Abstract
This article tells the story of a battle in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca between a coalition of civil society groups on one side, and a multinational corporation, its local partner, and entrenched political and economic interests on the other. This battle over the transformation of a former casino and hotel into a supermarket is a story about resistance to the neoliberal paradigm underpinning a trade agreement (in this case, the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA) which privileges the interests of capital and foreign investment over local particularity and cultural and ecological heritage. It is also a story about the politicisation of a cultural NGO, the Civic Council for Culture and the Arts of Morelos (CCCAM), which was founded by an independent group of citizens who were looking for a way to increase and optimise cultural activities in the state. The CCCAM, which was a non-political movement, without any allegiance to any political party, became involved in this struggle against the destruction and loss of an important artistic, archaeological and natural heritage in the downtown area of Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos state. The organisation didn't go looking for conflict, but organisations such as this — operating in a society lacking democratic mechanisms for conciliation — often naturally become focal points for dissent, and therefore attract conflict. The conflict ended up in repression and abuse by governmental authorities. Eventually, the story raised national and international concern, and has been considered by analysts, politicians and newsmen as one of the most significant civic struggles of modern times in Mexico.
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