The History of Ciudadanos Preocupados
For the future of La Paz/Baja California Sur/Mexico & the Earth
In the fall and winter months of 2003 - 2004 a group of citizens from La Paz, and a few volunteers from other countries, worked on setting up the March 15th-30th 2004 Spring Equinox Global Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes, to be held on the northwest segment of the Bay of La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This type of event is primarily focused on finding ways and means to assist in the preservation and restoration of the natural world.
One of the immediate primary objectives of this event included the creation of an ecologically sound and sustainable village to serve as a model of how humanity could find ways to live in harmony with nature. Many similar models are in existence and/or progressing toward the creation of their ideals around the world. A good number of those evolved out of the Rainbow Peace Projects International efforts, which began in 1984 and evolved a network of projects in 26 countries by 1992. Since that time the various projects have become parts of the overall worldwide Rainbow Network (which began in August of 1970, and also included the founding councils of Greenpeace) of projects and events; or evolved into efforts centered on individual projects and networks of similar vision acting autonomously. The original hopes and plans for this event and proposed project can be found on the Internet Website set up for this at:
http://[email protected].
The Gathering itself, though smaller than expected (approximately 400-500 participants over its' duration), was a great event and brought together many residents of the region and nation, as well as folks from 16 or so other countries. Some planning was done toward the village effort.
After the event, at the beginning of April, the local people involved found that a proposed industrial tourists' development for the El Mogote Peninsula, a long sand based peninsula separating the outer Bay of La Paz from the more protected Ensenada (inner bay), had begun construction of two palapas (palm thatched structures) adjacent to the mangrove forest  there. Such is absolutely prohibited by Norm 22 of the code of Federal Environmental laws of this country, which states that no structures can be constructed within 100 meters of the mangroves. Planning for the village ceased, due to this effort to protect El Mogote, and Balandra Bay & the Bay of La Paz as a whole.
It should be mentioned that the citizens of La Paz have heard of one mad capped scheme after another to develop El Mogote since the 1920s, or before. But, due to the fact that the area is essentially a 300 meter deep sandbar dropping off into the outer bay, with no real foundation for construction, plus the facts that the mangroves and dunes there are protected eco-systems, as well as having a myriad of protected species of flora and fauna, nobody thought that this new scheme could possibly proceed.
Before any actions about this could be formulated to deal with this apparently minor problem, one of the participants of the Gathering, and a Marine Biology major whose field is the mangrove eco-system, Peter Patterson-Cunningham approached Rainbow Hawk, the focalizer (coordinator) of the Gathering and lifelong environmental and peace activist, as well as a 45 year resident of La Paz greatly respected by the community. He presented his findings on what was happening on El Mogote, and what nobody could see from town.
The developers had in fact built the illegal palapas within meters of the mangroves, their bathroom palapa being directly on the edge, which of course threatened release of waste directly into the mangroves, and had started bulldozing a large segment of the point on the outer bay side. In the process, killing resident, endemic & protected species, and putting at risk numerous others. Peter produced video footage of the destruction and deaths as evidence and asked Rainbow how it could be stopped.
The original three page document of Ciudadanos Preocupados (Concerned Citizens, for that was what we were) titled: Paradise of the Sea, or the Destruction of Paradise, was written that same day stating the problems as we saw them, and could support by law & scientific studies. We first did two versions, one in Spanish and one in English (the predominant language of visitors and foreign residents) and printed up 200 copies of each. Asking each recipient to further make copies and share them with their friends and whomever else they thought would be interested.
We called for a meeting of concerned citizens to be held in a small local park on the Malecon (beachside street). 19 people showed up, most of whom are still with the group today, though several represented various groups as well. The group ConCiencia Mexico immediately swung into action as the first, and ongoing since, group to ally themselves and become an intrinsic part of the Ciudadanos Preocupados effort.
Ciudadanos Preocupados had already managed to have some articles in the two largest circulation daily newspapers of the State and had developed additional documents relating to why the El Mogote Peninsula should be saved. ConCiencia had also done an article in one of the local magazines and later, on behalf of Ciudadanos Preocupados, challenged the Impact Statements of the Paradise of the Sea project.� There had also been a couple of other articles done by prominent professors of the leading Marine Biology Institutes in Latin America. These were combined to establish the firmest possible footing we could in order to set the path towards legally, morally and scientifically based facts in support of whatever we presented as a group.
