Brent has begun to lose hope as the activism continues and support for the project begins to cease. A final article by a Mexican newletter that advocated for the autonomy of Indigenous communities brought a halt to the project. Brent and Elois recognized that their project failed and did not want to risk breaking the law under biopiracy. Brent ends his project by saying, “Well Elois, I think it is time to pack up our bags and go home”.
In the end, the strong call out from international and national NGOs called for the end to the Maya ICBG program. Many of the NGOs called the project “biopiracy”○ because of the covert exploitation of resources by the Berlins and supporting parties. It is important to note that despite the decisions of the native community to cooperate with the bioprospectors, they are often deceived by the false promises of rewards. In the end, the pressure by the international NGOs caused the Maya ICBG program to fail shortly after it begun. In 2001, anti-bioprospecting campaigns led by college students in the United States and a national Mexican newspaper, led a fast-moving negative publicity campaign successfully that portrayed the Maya ICBG project as another example of the continued exploitation of resources. The negative publicity that was received, forced ECOSUR to withdraw○. The question of the autonomy of indigenous communities continues to be the focus of attention when dealing with bioprospecting, but the intersection on behalf of international NGOs allows for the conservation of indigenous land rights.
I was born in Pachuca, Hidalgo in Mexico, but I was raised in the mountains of Huitzila, Mexico. I have personally witnessed the destruction of certain ecosystems due to the intervention or alterations of certain environments for the benefit of tourists and the corrupt government. The crime in theses communities have increased, there is much more pollution in the mountains, and the economy of the surrounding areas, including Huitzila, has not increased. The lack of housing development continues with citizens not having running water, no gas tanks for warm water, and little to no electricity. The Grutas Tolantongo (Tolantongo grottos) have become a tourist attraction when that land once belonged to Nahuatl-speaking indigenous communities. Bioprospecting in indigenous communities for the benefit of others must stop. There is a continued sense of marginalization of community and the disenfranchisement of the indigenous has been solid evidence of the inequality they face and the challenge to their autonomy.
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