Proposal for a popular citizens convention to re-found Mexico
Promoters of the popular citizen constituent with Javier Sicilia, far left, and Bishop Vera, second from right.
By: Agencies
In Mexico City, Bishop Raúl Vera López, activists, clergy, members of campesino, union and social organizations and survivors of the violence that envelops Mexico presented the initiative of a Popular Citizens Convention, which will have to convoke a series of sessions throughout the country, and a March 21 meeting, to discuss the political reality and to formulate a new Carta Magna.
Within the context of the anniversary of the promulgation of the Mexican Constitution, the activists explained that the constant human rights violations are evidence that lamentably the Magna Carta “is dead;” therefore a new one must be formulated that responds to the interests and respects the social, economic and political rights of the citizens.
The Bishop of Saltillo and president of the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center (in Chiapas), Raúl Vera, detailed that this initiative has “re-founding Mexico” as its objective, because this is a “ruined country” where violence and “impunity” excel.
Without political parties
Raúl Vera explained that the elaboration of a new Constitution must reach all the country’s corners and add all the social sectors. A new Congress must be established for that, “without political parties,” which have demonstrated that their interest is not in society.
The strategy for now is to carry out a series of sessions throughout the country. The organizers of the Citizens Convention will convoke a meeting next March 21 for discussing the country’s political reality with the 2015 (mid-term) elections in sight.
Throughout the last eleven months, the proposal’s promoters have maintained contact with citizens in 28 states of the country and with diverse organizations of migrants and Mexicans residing outside the country to support this initiative.
At the presentation, besides Vera López were the painter Francisco Toledo, Javier Sicilia, Father Alejandro Solalinde, the priest Miguel Concha, Gilberto López y Rivas, migrant defender Leticia Gutiérrez, as well as union representatives, among them Martín Esparza and members of diverse churches, at the start of the act remember the events that occurred more than four months ago in Iguala, Guerrero, the product of which 43 students of the rural teachers college at Ayotzinapa were disappeared.
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Published in Spanish by Chiapas Paralelo
Translation: Chiapas Support Committee
Friday, February 6, 2015
http://www.chiapasparalelo.com/?s=constituyente&submit.x=8&submit.y=7