It was also agreed to make more copies of the materials we had ready for distribution and to present all that we had at impromptu forums starting the next weekend, using the area of the Callejon La Paz next to the Hotel Perla, and around the corner from the sales office of the developers. These were presented over several days, leading up to the first announced public forum, to take place on the seaside foot of the Callejon La Paz. For these we first incorporated display boards with our written materials and press clippings, as well as informative talks with whoever showed an interest.
During this period, in late April, the developers had planned a Founders Meeting for the first prospective clients of the project, Paradise of the Sea, to which a projected 150 were expected. 50 showed up.
As Concerned Citizens, Peter was delegated as a representative of the group to find out more about their plans and also present our documents to the prospective clients so that they would be aware of other factors, which the developers were not telling them about. After a brief time staff of the event told Peter that he was not welcomed and forced him to leave before he could share the information.
Returning to the Callejon La Paz, where several of the group was gathered, he informed the group of his lack of success and eviction from the event. Another member, a lady who was dressed very well that day, said that she would accompany Peter back to the meeting. But upon return there were obviously project staff members outside of the hotel to prevent Peters re-entry.
Seeing this was going to be the case our sister member just went her own way into the hotel and located the last 20 members of the prospective clients there. She distributed the information with the advice to consider all the factors before making any decisions. And departed to where Peter had been waiting, after being denied entry.
That evening one of the Founders was encountered and offered the information that we had. He had been one of those who had received the information at the end of the meeting. He informed our representative of that, and was in total agreement as a real environmentalist and one who loved La Paz. Not wishing to see it turn into another Cabo San Lucas, the major tourist resort area of the state, and certainly not Mexico.
The following day of the Founders Meetings  those who had received the information had some very serious questions to ask and shared their information with the other prospective buyers. The results being a disaster as far as finding more than one or two that would invest in homes in the proposed development.
Since the lands proposed for development had been/are Public Lands, and the Governor had sold them without the required public forums and consent, our first major effort was to petition the State Congress for a Public Referendum on the sale. To this end, for the first three weekends (Fridays & Sundays) of our semi-official Public Forums which were scheduled to run from 7-10PM each night, we circulated a petition among those attending the forums and collected over 1,200 signatures of citizens concerned with, and opposed to, the sale and the proposed development.
During this period a major eight month study done by the combined efforts of Harvard University, the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur/UABCS), the University of Arizona, and the Center for Interdisciplinary Marine Sciences�� (Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas/CICIMAR) was presented, on May 4th, 2004. It was sponsored by the International Community Foundation/I.C.F and the Mexican Foundation for Environmental Education/FUNDEA; with the participation of the City/County of La Paz Public Services Dept. (H.� Ayuntamiento de La Paz); the State Government of Baja California Sur; the Federal Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Agency (la Delegaci�n Federal de la Procuradur�a Federal de Protecci�n al Ambiente y Recursos Naturales / SEMARNAT); the Federal Delegation oftheNational Water Commission (la Delegaci�n Federal de la Comisi�n Nacional Del Agua / C.F.A.), amongothers.
This study focused on: Future Alternatives for the Region of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico and presented ten possible scenarios, with a 20 year projection on each, each then broken down into ten year increments. The findings of that study stood in complete agreement with what Ciudadanos Preocupados had already been addressing, and added various related issues to be taken into consideration.
The proposed development(s) of the El Mogote Peninsula and the Public Beach areas north of town, such as Balandra Bay, were only addressed in the thee worst case scenario, and it was deemed extremely important for the future of La Paz to make them protected areas, open to environmentally sound uses of the general public and the tourist sector, which comes to appreciate their natural beauty. Additionally those areas contain thee most significant stands of mangrove forests in the region and are absolutely essential to the life of the Bay of La Paz and the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez beyond. As well as for the local fishing and eco-tourism industries whose existence depends, in their totality, on a healthy balance of sea life in the region. These were issues that Ciudadanos Preocupados had already been strongly focused upon.
