Mexico

On April 10th in the state of Morelos, Mexican peasants were ambushed by police resulting in one peasant being killed and 18 others injured. They were all residents of the small town of Tepotzlan and were on their way to protest in another town against plans to build a golf course and a tourism complex around Tepotzlan. They had occupied the town itself since last September after the bulldozers had moved in to start building the golf course. Later, when news broke of the clash, police denied that they had been armed and insisted that the gunfire must have come from the peasants. However an amateur video cameraman filmed the true story, showing the police not only armed but opening fire on the convoy. The incident seems to have resulted in the cancellation of any plans to build the golf course, though Grupo KS investment company have said “The land is legally ours and we will not give it up, although we do not know what we will finally do with it”. So the conflict may not be over but the peasants are vowing to fight on until the state government resigns. Local media have billed the story as the Golf War.