 3,500 native varieties. It is the main food crop in Mexico, its production employing almost 12 million people.
The Mexican parliament’s chamber of deputies has not yet approved regulations for the experimental sowing of GM plants as part of Mexico’s biosecurity laws.
Francisco Lopez, Mexico’s vice-minister for agriculture, said the regulations will be published in the coming weeks, and tests on GM maize will begin in the northern state of Sonora in August.
Carlos Salazar, president of CNPAMM, estimates that more than 90 per cent of small and medium growers will use GM seeds to improve productivity.
Jesus Madrazo, president of Monsanto Mexico, said the commercialisation of GM maize will begin in 2010, once the evaluation phases required by the biosecurity laws have been completed.
GameJew departs from his usual-style videos to bring us a compelling documentary-style video of his experience at the May Day rally at Macarther Park in LA. It is a bit long, but I suggest watching it to the end.
Brownfemipower highlighted a comment from one of her readers. I would like to highlight it here, too:
hey everyone,
i really have to start studying, but i am just so overwhelmed by what i saw yesterday at mcarthur park. the crowd was peaceful, multigenerational (we’re talking babies and grandparents here, familes), multiethnic, amazing … and the police stormed this permitted rally with no warning and no regard for those who were trying to move, trying to get out of the way even though they had every right to be there. i was on a sidewalk across from the park and i pointed out to a cop that there was no way that people inside the park could hear the demand to disperse which was coming from a helicopter above (which in my memory came AFTER the first rounds of rubber bullets were used). the message coming from the helicoper was not understandable, and no announcements were made in anything other than english. the cop replied, “well, i’m telling you we’re dispersing everyone.” no announcement was made to the others on the street that i was on. and i told him that he was telling me, but there was no way that the people inside the park that had the riot squads storming and shooting at them knew what was going on. he then asked me if i was going to stand there even though he told me that they were moving everyone out. i said yes (i was on the sidewalk anyway, and i wanted to be witness to what was going on). i asked him if he planned to use his baton on me. to which, he replied that he’d used force before. i bet.
please educate yourself about what happened yesterday. listen to kpfk 90.7 during the news hours for reports from people who were there and who experienced the brutality. (you can even listen on the web for you non-la area people.) check out indymedia (http://la.indymedia.org) for photos, etc.
also, if you experienced the brutality or saw it first hand, call 1-800-339-6868 to report.
and as my friend fran said in a previous post: The police did not just attack unarmed defenseless familys, nor were they only racist attacks against migrants…
these were attacks on All People!
All workers,youth,activist,womyn,queers,elderly,disabled,single parents,students,Anarchist,sex workers,homeless…and the list can be continued…but I think you all get the flow…
The students of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) took over Radio Universdad on April 30 to broadcast messages in support of APPO and the May Day march. APPO students also took Radio Universdad last June 14 in support of APPO and the teachers. They controlled the station until November when they eventually were forced to hand it over to the federal police. A student deejay spoke in support of Section 22 of the teacher’s union, the removal of Governor Ulises Ruiz, and the release of the remaining 40 political prisoners. They also asked the listeners to blockade the intersections in the morning. He claimed that a group of porros (a youth gang linked to government officials) was planning to oust them from the station.
Florentino López MartÃnez spoke at an event for “DÃa del Niño” in support of the APPO students. However, the director of the University, Francisco MartÃnez Neri, disapproves of the take over and plans on trying to convince the students to leave. He stated that although it was a passive take-over, this situation does not help the relationship between UABJO and APPO. He claims that UABJO will not use violence to remove the students but he hopes they will leave.
Yesterday, 80,000 protestors marched to the Zócalo in Oaxaca’s historic center in honor of International Worker’s Day. Involved in the march were members of Section 22 of the National Education Worker’s Union, APPO, and other union members. Once in the zócalo, the secretary of Section 22 stated that the marchers demand the removal of Governor Ulises Ruiz and the release of all political prisoners. At least 40 prisoners remain, predominately those who were arrested on November 25 after a day of protest in Oaxaca. On April 28, an APPO speaker, Florentino López Martínez, stated that the APPO fight continues. He is upset that the Secretary of the Government refuses to meet with APPO.
“Ulises entiende el magisterio no se vende!”, “hombro con hombro, codo con codo, la APPO, la APPO, la APPO somos todos!”, shouted the Oaxacan May Day protestors. [Translation: Ulises understand the teachers are not for sale!, "Shoulder with shoulder, side by side, the APPO, the APPO, the APPO we are everyone!] People often ask me about the current state of APPO. Well, I think an 80,000 person march answers that question, at least in part.
I never thought I would be recommending a news clip from Fox News…but this clip highlights the police brutality during yesterday’s Immigrants Rights March in Los Angeles. In this video, the police react with rubber bullets and even beat the reporters with their batons. Did they know they were shoving news reporter Christina Gonzalez, or were they blinded by the fact that she looks is and looks like a brown woman?
Click here to see the video.
Yo nunca pensé estaría recomendando un video de noticias de Fox News…pero este video muestra la violencia policial durante la Marcha para Derechos para los Inmigrantes en Los Angeles. En este video, la policía reacciona con balas de caucho y golpea a los periodistas con sus batutas. ¿Supieron ellos que ellos gopean a periodista de noticias Christina Gonzalez, o fueron cegados ellos por el hecho que ella es y se parece a una Latina?
El video está aquí
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