BP AND MEXICO: A DEADLY PARTNERSHIP

On Friday 30th October, BP and the Mexican government are co-sponsoring a big Day of the Dead festival at the British Museum.

Both are trying to improve their public images by associating themselves with Mexico’s world-famous festival.

But we’ve got other ideas. We plan to crash the party and creatively expose the truth behind this shady get-together.

Please reply to this email to let us know you’re coming and find out more details.

WHY?

The Mexican government is on an international charm offensive, to distract attention from human rights abuses at home – including the disappearance a year ago of 43 students – and to attract foreign investors to its newly-privatised oil and gas sector.

BP wants to get its hands on Mexico’s oil. It’s especially keen to start drilling more deepwater wells on Mexico’s side of the Gulf of Mexico. Because that went so well last time…

BP has already benefited from the relaxation of energy laws in Mexico, investing through its consortiums with Ienova, PanAmerican Energy, E&P Hidrocarburos, CFE, and many more in the gas and oil pipeline industry. This industry is not only pushing to introduce fracking and other destructive extraction techniques, but has also caused numerous conflicts with Indigenous and rural communities. The oil industry uses the Mexican state as an arm to repress peaceful opposition.

The British Museum is willingly playing host to this deadly partnership. But we are planning to add some human rights and environmental justice into the party mix.

WHAT?

The Day of the Dead has its roots in Mexico’s ancient and resilient Indigenous cultures. It is an opportunity to both remember the dead and celebrate the living.

Join the London Mexico Solidarity Group and BP or not BP? in the British Museum on Friday 30th October at 6.30pm, where we will creatively reject BP and Mexico’s death-pact, and celebrate the resistance to intimidation, persecution, disappearance and destruction that’s happening across Mexico and the UK.

Please email info [at] bp-or-not-bp [dot] org to let us know you’re coming and find out more details.

More information:

The BP-sponsored Days of the Dead festival at the British Museum: http://bit.ly/1NmzEmA

BP in Mexico: http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/bp-worldwide/bp-in-mexico.html

Mexico’s human rights crisis: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/06/mexico-human-rights-crisis-president

The disappearance of 43 students: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-34589099

Mexico: the Big Oil Sell-off: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dc81bfcc-261c-11e5-bd83-71cb60e8f08c.html#axzz3pJHwAtkD

BP’s plans to drill deepwater wells in Mexico’s Gulf of Mexico waters: http://bit.ly/1LWEm8M