Sin maíz no hay paíz | Sign Letter to Mexican President Peña-Nieto!




















Cocodrillo rojo. Artwork by Francisco Toledo.

Moderator’s
Note: Yesterday we posted a letter by Dr. David Schubert, an eminent immunologist from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. It
was addressed to Mexico’s President Lic. Enrique Peña Nieto and explained the
scientific evidence and logic that Mexico should consider in moving to adopt policies resulting in a permanent ban on future planting of GMO corn inside Mexican territory. Mexico is
one of the world’s principal Vavilov Centers and its indigenous farmers have
over thousands of years developed the enormous diversity of more than 60 land
race varieties of corn, or Zea mays. Schubert
also argues that the place of corn as the definitive staple of the Mexican diet
has unique health implications and no one else has ever eaten the amount of GMO
corn that would be the case if the transgenic varieties are approved for future
planting.





To follow-up on yesterday’s post, I am sharing a
second letter with a link to a Spanish language website of the Union of Scientists Committed to Society (Mexico). The link serves the Mexican civil society
movement that is seeking 1 million signatures for a letter to be sent by
Mexican and global civil society to President Peña Nieto. It is essential that
followers and readers of this blog sign the letter and share the link with
friends and colleagues; everyone may of course repost and circulate this
information to listservs. Let’s participate in the 1 million signatures against
Monsanto in Mexico.





















Sin maíz no hay paíz. Credit:
Ecobierzo.


The letter below was prepared by Francisco Toledo, a
renowned painter and eco-activist, and José Márquez, a respected archaeologist of Oaxaca.
Toledo is the founder of PRO-OAX, Patronato, Defensa, y Conservación del
Patrimonio Cultural y Natural del Estado de Oaxaca, A.C. The letter is
addressed to President Lic. Enrique Peña Nieto and the authors end with call on
people to join in the1 Million against Monsanto in Mexico.











HERE IS DIRECT LINK TO SIGN THE LETTER





Union of Scientists Committed to Society Letter to the


President of Mexico on
Opposition to GMO Corn








Or use this short URL


http://bit.ly/R0X6eD
















We who love
México


A LETTER TO
THE MEXICAN PRESIDENT





30 March 2014





Lic Enrique Peña Nieto


Presidente Constitucional de
los


Estados Unidos Mexicanos





We who sign this letter are women and men who love
Mexico. We are farmers, workers, students, business people, and researchers.
Mexico’s diversity and peoples’ solidarity is reflected in us. On directing
this letter to you, we are thinking about the future of our country and of
humanity. In the first place, we are concerned for the health of our children.





We are convinced that transgenic corn is bad for
Mexico. The transnational corporations that promote these seeds are seeking to
make money. For us the health of our bodies and the health of the land do not
have a price. We know that transgenic maize will contaminate our native maize
varieties cultivated in Mexico. We know this contamination cannot be remedied
once it starts. We know that this contamination signifies profit for a few,
with a high cost for the majority of Mexicans.





Dr. David Schubert is an eminent researcher with
international prestige. His experience permits him to understand the long-term
effects of transgenics. He sent you a letter in October of last year to explain
why Mexico should not approve the planting of transgenic maize. We ask you to
listen to the words of scientists as respected as Dr. Shubert. And on reviewing
the reasons provided by science, we ask that you also listen to the voice [sic]
of indigenous communities, the voice of the farmers and the voice of the people
in the cities who do not want these seeds. We reject transgenics because to
contaminate our maize is to injure the heart of Mexico.





Attentively,





Maestro Francisco Toledo


Founder of PRO-OAX





Arq. José Márquez


President, PRO-OAX




We have initiated a campaign to collect one
million signatures, which we will forward to you later.

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