DEMATAC, About us

DEFENSORES DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE DE LOS TUXTLAS, A. C.

ecological activism
ABOUT US

Who are we?

Foremost, we are our Affiliate Members and our Sponsors.

Without their generosity, DEMATAC could not exist.

"Ecocide"
Words from our President

DEMATAC is not simply an association. It is not simply an alliance of dedicated people united by the
same cause. DEMATAC is more. It is a concept - an idea and an ideal, embodying a universal truth;
the truth that by our failure to protect, by our failure to defend, our natural environment, by
allowing it to be destroyed bit by bit as we are now doing, we are destroying civilization as we know
it. We are, in fact, committing ecological suicide - ecocide.

The genesis of “Defensores Del Medio Ambiente de Los Tuxtlas, A.C.”, (DEMATAC), was the
result of a campaign initiated in July of 2004 by one of our founders, against the devastation being
caused by strip mining in Catemaco, Veracruz. With the attention generated by the mass media
and through the support of many of the citizens of Catemaco and environmentalists both national
and international, hearings were held with the municipal government of Catemaco and in the
federal environmental control offices of SEMARNAT (Secretary of Environment and Natural
Resources) in the state capital of Xalapa; attended by representatives of various Mexican ecological
agencies including: SEMARNAT, PROFEPA, CNA, Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas, the
Municipal President of Catemaco, and by the press. The results were positive. The battle is not
over – the war has just begun; the war against all who encourage environmental destruction,
under whatever pretext, and against the bureaucracy and apathy that supports, daily, this
destruction. We must expose the environmental criminals and we must challenge government and
industry when they fail to live up to their mandate to safeguard our environment and our future.

DEMATAC was

hartered in Catemaco, Veracruz on September 25, 2004

as a

nonprofit

environmental civil association dedicated to recuperating the

ecological

balance

and

protecting

the

environment

Los Tuxtlas

, and

independent of

economic

political

interests

with any

government, political

party, or religious

institution.

DEMATAC’s

principal

objectives

are:

)

Address complaints, initiate investigations, and file

grievances

with the respective

government

agencies, regarding environmental threats in the region of Los Tuxtlas,

using

the

diffusion of

information to inform, council, negotiate, and propose viable

solutions to

environmental

degradation,

as well as high-profile, non-violent civil

resistance to raise the

level

and quality of

public debate and to

promote prompt action by

respective government

agencies.

Promote projects such as reforestation, cleanup of lagoons, rivers, beaches, roads and

streets,

and

the regional environment in general.

Dissemination of information and publicity regarding the biodiversity of Los Tuxtlas

and

the

importance of protecting it.

Promote & provide education to r

aise public & governmental

environmental

awareness.

We can

not do this alone.

We need the help and the support,

economic and

active

the

community, of the residents of Los Tuxtlas, and of

environmentalists

everywhere.

We need

your

help.

With this object in mind, we invite you to

join DEMATAC

ALL
DONATIONS TO
DEMATAC ARE
USED FOR THE
PROJECTS &
ACTIVITIES OF
DEMATAC.

THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS &
ACTIVE
MEMBERS
SERVE
VOLUNTARILY
& WITHOUT
PAY.

MEET OUR
FRIENDS
FROM
ABROAD

Don Agustín Moreno B.
& Dora El Azuzul,
Catemaco, Ver.

Board of Directors

President:          Lic. Jessica Hitandegüi Swanson Santiago

Vice President:        L. C. Oscar Castelan Tenorio

Secretary:                 Dora Luz Santiago Molina

Treasurer:                L. C. Rogelio Hernández V.

Board Members:

María Gabriela Garcia Valero

Ing. Juan Raúl Luna García

Eduardo Alvarez Ríos, Economist

Dr. Ben

Doug on the Laguna
Sontecomapan

International Fund-raiser
Douglas D. Redmond
Email: dooglass@hotmail.com

Paco in Los Bajos de
Mimiagua

Active Members

Luís barragan, Student, San Diego, California, USA
Dra. Lorelei Bojórquez Galván, M.V.Z., Xalapa, Ver., Mexico
Natalia Castelán Garcia, Student, Minatitlan, Veracruz
Raul Cabañas Giffard, Herpetologist, Xalapa, Veracuz
Jesús Cerón Najera, Professor, COBAEV, Catemaco, Veracruz
Ursula Dusch, Student, Erlangen, Germany
Dr. Christoph Ganzoni, Medical Doctor, Catemaco, Veracruz
Dulce Maria Geronimo Jimenez, Lic. en Nutrición, Minatitlán, Veracruz
Francisco Gómes Marín, Biologist
Ing. Viridiana Mercedes Hernandez Martinez, Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
Akiko Matsumoto, International Relations, Tokyo, Japan
Javier Martinez Jaramillo, Médico Cirujano, Minatitlán, Veracruz
Irma Ramón Cervantes, launch owner, Catemaco, Veracruz
Biologist, José Vicente Facio
Esteban Villegas Velazquez, Psychologist, Catemaco, Veracruz

