The Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) is a 25-year, multi-billion dollar series of megadevelopment projects sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank. It includes massive agribusiness and biotechnology projects as well as the construction of megahighways, dams and factory zones throughout southern Mexico and Central America.

Organizations in the region have expressed concerns about the devastating effects these projects could have on local communities and the environment. IDEX is working with a coalition of Latin American and US organizations to find ways to dialogue with stakeholders in the plan and make sure that the communities have a voice in determining how their lands and resources are used.

As a start, IDEX has joined an international network of organizations which is working to build a campaign to counter the plan and to promote positive development alternatives. For more information and to join the network, contact acercasover.net.

Elements of the Plan Puebla Panama include:

• Mega highways and rail corridors called « dry canals » to transport international goods across the isthmus of Oaxaca, Mexico and through Panama
• 70+ hydroelectric dams in Chiapas alone, flooding communal lands
• Dredging of deep water ports for shipping, destroying local fisheries
• Massive eucalyptus tree farms and other large-scale agribusiness plantations
• Creation of maquiladora zones (assembly plants with sweatshop conditions)
• « Repopulation » of people who get in the way of these projects into urban areas

If implemented as planned, the PPP will result in:

• Mass displacement of indigenous peoples through dam and highway development
• Loss of indigenous culture and knowledge through urbanization
• Loss of biodiversity due to highway, port, dam and plantation construction
• Loss of arable lands due to monocropping and massive use of petrochemical fertilizers
• Exploitation of women and youth working in sweatshop conditions
• Growth of urban poverty due to "repopulation »

Who Supports the Plan Puebla Panama?

• $ Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, Central American Development Bank
• $ Private investors: Banamex-Accival (owned by CitiGroup) and others not yet disclosed
• $ President Vicente Fox of Mexico devised the PPP and says it is « a thousand times grander than Zapatismo or any indigenous culture. »
• $ Eight Central American governments have signed agreements pledging their support.

Resources and More Information

• www.acerca.org/plan_pueblo_panama.html Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America
• www.bicusa.org The Bank Information Center monitors the World Bank
• www.mexicosolidarity.org The Mexico Solidarity Network
• www.globalexchange.org Global Exchange
• www.maquilasolidarity.org The Maquila Solidarity Network
• www.chiapas.indymedia.org Chiapas Independent Media Center
• www.us-mex.org/borderlines/updater/2001/aug7ppp.html Borderlines

Fuentes de Información en Español

• vsppp.8m.com Un sitio dedicado a publicar información en contra del PPP
• ppp.presidencia.gob.mx Sitio oficial del PPP
• members.es.tripod.de/xelaju/xela.htm Sitio del Foro Xela
• www.maquilasolidarity.org Red de Solidaridad de la Maquila
• www.chiapas.indymedia.org Centro de Medios Independientes de Chiapas

Sources: Mexico Solidarity Network, Maquila Solidarity Network, Borderlines, ACERCA, Bank Information Center.