Since the incidents in August the people of Las Salinas de Nahualapa had stayed away from their land at Playa Sardinas, fearing death. However, seeing that Philip Christopher continues with his idea to develop his project while ignoring the community's rights, updating Finca Popoyo's website and showing the land (in December 2008), the members of the community have gone back to the land and keep shifts to cover its surveillance 24/7.
We are happy to see that the community continues to show energy in the long-lasting struggle to protect its land. We hope that no aggressions will follow at the imminent arrival of Philip Christopher, back from his country after the Winter holidays.
31st of December, 2008 – Update
The past few months in Las Salinas has seen the community continuing with their campaign and fighting to have their voices heard by the Nicaraguan authorities. After the attack on the community representatives at the end of August (see below), Philip Christopher left the country for a brief period. During this time, the community stayed off their land (the beachfront property at Popoyo that Christopher is trying to steal) but continued appealing to the local authorities to put the findings of the court into effect and order La Flor de Mayo to stop encroaching on community land.
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7 comments:
There is not one word of truth to this entire blog. A criminal land mafia exists in Tola, Nicaragua as they do in other places in Nicaragua.
The traficante de tierra, land trafickers intimidate the local populations with threats. They abuse the weak system of rule of law. They steal the future prosperity of the people they live amongst. They are full of hatred and they are vile race baiters.
La Flor de Mayo Nic SA has fight them tooth and nail legally within the judicial system, politically in terms of the government of Nicaragua, and in the national medias of Nicaragua.
La Flor will not pay the mafia ever and will fight for the prosperous future of Tola, land rights for all, community benefits, fair pay, good work environments, better schools, elder care.
But let us be clear, we will never pay the Tola land mafia. We do intend to put them in jail.
La Flor de Mayo Nic SA will continue to pursue their business practices with the highest level of ethics and honesty.
Shortly a website will be launched with all the documents of this now four year old attempted criminal extortion for those interested in the truth; this site will be committed to ojbectivity and will accept cricitism designed to improve its veracity.
In closing, we ask that whomever made this post to present themselves publicly. When the web is used in such a vile manner it reduces it for all of us. Just as the land traffickers in Tola are reducing, diminishing, and debasing the lives of all in Tola
To post a blog such as we are responding to here, that is so filled with lies, deceptions, hatred and racism is cowardly and shameful.
Once more, lets be clear La Flor de Mayo will never pay the Tola land mafia and will never cease to ask the government of Nicaragua to prosecute them for their numerous crimes.
Friends of La Flor
We are sorry but we can only ask you to read your own words and do the same you are asking us to do:
"In closing, we ask that whomever made this post to present themselves publicly."
This "Robyn" person has NO information AT ALL on their blogger profile. It sounds like you are a member of La Flor de Mayo, is that correct?
Well, we all live in what we would like to be a democratic world and thus I (one of the people updating this blog) will leave your comment up for now (I could otherwise choose to remove it), although it is obviously trying to undermine this blog and the community's effort to defend themselves and the land they own from the aggressions of La Flor de Mayo.
"When the web is used in such a vile manner it reduces it for all of us. Just as the land traffickers in Tola are reducing, diminishing, and debasing the lives of all in Tola"
I think this is actually about some foreigners trying to exploit the powerless locals.
"To post a blog such as we are responding to here, that is so filled with lies, deceptions, hatred and racism is cowardly and shameful."
Racism is only one of the pillars of La Flor de Mayo's core ideology.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/01/prweb1919194.htm
It´s a shame these money grubbing gringos are fucking up another legendary surf spot!
Surfing use to have real heart. What a bummer.
Hi Leumas Clamato,
I tried accessing the article you linked in your comment, but I was surprised to find nothing. Has the article been removed? Who could have asked the prweb to take it out?
Anyway, this is what I got:
Release Not Found
Page Unavailable
The press release could not be found.
In response to Robyn:
While I am not directly involved with any of the goings on with the Popoyo land dispute, I have spoken with many people on the subject (including members of the Nicaraguan government) and it seems everyone's opinion is galvanized against your claims. Why is that, Robyn? Could it be the documents I have seen on the La Flor de Mayo Nic SA website with false government stamps, as verified by the Procurador's office? Could it be the intimidation of locals by hired thugs and Philip Christopher himself with firearms? Perhaps it is the destruction of property belonging to the locals (the fence that La Flor tore down and since rebuilt by the rightful owners). Or perhaps it is that these examples are just the tip of the iceberg of a long list of injustices La Flor de Mayo has committed.
Robyn, whoever you are, I am convinced that Philip Christopher and his La Flor de Mayo Nic SA is the only "land mafia" that has anything to do with this situation. For god's sake Christopher, take your millions and go "invest" somewhere else. Leave these poor people alone.
In response to Robyn -
I am an Irish citizen with no investments or financial interests here in Nicaragua. I feel I can give an objective response to both the blog and your comment and accustations. I have spent a good bit of time in the area speaking to locals involved in the dispute, and I have to say that unfortunately it seems as if everything written in this blog is true. I have spoken to the different individuals who have had the experiences detailed in it, and from how they speak about them it is clear to me that they are not telling any lies. And it is clear to me that La Flor de Mayo are not fighting for land rights for all, for community benefits, a prosperous future for Tola, etc... but that they are fighting the community, the legal system, and the Nicaraguan authorities in their desire to profit from one of the most beautiful unspoilt beaches with the most surfable and famous waves in all of Nicaragua. I don't know what your friends in La Flor de Mayo have told you about Tola or Nicaragua, but the language that you use to describe the situation here is very far from the reality. If you really are interested in speaking about and learning the truth, I suggest you go and ask the 200 people who are participating in the camp on Playa Sardina what it is they are protesting about. I am sure you will be interested to see that there is no mafia here, simply local people and family’s who are concerned about the threat that La Flor de Mayo poses to their land rights and their heritage.
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