Collects signatures to prevent cutting of trees

On the side of the 200 highway, under an awning, and accompanied by his siblings and a friend, Jorge del Bosque collects signatures to ask Querétaro state authorities to change the road's enlargement project, thus preventing the cutting of centennial trees which provide shadow and a less arid landscape. Close to him, less than 328 feet away, machinery is on hold for the time being.

The traffic on the zone is heavy. Trailers, public buses, private vehicles, motorcycles, everything passes through that road. 164 feet from the awning and Jorge's tent, employees are busy with work. They check the layout of the road, while some bulldozers can be seen parked in the distance.

Many tree trunks from felled trees remain on the ground, still alive, though mutilated. Some feet away, trees marked and “protected” by activists last Saturday remain untouched, although the work approaches the place, where there are a tree nursery and a soccer school.

“300 years ago they (the trees) were here, we are the ones who came to invade. We have to do everything humanly possible to avoid their killing, which is what they did. There are the roots,” indicates del Bosque.

As part of his fight, now, along with his siblings and a teacher friend, he collects signatures to ask authorities to modify the project and stop the ecocide; at the same time, he is grateful for the support from activist Alicia Colchado, who for the past couple of days has joined his cause. Likewise, a friend who traveled from Oaxaca to support his strife accompanies Jorge.

Jorge asks society to join his movement to defend life, and also to attend his camp so that authorities “see people. People, incredibly, see persons and stop, to gossip or whatever, but we collect signatures. We want to make things right, well supported. We are not making up any person.”

mr