SMA PROGRAMS: INDIGENOUS RIGHTS:
San Carlos

In 2005, a timber baron named Rumaldo Holguin named himself ejido commissioner of San Carlosin a falsified assembly. Rumaldo and an associate (who was murdered by a rival drug trafficker earlier this year) have dominated the ejido for 20 years and have decimated most of the community forests, enriching themselves and leaving the community deeper in poverty.

Once the community began organizing, the timber barons reacted with violence

.A group of Tarahumara, along with some mestizos, represent a majority in the ejido and are attempting to overthrow Rumaldo, but they have faced threats and intimidation. Nineteen of their leaders were illegally ejected from the ejido on the basis of nonsense allegations, so that they cannot vote in the ejido assemblies. This opposition group came to Chihuahua in 2005 for help. Since then SMA and Tierra Nativa have helped the community organize the administrative process to change the ejido leadership with three field visits and numerous delegations to Chihuahua.

Once the community began organizing, the timber barons reacted with violence. On their way to San Carlos, SMA program leaders Isidro Baldenegro and Ramiro Castellano were beaten, robbed and threatened. Apparently, Rumaldo also has a history of threatening government authorities who have tried to work in San Carlos. SMA and Tierra Nativa are fighting back. A criminal process in under way, and the victims and witnesses have already been heard. It remains to be seen whether the judge will have the courage to issue an arrest warrant against a powerful timber baron.

The community faces the challenge of managing an ejido with a powerful timber opposition to undermine their efforts every step of the way.

The Procuraduria Agraria can convoke an assembly to change ejido authorities if an assembly is not called following a request of the ejido members. This is a bureaucratic process that requires petitions and signatures, including those of the ejido authorities that are being removed. This process is going on at the moment.

In addition, Rumaldo has defrauded the ejido members on their shares of forestry activities. SMA is supporting the community to denounce this crime and have conducted forestry and accountancy audits in the ejido.

Even if the Tarahumara group is successful in overthrowing the illegal and corrupt timber baron, the community still faces the challenge of managing an ejido without skills or experience—and probably with a powerful timber opposition to undermine their efforts every step of the way.