Esteban Villegas V.
Psychologist

Affiliate Members & Sponsors

Jeb Allran, www.coffeeam.com, Canton, Georgia, USA
Barry Bragger, Primestone, & Stacey Caren (Social Worker), Torrington,
Connecticut, USA
Lic. Francisco Luis Briseño Cortes, Xalapa, Veracruz
Madeleine Carlton Feria, Catmaco, Veracruz, México
Gabriel Camacho, Violin Construction & Restoration, Mexico, D. F.
Dr. José Cisneros Espinosa, PhD, Professor, Universidad dé las Americas -
Puebla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla
Richard R. Cordero, Color Publishing Specialist / Photographer, California,
USA
Alejandro Cortés Ochoa, Restaurant La Casita, Catemaco, Ver., México
Javier Fco. Cruz Cárdnas, Compu Cat, Catemaco, Veracruz
Julia del Carmen Cruz Cruz, Restaurant La Casita, Catemaco, Ver, México
Ing. Rafael Fararoni, Comercializadora de Cervezas de Los Tuxtlas, S. A de
C. V., San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz, México
Jim & Gaby Gaudis, Trailer Park Tepetapan, Catemaco, Veracruz
Don Gringo, Blogger, Satirist & Satyr, Catemaco, Veracruz
Prof. Fernando Hernández Rodríguez, Catemaco, Ver., México
Don Gonzalo Hernández Sobrevals, Cortijo Sobrevals, Catemaco, Ver.,
México
Hotel & Cafe Catemaco, Catemaco, Veracruz
Hotel del Lago, Catemaco, Veracruz, México
Hotel del Parque, San Andrés Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México
Hotel Los Arcos, Catemaco, Veracruz, México
Enrique Huber Fonseca, COMEX, San Andrés, Tuxtla, Veracruz
Carlos Huber Vázquez, Tele- Radio, San Andrés Tuxtlas, Veracruz
La Flor de Catemaco, Ornamental Plants, Catemaco, Veracruz
Verónica Medina Alday, Dir. Gen., ERDM SOLAR, S. A. DE C. V.
San Andrés Tuxtla y Catemaco, Veracruz
Carmen Ramos Fuster, Hotel Isabel, San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico
Douglas D. Redmond, Calidad Tobaccos, Seward, Nebraska, USA
Hans Samyn, Brussels, Belgium
Dr. Eduardo San Martin Romero, Cardiologist, San Andrés Tuxtla, Ver.,
México
John & Jean Senulis, SENCO-PHENIX Archeologial Consulting Services,
Price Utah, USA
Dr. Benedikt Suykens, Chiropractor, Catemaco, Veracruz
Peter Van Dusen, Northport, Michigan, USA

Oscar Castelán Tenorio
http://spaces.msn.com/castel
a nweb/

Ursula en la
Punta de Tepeyaga

Akiko in the forest

Honorary Members

Armando Blanco Moheno, Freelance Writer, Mexico D. F., Mexico
Dr. Marcelino Gracia Pérez, M.V.Z., Catemaco, Ver., Mexico
Julio Gomez Hernández, Anthropologist, Catemaco, Ver., Mexico
Mr. & Mrs. Vern Redmond, Nebraska, USA (Deceased)

SPONSORS

Defensores del Medio
Ambiente
de Los Tuxtlas, A. C.
Quinta las Bugambilias
Punto Nixtamalapan
Carretera Playa Azul s/n
95870 Catemaco, Veracruz, México

Tel/Fax: (294) 943-0581
Correo Electrónico:
lostuxtlas@dematac.org
Pagina Web: www.dematac.org

If you would like to communicate with us, please see our page:
"Contact us"

To discover ways to support us, make a donation, become an Affiliate Member or Sponsor, please go to:

"Join & Support"

Julio in the Sierra Los Tuxtlas

Don Gringo
www.tuxtlas.com