Home

Mexico

Mexico: Shooting of human rights defender Ms Norma Andradeposted on: 2011/12/06

On 2 December 2011, human rights defender Ms Norma Andrade was shot five times in Ciudad Juárez in the State of Chihuahua.

Mexico: Death threats against human rights defenders and their familiesposted on: 2011/11/11

On 9 November 2011, human rights organisation Comité Cerezo received an email containing death threats against its members. Six members of the family that founded Comité Cerezo were specifically targeted in the email.

UPDATE: Mexico: Death threat against human rights defender Mr Adolfo Guzmán Ordaz - Video addedposted on: 2011/10/25

On 20 October 2011, Mexican human rights defender Mr Adolfo Guzmán Ordaz received a death threat at his home in Comitán de Domínguez, Chiapas. Mr Guzman Ordaz gave testimony about the threats to his life at the 2011 Dublin Platform - watch the video here

Mexico: Attempted break-in at the offices of Justicia para Nuestras Hijas (Justice for Our Daughters)posted on: 2011/06/30

On 24 June 2011 an attempted break-in was reported at the offices of the human rights organisation Justicia para Nuestras Hijas (Justice for our daughters) in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua State. The attempted break-in occurred just hours after Ms Norma Ledezma, the general co-ordinator of the group, took part in a public dialogue with President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. The organisation investigates and denounces cases of femicide and the disappearances of young women and girls in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City.

Mexico: Killing of witness in the murder case of daughter of human rights defender Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortizposted on: 2011/03/24

On 15 March 2011, Mr Juan Ernesto Maciel, along with his father, Mr Manuel Dámaso Maciel García, and his aunt, Ms María Maciel Garcia, were killed at their home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Juan Ernesto Maciel was a key witness in the murder in August 2008 of Ms Rubi Marisol Fraye Escobedo, daughter of human rights defender Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, who was also killed on 16 December 2010.

Mexico: Judicial harassment of human rights defender Mr Nataniel Hernández Núñezposted on: 2011/03/23

Human rights defender Mr Nataniel Hernández Núñez is subject to an ongoing campaign of judicial harassment. Nataniel Hernández Núñez is the director of the Centro de Derechos Humanos Digna Ochoa (Digna Ochoa Human Rights Centre), a non-profit civil association based in the Istmo region of Chiapas which works to promote civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as providing legal advice.

Mexico: Fire at the home of human rights defender Malú García Andrade as she supports a protest against femicide in Chihuahua Stateposted on: 2011/02/23

On 16 February 2011, the home of human rights defender Ms Malú García Andrade was set fire to, reportedly by armed men, as she attended a hunger-strike and protest in front of the offices of the Chihuahua State Attorney General in Júarez. Malú García Andrade is President of the organisation Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa – NHRC (May Our Daughters Return Home).

Further Information

Malú García Andrade was attending the protest action in support of the families of the disappeared, raped and murdered women of Chihuahua State when she received notice that her home was on fire and that it had reportedly been intentionally lit by armed individuals. Whilst nobody was injured in the blaze, the home of the human rights defender suffered serious damages.

Malú García Andrade's sister, Lilia Alejandra, was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered in Ciudad Júarez in February 2001. Many members of NHRC have filed complaints after receiving threats as a result of their fight against femicide in the State.

Mexico: Death threats against human rights defender Ms Guadalupe Calzadaposted on: 2011/02/14

Human rights defender Ms Guadalupe Calzada continues to face serious risks as a result of her position as founder and Coordinator of the Albergue San Juan Diego in Lechería, Mexico State, Mexico, despite receiving police protection following previous threats to her security.

Further Information

The latest threat occurred on 9 February 2011 when Guadalupe Calzada was subjected to death threats by unknown individuals. The Albergue San Juan Diego is a hostel, operated on a volunteer basis, which offers accommodation, help and support to migrants, many of whom are under threat of abduction from criminal gangs and human trafficking organisations operating in the area. The hostel is a member of the Dimensión Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana – DPMH (Pastoral Dimension of Human Mobility) network, a Catholic Church-run network defending migrants' rights.

On 9 February 2011, a member of the DPMH received a telephone call from an unknown individual who stated that Guadalupe Calzada would be killed between the 8th and 10th of February 2011. The incident was reported to the authorities.

