On Saturday dozens of demonstrations were simultaneously held all over the United States, Mexico and Central America to protest the 510th anniversary of Columbus’s “discovery” of the Americas. Thousands of indigenous activists and supporters from Colorado to Chiapas, blocked borders, closed highways and conducted various direct actions to demand basic human rights for all native peoples. They called for an end to the new era of corporate colonialism made manifest by projects such as the Plan Puebla Panama and free trade agreements such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas that continue the exploitation of native communities and their lands.

We are joined on the phone today by several people who participated in diverse actions across the continent.

Brendan O’Neill of Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America (ACERCA), which coordinated actions in over 24 US cities, Luz Ruiz of the Chiapas Indymedia center and Michael Guerrero, Co-Director of the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice. Luz was at the road blocks in Chiapas on Saturday and this past weekend, Michael joined hundreds of people who gathered from both sides of the El Paso border to draw attention to the degrading social, economic and environmental conditions at the U.S./ Mexico border.

Guests:

• Brendan O’ Neill, Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America. ACERCA is a collective that organizes against environmental and human rights abuses in the Central American region.
• Luz Ruiz, Chiapas Independent Media Center.
• Michael Guerrero, Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice. He joined hundreds of people who gathered from both sides of the El Paso border to draw attention to the degrading social, economic and environmental conditions at the U.S./ Mexico border.

Related links:

• Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America
• Latin American Solidarity Coalition
• Chiapas Indymedia