While the presidents of Mexico and Central America move forward in implementing macroeconomic projects, hundreds of indigenous people, peasants, environmentalists, popular communicators and human rights defenders convene in San Salvador at the Fifth Mesoamerican Forum of the People to look for alternatives for living and integration. Over 700 social organizations from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica congregate from July 19th to 21st in this Forum in order to discuss actions of resistance to the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP), to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), and to the Central America-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA-US). Contrary to what was stated in recent days by Herbert Taylor, the Mexican representative of the Plan Puebla- Panama, in the sense that the PPP does not face any opposition, dozens of organizations debate themes like the militarization and the construction of democracy in Mesoamerica; the privatization of public services, labor unions and workers' rights, and food sovereignty. The Mexican delegation that attends these conferences for resistance against neoliberal economic integration is composed of 200 representatives of organizations from Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero, Chiapas, Tabasco, and Veracruz, states where the construction of dams for future hydroelectric plants, freeways, and large tourist projects – all the pillars of the Plan Puebla-Panama – have come into conflict with fierce indigenous and peasant opposition. Prior to the Fifth Mesoamerican Forum of the People organizations of women, youth, peasants and indigenous peoples all held meetings in which they debated problems and sectorial agendas. Over 500 women from Mesoamerica initiated on July 16, in the Sports Center of the National University of El Salvador, their debates over the concerted development of new strategies to continue the struggle for societies without discrimination nor inequality of any type. "The women of the region have questioned, together with the whole population and popular organizations, privatizing policies that threaten health and social security. It is a threat that today requires a strong effort what with the so-called Free-Trade Agreements that in reality are new forms of neocolonialization of the people of our America." This was stated in the event's inauguration which took place in a festive environment. The rural and indigenous peoples, for their part, launched on that very July 16 the Fourth Mesoamerican Conference of Rural and Indigenous Peoples. "We must strengthen our rural and indigenous movement in order to stand up to the challenges dealt to us by neoliberal globalism," said Guadalupe Erazo, rural Salvadorian leader of the Agricultural Block. For his part, Afredo Chén, leader of the Guatemalan National Coordinator of Rural Organizations (CNOC), explained that "in Guatemala they accuse us of being invaders of the land but in actuality we are defending our right to life and labor, for this reason we have occupied 80 farms and why we fight for an integral land reform." Fernando Gómez, of the Coordinator of Autonomous Organizations of the State of Chiapas (COAECH) expressed that, "We need to keep fighting for dietary sovereignty and the defense of our biodiversity which is threatened by the Plan Puebla-Panama and by the FTA-US." Finally, on July 17 dozens of youth held the First Mesoamerican Youth Forum, an event organized by the Bloque Popular Juvenil (BPJ), which is a subsidiary of the Bloque Popular Social of El Salvador. Coordinator of the BPJ, William Martínez, during the opening ceremony talked about the impact that trade agreements with the United States, such as PPP, FTAA, and FTA-US, have on Mesoamerican youth. Martínez asserted that, "in our country most of the population is under 30 years old; we are the majority. The majority is made up of young people and women, and it is us who are most affected by these type of agreements that create unemployment and make us emigrate." The youth leader closed by calling for unity and a struggle against "this neoliberal globalization that has augmented inequality and social exclusion."