Global Day of Action: No to the “Maya Train” and the colonial rail of Deutsche Bahn

The Research-Group of the Network of Rebellion, the Anti-Colonial Alliance Berlin (ACAB), the Initiative of Democratic Conförderalism (IDK) and the Ya-Basta-Network are calling for participation on the global action day against the DB and the “Maya Train”.

The entire history of Deutsche Bahn (DB) is marked by profit through war and exploitation. The Reichsbahn provided the infrastructure for the Holocaust. DB Schenker transported for the fascist Franco in Spain. Today, the DB subsidiary is active in 140 countries such as Qatar and Turkey and is responsible for armament transports all over the world. In Germany, “Germany’s fastest climate protector” uses electricity from the climate killer Datteln IV, where “blood coal” from Colombia or Russia is burned while the local (indigenous) population is displaced and activists* are murdered.

Another war project benefits DB Consulting and Engineering, which won a multi-million dollar contract to participate in the cynically named “Maya Train” in southern Mexico. The 1500 km long infrastructure project on the Yucatán Peninsula destroys one of the last large rainforests on the continent and threatens 23 nature reserves, among others! The government is expropriating, displacing and criminalising the people in the region! It is violating a UN agreement that guarantees the indigenous population the right to have a say in the project! And in the end, it is above all a project of the Mexican army. It builds, manages and profits from the profits of the “Maya train”, which is neither a train nor Maya.

The mega-project must be seen in the context of other projects in the region, all of which together form a migration barrier for the fleeing people from Central America. The cynical appropriation of the name “Maya” sums up the brutality of the project: “Maya” remains as a tourist attraction and restaurant chain, while the true history, culture, way of life and (above all) the Maya peoples themselves fall victim to the greed for money of corrupt elites and global private enterprise. It is therefore only a sign of a sense of tradition when Deutsche Bahn is at the forefront, but persistently silent about its involvement. Many other European companies (Renfe, Ineco, Alstom) are involved in the project!

It is not – never and also not on 30.10. – “only” about these few companies or about the one Tren “Maya”, of which there are thousands. It is about the system of colonial capitalism that buries everything beautiful in this world under its greed for profit.

Therefore: From Chiapas to Kurdistan, from Lützerath to Colombia – All Together against capitalism based on patriarchy, racism and colonialism. All Together on the Global Day of Action on 30.10. against the DB’s of this world!

The decentralised day of action is being organised in several countries (planned in Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, among others). Find out about the actions in your area or plan your own action. Everything is possible.

Previous locations & dates in the different regions: https://www.ya-basta-netz.org/termine/

The Research-Group of the Network of Rebellion is author* of the report “Tren ‘Maya’ Made in Germany -Deutsche Bahn and the Train of Destruction” SOON in English: https://www.ya-basta-netz.org/tren-maya-made-in-germany/

Contact: recherche-ag@riseup.net