Thanking Politicians for Support Is Like Thanking an ATM, Activist Says

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The progress of Indigenous communities depends more on education and awareness than on government handouts and crop programs, according to activist Javier Alarcón Mujica, who criticized the tendency of administrations to celebrate politicians for carrying out their duties with public money.

“They use public funds. You don’t thank an ATM when it gives you your money, so why should we applaud politicians when they give support, when it’s also our money?” said Alarcón Mujica, president of the Association of Older Adults of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Peoples.

In an interview, the activist acknowledged that Indigenous peoples currently receive some attention, but said what they advocate for is not just food baskets, aid, or cultivation programs, but also raising awareness among Indigenous communities about their rights.

“What is needed is education; without it there is no evolution or change,” he said. “We must enforce the guarantees established in the Constitution.”

Alarcón Mujica also noted that although a significant percentage of the Indigenous population lives in rural areas, an even larger number reside in cities such as Cancún, where they face the same shortcomings and problems as everyone else, including inadequate transportation.