5 August, 2009Police officers and company security staff have entered the mine installations to seize the coal washing plant that Grupo México has supposedly sold to the businessman Rogelio Montemayor. The miners' union described the police action as an assault on legality.
Mexico: Coahuila State armed forces and security staff employed by Grupo México violently evicted workers from the Pasta de Conchos mine on Friday, 31 July so that the Transportes Signum company, owned by the former director-general of Pemex, Rogelio Montemayor Seguy and his son Rogelio Montemayor García, could seize the coal washing plant, apparently sold to them by Grupo México and Industrial Minera México (IMMSA).
For the Mexican miners' union, led by Napoleon Gómez Urrutia, and relatives of the victims of the Pasta de Conchos disaster, who have still not been able to recover the bodies buried on 19 February 2006, this is one more attack on them and an assault on legality.
The widows of Pasta de Conchos, who tried to prevent the raid but who were unable to resist the attack, released a communiqué in which they condemned the violence and stated the action was taken because the company (IMMSA) knew the relatives were getting closer to where the bodies of their relatives might be buried.
Sergio Beltrán Reyes, Secretary of the Interior, Exterior and Minutes of the miners' union, affirmed that "neither the presumed buyers of the coal washing plant from Industrial Minera México, owned by Grupo México have been able to show documents proving they are the new owners of the plant, nor was any legal notice given to the widows and relatives of the dead miners. Moreover, in November 2007, the Secretary of the Economy cancelled, albeit provisionally, Grupo Mexico's concession to exploit the coal deposits. The action taken was therefore illegal."
The miners' union demands that the police be evicted and legality restored. The IMF Regional Office repudiates the violent eviction that occurred on 31 July and supports the demands and actions taken by the miners' union and the relatives of the victims of Pasta de Conchos.