Bishops of Chiapas and Oaxaca Criticize 'Crusade Against Hunger' as 'Demogogic' Oscar Rodriguez - Milenio
go to original February 7, 2013

OAXACA  - The bishops of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, and of Oaxaca criticized the objectives of the Crusade Against Hunger announced by President Enrique Peña Nieto, characterizing the Crusade as "demagogic" and as "mere politicking".

The Catholic leaders of Oaxaca, José Luis Chávez Botello, and of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Enrique Diaz, described as "crumbs" and palliatives the themes of the ambitious program that will begin to operate throughout the country starting in April.

The bishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Enrique Díaz, stated that given all the realities of poverty, misery and injustice that characterize Southeastern Mexico, the Catholic Church has had much more resonance among the indigenous communities. However, he said a great challenge remains for whoever governs to reverse the current conditions of social inequality faced by the Southeast Region of Mexico.

"We believe that the so-called Crusade Against Hunger announced by the President runs the risk of being reduced to mere left-overs, if it doesn't call for making valid structural changes in the form of governance," he warned.

He said that what's not needed is offer more "crumbs; instead what's required to get to the bottom of the big problems of inequality is to change attitudes about forms of governance."

He noted that the Chiapas of today is not the same as it was seventeen years ago, nor is Oaxaca with the scenario that was experienced after the social upheaval of 2006 [seven-month uprising]. Both states have made political changes.

"The armed uprising in Chiapas (1994) led to the issue of inequality rising to the cauldron of national politics, and today we experience a new reality, because there is progress, but the challenge that remains is huge for ultimately addressing the issue of inequality.

"In Mexico, the villages and indigenous communities are slowly making progress in development but in the [outside] world, change is rapid and accelerating, thereby generating large burdens and lags that are felt in the income of many and can be improved only with great difficulty."

Therefore, he demanded that policies and laws be more fair in order to give more to those who have less, "at least to cover the ancient debt we have with these [economic] disparities."

"It isn't possible that Oaxaca and Chiapas--states with a greater share of natural wealth--have the lowest indicators for human development," he summarized.

So he explained that the Catholic Church is the only option that can give hope to the poor and marginalized in Mexico... Speaking on their behalf, the Bishop of Oaxaca, José Luis Chávez Botello, called for changes in human attitudes, because the structural lags can be reversed only by sharing 'what we have' with those 'who do not have'.

"Change is not of form but of substance, with new behaviors and preferential and fair treatment, so that income is distributed fairly without abuses or excesses."

See Spanish original

Posted by Jane Brundage at Mexico Voices

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