It should be mentioned that the very Governor, Leonel Cota Montano, who sold the Public Lands on El Mogote for the development of the Paradise of the Sea project, and its strongest political supporter, was the very first person to give an opening address speech for the presentation of this monumental study, which was the most in depth study of its kind every done for the region. But give the opening speech is all that he did, ten minutes and he was gone.
Did he have such a busy schedule that he had to leave that soon, and thus provide a valid excuse for not attending the actual, and historic, presentation? That thought could hardly be entertained as, he left the presentation after his ten-minute speech and went right outside into the Callejon La Paz where he spent nearly an hour for photo opportunities with the local T.V. and print media.
Was he actually afraid that his real intentions for those essential areas to be protected was in contradiction to what every expert thought, after intensive investigations on the part of all those who where parts of that study? With the overwhelming views expressed would he, in the least, have to admit that the projects for those areas should not be permitted? No, none of those, for he simply left and ignored any form of defending his ill thought out plans, and very likely criminal involvement in defrauding the populous of its? Public Lands, and the Patrimony of the citizens La Paz and of this State.
In the closing of that presentation it was clearly stated that the investigators had gone as far as they could go and it was up to the citizens to implement the proper courses of actions, hopefully based upon sound scientific findings. The study was now in the hands of the people, to utilize in deciding their own future.
Or was it really? The press barely gave it mention other than these world-respected investigators presented a study. But nowhere could you find any mention of the results of that study.
No action was being taken on the part of the government, other than a later attempt by the Municipal Government, in conjunction with Federal Government Agencies and various Non Profit Organizations and Foundations, to preserve Balandra Bay by declaring it a Municipally Protected Natural Area. Ciudadanos Preocupados applied strong grass roots pressure to further this action.
This is currently being contested in the Federal Courts and the developers of that project, the Alem�n Family of Veracruz, currently have won a Federal Injunction against the Municipal Declaration, which was based in Article 22 of the Federal Constitution that authorizes and mandates Municipals to expropriate lands in the interest of the environment and/or the citizens of the regions best interest.
It must be mentioned that this was the first time in Mexican history that said Article of the Constitution was used. It was used properly to protect the delicate mangrove forest backing that bay, as well as the long established public uses and maintenance of the area and its access road.
One could quite feasibly argue that, under Mexicos eminent domain laws, the facts bare out that for decades and centuries Pace�os (natives of La Paz) have been using this area responsibly, maintaining it directly and via their tax money that built and maintains the access road and other services, etc. And, that the people of La Paz, the State and Nation have a very legitimate claim to, under possession clauses, the area in question, as Public Lands.
In regards to the Future Alternatives for La Paz study, the only efforts to present it to the public-at-large were the informal, and later formal, Public Forums being presented as a Ciudadanos Preocupados effort. That it is in total agreement with what is presented at the forums simply has added the weight of the four prestigious universities, their sponsors, and the participation of various governmental bodies and agencies, to the legitimate concerns being expressed by and for the citizens of this region.
As the efforts of Ciudadanos Preocupados evolved several prominent Professors, Research Scientists and Investigators have added their direct participation to the group. Presenting their own studies and those of their universities, as well as the fore-mentioned study headed by Harvard University, at the Public Forums. A few of whom are now on the Board of Directors for Ciudadanos Preocupados A.C. (Civil Association & Non Governmental Organization). Support is also being manifested via members & alumni of the Technological Institute, the Catholic University, and various secondary schools.
With the original informal presentations/forums, six weekends of more advanced non-official forums, and the six official Public Forums Ciudadanos Preocupados have done, we have presented a broad spectrum of information to thousands of citizens, residents and visitors in this region. And gained a very broad base of support, as well as active volunteers.
During this entire period Ciudadanos Preocupados has also provided, or assisted in the creation of, over 150 articles in the local press, one in the national newspaper La Jornada, and there was one related article on the corruption of the Governor and Luis Cano Hernandez (the general director of the Paradise of the Sea project), in the national magazine Cambio.
During the months of November-December 2004 & January 2005 we were given support and assistance via Greenpeace Mexico and the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. The crew(s) of the ship participated in two of the Public Forums and provided their own in depth studies of the mangroves, which Ciudadanos Preocupados has used extensively. Information was also shared with the other Greenpeace ships and the International Headquarters. We are currently networked with Greenpeace Mexico, which has volunteered any assistance that they may be able to provide at future dates.
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