14 February, 2008A Lifeline For the Coal Miners and their Families" is the name of the campaign organised by the families of the miners who died two years ago at Pasta de Conchos. The campaign demands that the bodies are recovered.
Mexico: A few days away from the second anniversary of the accident at Mine 8, Pasta de Conchos, owned by Industrial Minera México (IMMSA), the Pasta de Conchos family begins a new stage in the battle to recover the bodies of the miners who died on 19 February 2006.
The Pasta de Conchos Family, which includes 615 immediate relatives of the 65 trapped miners, 63 of whom still remain in the mine, issued a press release setting out the next steps in the regional, national and international campaign. The campaign is calling for "A Lifeline For the Coal Miners and their Families."
The families have decided to camp out for an indefinite period in front of the mine and the corporate offices of Grupo México, who they say "is responsible for the death of our relatives, and the ones who have most to gain from leaving their remains in the mine".
The main demands of the families are: recovery of the bodies, accompanied by a guarantee that such an operation will be carried out under the best possible safety conditions; that IMMSA should declare itself to be a "Socially Irresponsible Company", in the light of its negligence at Mine 8, Pasta de Conchos; and that the Mexican government and IMMSA management, including Germán Larrea Mota Velasco, are held responsible.
The campaign is targeting working families in Mexico and the rest of the world; civil society organisations; trade unions and workers organisations committed to protecting the safety and life of their members and their families; socially responsible companies that have shown some sensitivity about the outrageous negligence displayed by the company and the complicity of government at Pasta de Conchos; and international human rights organisations, and churches and religious denominations that are concerned for social justice and the common good.
The Pasta de Conchos Family invite all people to join the protests and resistance and provide "A Lifeline for the coal miners and their families". The campaign begins with the following actions on or around the second anniversary:
- An international tour to make contacts with trade unions, human rights organisations, miners, the business world and the media;
- Strengthening of links and definition of joint action strategies with already established international networks;
- Meetings with European parliamentarians, church representatives and companies;
- Dialogue with international human rights organisations;
Peaceful national and international solidarity protests;
Ecumenical days of prayer; - Celebration of Communion on 19 February outside IMMSA installations at 12:00 (midday) at Campos Eliseos 400, Colonia Polanco;
- A march on 19 February at 5 p.m. from the Monument to the Revolution to Zócalo, where a memorial event will be held in support of the inherent humanitarian right of all human beings to bury their dead, in accordance with their beliefs and customs.
Various international organisations are supporting the campaign of the Pasta de Conchos families, including the IMF. Among its most recent initiatives was offering to the Mexican government the services of a group of mining experts to conduct a study and coordinate the recovery of the bodies. The government has not yet contacted the experts to organise a plan of work. We hope it will soon take the necessary steps to obtain the assistance of these experts.