Genetic Pirates: Out Of Chiapas!

As the news broke in Europe of the Mexican election results, actions took place on July 5th in the U.K. against a British company, Molecular Nature Ltd. in solidarity with the indigenous peoples of Chiapas, Mexico who are opposing the Maya International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) project - of which Molecular Nature is the commercial partner. Molecular Nature Ltd’s work will result in patents on compounds extracted from the plants of Chiapas being owned by foreign companies, without the consent of indigenous people.

The aim of this action was to highlight the struggle of the Mayan indigenous communities against foreign biopiracy and Mexican military aggression, in what is one of the most biologically rich regions of the world.

Activists dressed as pirates visited the company's headquarters in Maidenhead, Berkshire and their research laboratories in Wales. They delivered letters to key staff members and shareholders as well as visiting the gardens of Company directors to symbolically collect samples of plants there. At the office headquarters, a director complained that we had not made an appointment and that he wanted us to go away - activists replied that many communities in Chiapas felt the same way about the Maya ICBG project intruding in their region. Letters were also presented to the Mexican Ambassador to the UK, and the Mexican Consulate.

Biodiversity is not for sale or profit! For more info see
http://www.rafi.org
http://www.geneticsaction.org.uk/chiapas.htm