Mexico: Killing of human rights defender Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortizposted on: 2010/12/20

Front Line is deeply saddened by the killing of human rights defender, Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortiz in Chihuahua, on 16 December 2010.

Further Information

Front Line strongly condemns the killing and believes that Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was targeted solely as a result of her work in the defence of human rights in particular, her fight for justice for the murder of her daughter, Rubi Marisol Fraye Escobedo, in August 2008 when aged 16 years. Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was a member of Justicia para Nuestras Hijas - Justice for our Daughters.

On the evening of 16 December 2010, Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was holding a peaceful vigil, together with other families of victims of femicide, against the absolution of her daughter's killer, outside the Chihuahua State Governor's Office. A security video recording is said to show a car arrive at the scene carrying a number of masked men.

One man allegedly approached the human rights defender and exchanged words with her. She attempted to get away but the man followed her and shot her in the head. He immediately fled the scene.

Mexico – Death threats against human rights defenders Mr Cuauhtémoc Ramírez Rodríguez and Ms Obtilia Eugenio Manuelposted on: 2010/12/09

On 28 November 2010, human rights defenders Mr Cuauhtémoc Ramírez Rodríguez and Ms Obtilia Eugenio Manuel received death threats against them and family members, when a letter containing the threats was left at the defenders' residence. Both human rights defenderswork for the Organización del Pueblo Indígena Me'phaa - OPIM(Me'phaa Indigenous People'sOrganisation).

Further Information

On 28 November 2010, Cuauhtémoc Ramírez Rodríguez and Obtilia Eugenio Manuel found a death threat written on a sheet of paper that had been pushed under the door of their home.

The threat made specific reference to a case which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard in August 2010, in which elements of the Mexican military were found guilty of torturing and raping Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú, two indigenous women from Guerrero.

The threat opened with the lines: “Hola Obtilia. Ahora ya sabemo donde vive por que tanto molesta de la asunto Inés y Valentina deje estar chingando en la asunto sentencia de las dos mujeres por que son de la organización mephaa” (Hello Obtilia.

Mexico – Death threats against human rights defender Ms Margarita Martínez Martínez and members of Frayba posted on: 2010/11/26

On 24 November 2010, Ms Margarita Guadalupe Martínez Martínez, the wife of human rights defender Mr Adolfo Guzmán Ordaz, again received death threats from unknown individuals after being intercepted on a public street in the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas as she walked unaccompanied by her security guard.

Further Information

Adolfo Guzmán Ordaz is a member of the organisation Enlace, Comunicación y Capacitación – Enlace CC (“Connect, Communication and Training”). Enlace CC is a civil organisation based in Chiapas which works for sustainable development for indigenous peoples and rural workers in central and southern Mexico, incorporating human rights and gender equality as its guiding principles.

Front Line previously issued an appeal in relation to death threats against Margarita Martínez Martínez and her family on 1 March 2010 and 23 December 2009. The threats also made reference to human rights organisation Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas A.C.

Mexico: Public demonstration held to discredit human rights organisation, Frayba, and call for legal action against its Director posted on: 2010/10/08

On 1 October 2010 a demonstration was held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, accusing human rights organisation Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas A.C. (Frayba) of being the mouthpiece of an armed group, and calling for legal action to be taken against its Director, Mr Diego Cadenas Gordillo.

Mexico: Killing of photographer Mr Luis Carlos Santiago and deteriorating situation for journalists and human rights defenders in Chihuahuaposted on: 2010/09/29

Front Line is gravely concerned regarding the precarious situation for human rights defenders, in particular journalists, in the Mexican State of Chihuahua.

Mexico: Lack of investigation into attack of human rights defender Mr Manuel Hernández Pérezposted on: 2010/09/24

Human rights defender Mr Manuel Hernández Pérez was attacked while en route to his home on 1 September 2010, yet despite filing a complaint with the community authorities in Santa Elena no investigation has been carried out and no perpetrators have been brought to justice.

Mexico: Armed attack and death threats against human rights defenders Álvaro Ramírez Concepción and Raúl Hernández Abundió posted on: 2010/09/10

Human rights defender Mr Álvaro Ramírez Concepción has been seriously wounded in an armed attack by unknown gunmen. In addition, his colleague, Mr Raúl Hernández Abundió has received death threats only one day after his release from prison.