Indigenous Communities Denounce Non-Compliance by Mexico’s Agriculture Secretariat, Announce Day of Protest

ByDesinformémonos

This article originally appeared in the April 23, 2026 edition of Desinformémonos.

Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities in Michoacán denounced the systematic failure of the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide agricultural support and demanded the removal of its head, citing omissions, negligence, and the mismanagement of public funds allocated to production programs. The Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán warned that, despite having a budget, the agency has not delivered basic supplies nor honored commitments previously agreed upon with the communities.

The Council, comprised of traditional authorities from 80 communities of P’urhépecha, Otomi, Mazahua, Nahua, and Afro-Mexican peoples, indicated that outstanding payments have persisted in various programs since 2025. In the case of Chemical Fertilizers and Compost, three communities have not received supplies despite having met the requirements and made the payments. Under the Cooperative Works program, at least ten communities are still waiting for cement for hydraulic and agricultural infrastructure. Under the Consume What You Produce program, payments for orchards, poultry, and mushroom projects have been owed to 25 communities for two years. They also reported delays in Livestock Infrastructure, where 15 communities have not received the promised materials.

The communities stated that these commitments are documented and budgeted, but accused the agency of “misusing programs and resources intended for agricultural support,” in addition to failing to attend meetings convened by federal authorities. “It is an institution that, despite having a multi-million dollar budget, is incapable of resolving even the most basic problems due to inefficiency or negligence,” they stated in their pronouncement.

With axes, hammers and ropes, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán demolished a monument called “The Builders” on February 14, 2022

Given this situation, the Council demanded an investigation and audit to determine responsibility, as well as the removal of the head of the agency. It warned that if the outstanding issues are not resolved, the communities will launch a campaign to defend their land. “We cannot remain silent,” they affirmed, reiterating their demand for justice, territory, and autonomy for Indigenous peoples.

The full statement follows:

Indigenous communities in the countryside, between neglect and government non-compliance
TO THE SECRETARIAT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF MICHOACÁN
TO THE NATIVE PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES
TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO AND MICHOACÁN
TO THE MEDIA
TO THE GOVERNMENT OF MICHOACÁN

Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities of #Michoacán as of April 23, 2026.

K’eri Kunkorhekua Iretecheri, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán #CSIM , an autonomous and independent council from governments, political parties and religious institutions, made up of traditional authorities from 80 communities of the P’urhépecha, Otomí or Hñahñú, Matlazinca or Pirinda, Mazahua, Nahua and Afro-Mexican Peoples, collectively declare the following:

For more than a year, the Michoacán Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (#SADER) has failed to deliver support and social programs to communities, even though the requirements, verifications, and corresponding payments have been met. In the Chemical Fertilizers and Compost program, it has not provided fertilizer to three communities since April 2025, despite the fact that all the requirements and the respective payment have been submitted.

To further illustrate, in the Works for Cooperation program, it failed to deliver cement for hydraulic and agricultural infrastructure projects to ten indigenous communities scheduled for 2025. Similarly, in the Consume What You Produce program, it has been two years since the delivery of vegetable gardens, poultry, and mushroom plots to 25 communities. Likewise, in the Livestock Infrastructure program, it has been two years since the delivery of materials for the development of livestock activities to 15 communities, among other breaches.

All these commitments are duly documented and budgeted; however, SADER misuses the programs and resources allocated to support agriculture and livestock for indigenous communities. Furthermore, it does not attend the working meetings scheduled by the Ministry of the Interior with the communities. In short,

It is an institution that, despite having a multimillion-dollar budget, is incapable of solving the most basic problems due to inefficiency or omission.

In a functional and democratic system, these facts should be sufficient to initiate an investigation and audit with the aim of determining responsibilities, as well as being removed from office while the investigations are completed.

In this context, we, the Indigenous peoples and communities, cannot remain silent. At the request of the traditional authorities that make up the CSIM, we demand the removal of the head of SADER Michoacán for failing to fulfill his duties, lacking initiative to resolve problems, and acting negligently. Finally, we call upon the Government of Michoacán to resolve the outstanding issues and problems in the agricultural sector; otherwise, we will soon launch a campaign in defense of the countryside.

TERUNHASKUA K’ OIA, ECHERI KA JURAMUKUKUA IAMENTU IRETECHANI
JUSTICE, TERRITORY AND AUTONOMY FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán