First published on 12/31/2007, and last updated on 06/02/2017
The CCA movement is vibrant is Mexico, growing in Guatemala but merely nascent in Belize. Indigenous and some mestizo communities have historically managed their territory in a way that ensures the protection and sustainability of their resources.
A long-standing common practice is to maintain a part of their territory in a forested area with minimal human impact.
Indigenous autonomy movements are a strong trend in Mesoamerica, particularly in Chiapas and Oaxaca. In these cases, CCAs are embedded in a wider struggle for liberty, democracy, justice, land tenure, control of natural resources use, production, knowledge, technology, education and culture.